The Harbour View Hotel can be all right, but just as equally can be really disappointing. Worse experience – having dinner with my whanau and my mum’s food was so salty she found it inedible. The waitress went off to talk to the chef and reported back that as the chef hadn’t deliberately put too much salt in it, it wasn’t his fault. Apparently the problem lay with Mum’s tastebuds. Another time my brother told the waitress (who looked about 14) that he wanted his steak well done and she didn’t understand what he was referring to.

About a year ago, Vinnies changed ownership. The unique, varied Pacific rim menu went out and generic cafe food replaced it. My parents refuse to eat there any more.

But worth checking out is the Marlin, down by the wharf. They’ve had their ups and downs, but latest reports say their new menu is a good one. But don’t order dessert, because most of their desserts involve canned fruit salad or something like microwave puddings.

Raggiz represent.