[ad_1]
So the horrendous year that was finally came to an end, but thanks to last night’s excesses, you feel quite horrible. We are here to help.
With its invigorating waters, healing hot pools, restorative spas, superlative cakes, and quality brunch spots, New Zealand is basically a great detox spot.
Here are some ideas to help you feel human again.
Brook sabin
Hot Pools Rich in Minerals, Carbohydrates, and ‘Dog Hair’ – The Lake Taupo Holiday Resort’s Pool Hot Pool Bar and Cafe offers a winning combination to combat a hangover.
The beach
You may not feel like crawling out of bed, let alone out of the door, right now, but the ocean is a hangover miracle worker that is well worth the effort.
READ MORE:
* Backyard Banter: How to go on vacation when you can’t go abroad
* My last escape, by radio host Jason ‘JT’ Tikao
* World famous in New Zealand: Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa
Jenny Evans / Getty Images
Go to the beach even if you feel dizzy.
Your nearest swimming beach is the best option here; Now is not the time to test your guts on a car trip that could lead to vomiting.
Get into the healing water as fast as you can; if it’s cold or the waves are big, so much the better. They’ll get the toxic blood recirculating soon.
Nana, napping under the shade of a large tree is your best course of ‘action’ for the rest of the day; After all, the sleep-altering properties of alcohol are a known cause of hangover symptoms. Once you feel like you are reentering the land of the living, an outdoor walk to the sea should do wonders. If you are landlocked, there is no need to worry, any freshwater well will do. Make a dive bomb if you can; it is as good a remedy as any to clear the mind and get the blood pumping.
George heard / things
Fairlie Bakehouse’s famous pork belly pie with apple sauce and pork rinds.
Your local pastry shop
A classic kiwi hangover cure for centuries, the humble meatloaf is surely the tastiest medicinal food out there.
Your toxin-overloaded system might complain if you fill it with more bad stuff at this point, so head to a bakery that you know offers quality products if you can. If you’re in Tauranga, head straight to Patrick’s Pies Gold Star Bakery – Owner Patrick Lam was named Lord of the Pies for a record seventh time at the 2019 NZ Supreme Pie Awards for his offering of ground beef and cheese.
Auckland locals should go to the Euro Patisserie in Torbay – their potato top, steak and gravy and vegetarian dishes (the latter loaded with broccoli, cauliflower, squash, carrot and spinach) earned three gold gongs in recent awards.
LUCY ZEE / Things
Freelance writer and videographer Lucy Zee eats a cake at Patrick Lam’s Tauranga Bakery from Lord of the Tarts.
Nada Bakery in Tawa, Wellington; Kai Pai Wholesale in Wānaka; Cafe Boutique in Christchurch and Ten O’Clock Cookie Bakery Cafe in Masterton were some of the other Gold Award winners.
If you are a short drive from Fairlie, of course you should head to the cake vendor who put the place on the map. Franz Lieber, the Austrian-born owner of the legendary Fairlie Backhouse, has been producing cakes filled with fresh local ingredients for over a decade. Popular flavor combinations include smoked chicken and mushrooms, salmon and bacon, pork belly and applesauce, and classic ground beef and cheese.
Brook Sabin / Stuff
Rotorua’s Manupirua Hot Pools is one of the most secluded hot springs in New Zealand, so you can avoid the headache-giving talks.
The closest hot spring
Hot springs have been revered for their healing properties for thousands of years and, in Europe and Japan, they are widely accepted as a treatment for a host of ailments.
If you believe in their superpowers, they face multiple hangover symptoms, including fatigue and, according to an Israeli study published in the journal Rheumatology International – pain. Sitting in a hot spring, our bodies absorb its natural minerals, such as calcium and baking soda, increasing the flow of blood and oxygen, while the warm water promotes restful sleep.
Fortunately for us, the Land of the Long White Cloud (and geothermal hot spots) has free and commercial options on the North and South islands. Rotorua has plenty of options, including Hell’s Gate, which also features mud baths praised for their detoxifying powers, and Kerosene Creek, surrounded by native bush, where you can sit in a makeshift private hot pool with a waterfall view for nothing.
Supplied
Take in the waters of Kerosene Creek in Rotorua for nothing.
