The Best of New Zealand with Nick Honeyman

Nick travels to a floating salmon farm and cooks an Asian-style salmon noodle dish and puts a twist on the classic French dish Salmon en Papillote (salmon steamed in a paper bag). He visits a family-owned winery to discover why the Marlborough region is the Sauvignon blanc capital of the world and prepares steak with blue cheese butter, as well as almond and apple puff pastry roses.

Nick starts his journey at a cheese factory, where they make a huge variety of European-style cheeses by hand. He makes a warm snapper fish and asparagus salad with whipped Feta cheese. He meets a family who is passionate about growing avocados and makes a warm cucumber, salmon and avocado salad. Blueberries and lemons grow in this warm region and he makes a delectable chocolate mousse.

Nick visits New Zealand's biggest olive oil grove and watches virgin oil being pressed before cooking a Mediterranean seafood stew in the olive grove. He visits a High-Country sheep station to find out why New Zealand lamb really is the best in the world and makes a French Rack of Lamb dish. Nick finds out why one particular variety of apple is such a hit and makes a beef and apple carpaccio.

Nick goes paddling on the harbour with an Olympic kayaker and then visits an avocado orchard where he prepares a healthy avocado salad and an avocado and coconut-water smoothie. Nick discovers the importance of good stock and prepares a seafood chowder by the beach. He flies by helicopter over kiwifruit orchards and discovers the sweetest tasting gold and green kiwifruit.

Nick crosses the harbour bridge to meet a family who owns a boutique vineyard and a farmer who raises Southdown sheep. He prepares a classic roast lamb dish with a twist, matched with local wine. Nick visits a Free Range chicken farm and heads to a five-star location under the Auckland harbour bridge to cook a whole chicken in a salt pastry casing.

Nick hangs out with a beekeeper and tries honey straight from a hive. He drops into an old homestead and makes sticky chicken drumsticks and an elderflower and honey cordial. Canterbury is famous for grain production. Nick wades through a wheat field and then visits a farmer's house, to make Peasant Bread. He finds out how to grow the best cherries and makes a delectable cherry dessert.

Nick meets one of New Zealand's leading racehorse owners, who's also a major beef farmer and Nick makes a delectable beef sirloin dish with chimichurri sauce. He drops into New Zealand's only organic tea plantation for a cup of tea and makes a classic French chocolate tart with a green oolong tea twist. Feijoas originally came from South America and Nick discovers why they do so well here.

Nick kicks things off with an early morning skydive and visits a High-Country deer farm to see how red deer are raised. He prepares delectable picnic dishes featuring venison. He flies out to meet lobster boats and makes an incredible sashimi lobster dish. Sheep's milk makes great cheese but Nick discovers a flock that is being milked to make butter.