The Chef’s Table at Blue Duck Station in the Ruapehu district of the North Island has been awarded Specialist Restaurant of the Year at New Zealand’s only national restaurant awards, the Cuisine Good Food Awards 24/25. 

Blue Duck Station is a privately owned 7,200 acre station on the banks of the Whanganui and Retaruke Rivers, it is surrounded by Whanganui National Park and is an outdoor enthusiast’s playground owned by farmer and conservationist Dan Steele.

The Chef’s Table boasts spectacular views and can only be accessed by helicopter, horseback, mountain bike or an all-terrain vehicle (ATV). 

Tongariro National Park is the only UNESCO Dual World Heritage site in New Zealand.

Simon Barnett and James Daniels spoke with Blue Duck Station owner Dan Steele.

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