Other Travel of things Favorites include Kaitoke Hot Springs in Great Barrier Island, The Lost Spring in Whitianga, Otumuheke Stream in Taupō, Ngāwhā Springs near Kaikohe, Hot Tubs Ōmārama in Mackenzie Country, Onsen Hot Pools in Queenstown, and Maruia Hot Springs in Lewis Pass National Reserve.
To combine the healing properties of thermal pools and the ocean, head to Hot Water Beach in Coromandel or its west coast counterpart Kāwhia Springs in Waikato.
Your local day spa
Counter the damage you did last night with a detoxifying massage or scrub at your local day spa. Doing something good for your body after treating it badly is also good for the soul, and could help ease your guilt in some way.
If you are in Auckland or Wellington, East Day Spa is a good option. Its flickering candles, soft music, and exotic scents act like a balm for the senses from the moment you walk through the door, and almost all of its treatments should persuade your body to stop hurting you and just relax.
Christel Yardley / Stuff
Onsen Pools Retreat and Day Spa in Queenstown features spirited views over the Shotover River.
Chi Nei Tsang (Thai abdominal massage) is said to help flush toxins out of the gastrointestinal tract, while also stimulating your lymphatic, nervous, and respiratory systems, while the lymphatic drainage massage will hopefully drain all the remaining alcohol from your body. .
Afterward, allow plenty of time to relax in the relaxation area; there are individual capsules, so you don’t need to talk to anyone in your sorry state if you want. There is also a steam room that should help flush out any remaining toxins, plus a manicure and pedicure room to help keep you looking good. Or at least like a ruined train with dry skin, chipped nails, and crazy eyebrows.
If you’re in or near the Bay of Plenty, head to the Day Spa Natural Detox Center in Te Puke, which specializes in removing bad things from your body. The 95-minute spa treatment, which includes an Ayurvedic dry brush massage, a herbal back mask and hot stones, should help you.
Best licensed brunch spots
Combine two or three common hangover cures (a great breakfast, strong coffee, and dog hair) in one place for breakfast or brunch throughout the day.
Post-hangover cravings are a very individual thing. Burgers, full English brekkies, carb-rich comfort food, ultra-healthy meals designed to undo yesterday’s damage, and Asian-style meals with herbs and spices to ease nausea are common choices. So where should you go?
In Auckland, Winona Forever at Parnell delivers products on multiple fronts. The large breakfast plate with chicken garlic sausage, pork belly, portobello mushrooms, poached eggs, jalapeno seasoning, and veggies should suffice. Are you still unsatisfied? For the accompanying ciabatta topped with freeze-dried greens and whipped feta cheese?
Do you need something more virtuous? Saffron-infused porridge with poached pears and seasonal fruit, or a vegan bowl drizzled with miso could be your salvation. After pure butter? Try the buttermilk fried chicken with fries. Something sweet? Try the Eton rifle with cinnamon brioche, acai panna cotta, poached pear, crumbled brandy skewers with pistachio, meringue, mascarpone, raspberry coulis and maple syrup. With a healing-sounding sweet and spicy beer, wine, iced coffee or chai with lemon and manuka honey if you feel like it.
In Wellington, Cuba St Institution Olive is a good option, as is Burger Liquor, where you can order a kind of alcoholic breakfast shake to go with your giant burger, popcorn chicken, or Punjabi poutine. In Christchurch, try Hello Sunday Cafe, Drexels, The Lotus-Heart Vegetarian Restaurant, or Luciano’s Espresso Bar. Does anyone want “banoffles” (banana buttermilk waffles) with salted caramel ice cream, peanut praline and bacon?
Your closest bungy base
Jumping off a bridge may not seem like the smartest idea when you’re feeling dizzy, but it’s a quick way to wake up and get your blood pumping. You will probably sweat half your alcohol intake from last night on the road. It’s also an effective way to banish the boredom that accompanies a hangover for many.
Supplied
Bungee Jumping: A surefire way to end the “adult flu” blues.
His eyes will be wide and his tail bushy long before he steps off the platform. If you’re in or near Queenstown, you can tackle New Zealand’s highest bungy jump, the Nevis Bungy, which logically delivers the longest-lasting high. In Auckland, jump off the Harbor Bridge or, if you are in the vicinity of Huka Falls, visit Taupō Bungy, the highest bungy jump off a cliff in Aotearoa. For an added thrill in the latter, choose to dive into the Waikato River. How is that to start 2021 in style?
