This sweltering hot weather we have seen over the last few weeks is a great excuse to go and get a sweet, icy cold treat. Luckily for us, the Rodney area has a wealth of incredibly delicious ice cream shops to satisfy the craving. Not only are they customer approved, many are award winning, which just confirms the yumminess. Charlies’ liquorice gelato scooped up the gold at the 2018 New Zealand Ice Cream Award, and the strawberry gelato and black doris plum sorbetto both received a silver each.

Charlies Gelato Garden is a favourite of both Rodney residents and tourists. A local institution, they make some incredible gelato, sorbetto and sell seasonal fresh produce grown on site. All of their award-winning ice cream is made the way the Italians do it: very small batches from scratch. With over 40 flavours available each day, there's an option for whatever you might be craving. A hit for the ten years, Charlies is definitely a place to check out. Over summer they also fire up a pizza oven in their beautiful gardens.

OOB Organic ice cream at 89 Jones Road, between Matakana and Omaha, is the perfect stop off on your way to or from Omaha Beach. They make a fresh, certified organic berry and soft-serve blend (available in dairy-free too) or you can indulge in delicious organic ice cream and ice blocks in a selection of mouth-watering flavours. There are also punnets of freshly picked blueberries to take home.

Puhoi Valley Cafe isn't just for fantastic cheeses: they also sell delicious, indulgent ice cream. At the recent 2020 NZ Ice Cream Awards, Puhoi Valley Ice Cream took out four silvers for their Puhoi Hokey, Matakana Roasted Coffee Affogato with Cashew Nut, Strawberry Sorbet and the Kids’ Choice Award for the Puhoi Valley Choc Hokey. If they don’t sound quite what you’re after and you’d prefer something a little more chocolately, Puhoi Valley Cafe's Puhoi Choc Bomb landed the Kids’ Choice Award at the 2019 NZ ice cream awards. It was ranked as "extra yummy" on the "yum to yuck scale", as voted by a group of 8- to 12-year-old guest judges. Everyone knows that kids can be the toughest critics, so theirs is the opinion to trust. In the 2017 awards, Puhoi Valley Cafe also cleaned up, winning five major awards. It took home the supreme award of boutique manufacturer for its chai latte ice cream, which also won the premium ice cream category.

It's not summer without least one real fruit ice cream, and Tramcar Diner Matakana in Matakana Village is the place to go for this. With strawberry, blueberry, raspberry and cherry chocolate on the menu, they have you covered with some delicious options. 

With such a wealth of great local produce in the Rodney region, it's no surprise the ice cream is mouth-watering. While the sun shines over the summer, it gives us the best excuse I can think of for one of these delectable treats.