IMHO, every town in Aotearoa is judged by its pies.
At least that's been my experience.
I don't mean like 10 or 20 $ coffee-shop pie, but its most basic, honest $6 pepper-steak or potato-top Tradies pie.
Chicken-camembert if you're feeling fancy.
Is Z or BP really the best I could hope for?
Widespread sub-zero freeze hits NZ as Desert Road plunges to -10.4C. Stuff. August 7, 2026, 6:04am.
Taumarunui, Rotorua plunge to record-breaking lows - MetService. 1news. Aug 7, 2026.
Weather forecast: Cold and frosty start ahead of warmer, wetter weekend. NZ Herald. 7 Aug, 2026 10:10 AM.
From MetService bsky skeet - OR - facebook post.
6-7 August 2026 Record minimum temperatures
Coldest temperature ever recorded
Taumarunui -7.2 (records begin 2007),
Rotorua -5.6 (records begin 1972).
Coldest August Temperature
Taupō -6.6°C (Records begin 1976),
Palmerston North -3.5°C (Records begin 1991),
Whangarei 0.4°C (Records begin 1967),
Honorable mentions
Auckland 1.4°C (3rd coldest August temperature on record),
Hamilton -4.6°C (3rd coldest August temperature on record),
Napier -3.2°C (2nd coldest August temperature on record),
Whakatane -3.0°C (Tied coldest August temperature on record)
Source: bsky skeet - OR - facebook post.
Graphic / Map titled Friday Minimum Temperatures showing temperatures at various places
bsky skeet - OR - facebook post
12:15pm, 7 August 2026 edit to add links to NZ Herald and 1 news stories.
The Customs steak house is now closed and will reopen soon as a Thai restaurant.
Where is the best place to get a steak in Timaru? I also enjoyed their crème brûlée if theres any other places you know of!