Last year I went to a luncheon and won a trip to New Zealand. But not just any trip.
This one was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do a Luxury Lodge Tour of New Zealand.
I was at Virtuoso Travel Week, a conference for travel advisors and travel suppliers in the Virtuoso Luxury Network. I was invited to the lunch hosted by Tourism New Zealand and put my business card in the bowl. Lo and behold, my card was drawn and I won the prize: Airfare and 8 hotel nights in New Zealand, donated by Air New Zealand and five of the Virtuoso-affiliated luxury lodges in New Zealand.
I am very grateful we got this amazing opportunity to experience the best of what New Zealand has to offer. We experienced gorgeous properties, fabulous service, delicious food and wine, welcoming and friendly people emotionally connected to their beautiful country.
With the help of Southern Crossings, a New Zealand-based company that specializes in creating deluxe travel experiences, and Sara Devenie, my husband and I planned a three-week trip to visit each of the properties and other parts of New Zealand we hadn’t yet seen.
This article is really a thank you note to Tourism New Zealand (especially Hadyn Fitzpatrick and Ren West) and the people at the luxury properties we visited. It details just a few of the great experiences we had.
South Island
Eichardt’s Private Hotel
This is an historic boutique hotel with 7 suites and 6 apartments. We stayed in Suite #1 with windows looking directly out onto the Marine Parade and Lake Wakatipu. Daniel conducted a wine tasting in the bar for us with excellent Central Otago wines. We appreciated that manager James called us when a table opened up in the very busy Eichardt’s Bar. Breakfast in The Grille Restaurant set the high standard for the rest of our trip-with locally sourced, home grown, free range offerings.
This suite was our favorite for “Most Comfortable Bed.” Stay at this hotel if you want to be in the heart of Queenstown with easy access to everything.
Annandale-Seascape Villa
We drove over the hills of the Banks Peninsula outside of Christchurch, to Annandale. This working sheep and cattle farm has 4 residences for rental, with Seascape being the smallest. The manager Sebastian welcomed us and handed us off to Phil who conducted our farm tour and gave us a great overview of the history in the region. As we drove down the steep gravel road between hills to the bay and Seascape Villa, the amazing architecturally designed glass, stone, and wood studio took our breath away. Sebastian (General Manager) welcomed us to the villa with champagne while we took in the modern surroundings. This is a special retreat of the first order. We loved sitting in the hot tub under the stars and the delicious chef-prepared meals that you just have to heat and eat.
It was our favorite for “Best View from the Room.” It takes forty minutes to get to the villa from the front gate of Annandale, (it’s on a six thousand acre farm) so stay at Seascape if you want to be away from it all, but in the most luxurious way.
North Island
Treetops Lodge and Estate
Between Taupo and Rotorua, the main building is at the top of the winding forested drive and feels like a luxurious big game lodge, built with native wood and reclaimed stone. We stayed in one of the four Lodge Rooms in the “Owner’s Retreat” so we had use of the ample private living room and full kitchen. An afternoon hike through the fern forests brought us to stunning Bridal Veil Falls. After dinner we took flashlights and walked to another waterfall to see glow worms in their natural habitat.
This property was our favorite for the “Best Spaces.” Stay here to enjoy the forests and mountains, and do some of the available activities, like hiking and fishing.
We also spent a night at Kinloch Manor and Estate, a sister property of Treetops. Located just above Lake Taupo, this is a beautiful golf resort with the most modern amenities and villas. We loved tasting the locally produced manuka honey, a New Zealand specialty.
Helena Bay Lodge
About an hour northeast of Whangerei in Northland, on the coast is this expansive property. We stayed in a junior suite (there are three, along with two villa suites) with a great view across the lawns to the bay. The public areas are modern with great art inside and outside, including an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Manager Emi greeted us with champagne and gave us a tour of the public spaces. Set on a thousand acre farm, farm manager, Jacques gave us a tour while checking on all the animals. We felt most pampered here, with attentive staff and excellent food.
This property was our favorite for”Best Amenities:” the bonbons at night along with an aromatherapy sleep box, Netflix on the large flat screen tv, comprehensive toiletries, luxurious towels. We got to go fishing and drove a 4wd Ranger around the property to a secluded beach. This would be a great place to rent out for a family reunion. The staff can cater for just about anything.
The Landing-The Boathouse
The Landing is in the Bay of Islands near Kerikeri. Again it is reached by a long drive through the thousand-acre farmlands and vineyard property. One of four residences available for rental, the Boathouse is right on the seafront. Chefs Jackie and Ron, ably assisted by Deb, prepared the food for us each morning and night. The food was locally grown and sourced, adding to its freshness. I discovered a new favorite fish: hapuku. Manager Laura was most gracious touring us around the other houses and the vineyards. This property comes with several included activities, which you can schedule during your stay. The Bay of Islands boat tour with Captain Brett was fun and informative–we even caught a few small snapper. Dane made sure we saw a couple of wild kiwi birds on our nighttime spotting tour. Vineyard Manager Keith took us on a vineyard tour and into the cellar for a tasting of The Landing’s wines. We even had time for a little kayaking in the bay.
This place was our favorite for “Best Activities” and “Best Food.” Stay here for a tranquil seaside retreat with many included activities. Thanks to Vance and Jacqui from Touch of Spice. They coordinated our stay.
Thank you as well to Air New Zealand and Ruth Jones and Paula Diana-Castro for donating the business class seats. That made our New Zealand entry and exit so much more comfortable and special. Thanks, too, to Virtuoso Travel Network for coordinating the event.
