PURE NEW ZEALAND
Pure New Zealand - Luxury Travel Magazine
 | |||||
Pure New Zealand | |||||
| By: Susan Kurosawa, pictures by Jason Busch, Issue 16 – Spring 2003 | |||||
| (Lake Taupo, Matauri Bay, Bay of Islands, Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu, Blanket Bay, Lake Wanaka, Waitemata Harbour, Auckland) | |||||
| FROM KAURI CLIFFS AND HUKA LODGE TO MATAKAURI AND BLANKET BAY, NEW ZEALAND’S LODGES AND BOUTIQUE HOTELS ARE THE ESSENCE OF LUXURY. WHEN I first visited Huka Lodge at Lake Taupo in the mid-1980s, I fell for it – well, Huka, line and sinker, actually. I wanted to shout about its chic accommodation, fine cuisine and peerless fishing. Yes, even the fishing, and how the trout swam so obviously in clear rivers with names as mellifluous as Waikato and Tongariro, and in Lake Taupo itself, silvery-blue, wind-ruffled and the size of Singapore. So I wrote about my love affair with Huka and posed the question why Australia didn’t have country lodges of such immaculate style and luxury. There was a torrent of response, most of it enraged, but no-one really had an answer. I launched into print again, with the following theory: Australia does have wilderness retreats, country house hotels and exclusive island resorts the equal of the world’s finest but the more remote reaches of our landscape are unconquerable and we just can’t lick the Kiwis when it comes to five-star lodges in pastures so pristine and springy green, it looks as if the scenery is fluffed-up overnight by pixies – or Hobbits, given The Land of the Long White Cloud’s recent mutation to Middle-Earth. Little wonder New Zealand served so well as the location for the Lord of the Rings trilogy – it has an emptiness and primeval beauty suggestive of quest and fantasy. Those alpine ranges, swooping valleys and glacier-fed lakes are not just grand but completely other-worldly. New Zealand’s rural reaches have remained virtually unsullied, a wondrous preservation amid the creep of 21st-century global development. Amid such natural beauty, New Zealand’s luxury lodge network enjoys enormous success. Almost evenly divided between the North and South Islands, top-drawer properties are available that feature a direct reference to their surrounds – one doesn’t just buy a bed for the night but entry to the landscape via hideaway locations, unfettered views, and cuisine and wine that celebrate local bounty. Typically, such properties range from four to 20 rooms, and almost 30 are members of the New Zealand Lodge Association which cites locations ‘by the seaside, in the heart of wine-growing districts, in rural splendour and in forested mountain valleys’. In most cases, tariffs cover hearty breakfasts (in preparation for the day’s activities), and pre-dinner drinks and dinner; there is little temptation to dine away from one’s temporary ‘home’ and the atmosphere is often as jolly as a house party. Although many lodges offer tables-à-deux, the luxury lodge concept in New Zealand is firmly rooted in the tradition of hunting and fishing camps, with guests getting together at the end of the day and comparing fish caught, trails tramped and, in the old days, animals bagged. Most lodges are kitted out in faux-rustic style, there will probably be a tennis court, swimming pool, and (increasingly) a spa, and guests are encouraged to launch themselves into whatever activity the region is famous for. Classic comfort: If anyone can be singled out for kick-starting the luxury lodge network in New Zealand, it would have to be businessman Alex van Heeren who opened the revitalised Huka Lodge in 1984. Lake Taupo is famous for its trout (standard Kiwi boast: the fish are so huge that when you catch one, the water level drops) and Huka Lodge makes specific reference to fishing in its design, decor and, indeed, its location. The original lodge was set up by an Irishman, Alan Pye, in the late-1920s. He built four canvas huts within sight of Huka Falls and serious anglers sought him out – including the Queen Mother, in the 1930s, whose favourite fishing hole was called, fittingly, The Duchess. Van Heeren saw the potential for a world-class enclave where the history of Lake Taupo could be enshrined. On a well-wooded, seven-hectare domain, guests are accommodated in 20 cedar cabins, sitting in a politely spaced row beside a clear rushing river patrolled by ducks. The main building is a gathering place for cocktails and guests may join a long dinner table or branch off to various venues, including a table by candlelight in the vaulted cellar (surrounded by 35,000 bottles of the finest wines). The food is superb, with the trout sashimi a surreal remove from Pye’s pan-fried catches, and just as the fishing set visits Lake Taupo in the hope of a record rainbow trout, Huka Lodge is a traveller’s trophy, one to boast about and treasure; access www.hukalodge.com. Also of this iconic ilk: Wharekauhau Country Estate at Wairarapa (two hours from Wellington) and Grasmere Lodge (90 minutes from Christchurch). Whole in one: Kauri Cliffs (our cover and opening pictures) recently was admitted to the hallowed ranks of Relais & Chateaux, proof of its exalted standing as one of the world’s great retreats. Located near Matauri Bay in the beautiful Northland region, Kauri Cliffs is well-named – its elevated position allows for lighthouse-type views of the Pacific Ocean – and this is the lodge of choice for serious golfers. A par-72 championship course is the lure. There are four sets of tees for varying levels of skill (or optimism) and 15 of the holes come with ocean views, six of which present the added challenge of sheer cliff drops. Kauri Cliffs has more of a sporty bent than many of its peers and there’s plenty to keep golf widows (or widowers) amused, from two tennis courts and a fitness centre to a horizon-edge pool and spa. Nearby are secluded beaches and waterfalls (take a picnic hamper) and it’s easy to arrange marine activities, pheasant shoots and big-game fishing. The 16 suites at Kauri Cliffs are contained in eight cottages with all the expected facilities; six new cottages will be available from December. If you’re the sort of golfer who travels with an entourage, there are two ‘caddy’ rooms or, for a family, a two-suite Owner’s Cottage with private pool. There’s a touch of formality about Kauri Cliffs, though – male guests are requested to wear a jacket during the cocktail hour and dinner; access www.kauricliffs.com. Also for the golf-mad traveller: Millbrook Resort (between Queenstown and Arrowtown) and Moose Lodge (30 minutes from Rotorua). New-age wonder: On a private peninsula in the Bay of Islands, Eagles Nest is a perfect example of the 21st-century lodge vision – the traditional elements of comfort and retreat blended with a new-age focus on rejuvenation. Its villas feature names as evocative as First Light Temple and Sacred Space: imagine private pools, witty design, bathrooms that wouldn’t be out of place in the hippest of hip hotels and, on the personal rediscovery front, the option of attending workshops on spiritual intelligence with owners Sandie and Daniel Biskind. Although a recent arrival on the lodge scene, Eagles Nest has scooped the travel world’s prestige polls. Conde Nast Traveller included the retreat in its top new hotels for 2002 while the same year Travel + Leisure bestowed honours in its ‘most romantic places to stay’ survey. Such high awards are not idly granted and Eagles Nest is serious about its status – the new Eyrie and Eagle Spirit, for example, stretch the lodge concept to three-bedroom beach cottages with pools and views; access www.eaglesnest.co.nz. Also with a funky variety of accommodation styles: Black Barn Vineyards (Hawke’s Bay). Rooms with a view: At Matakauri Lodge, near Queenstown, even lying in bed is a sightseeing experience. It is misty during my visit and the clouds hang low over Lake Wakatipu, its waters glistening deep and mysterious. The 180-degree lake panorama is visible not only from my villa bedroom but via windowside divans and the bath – surely the ultimate (two-person) tub with a view. Opened three years ago and an inclusion on more international hot lists, the lodge sits in a magisterial location on the road to Glenorchy. Queenstown is only 10 minutes away but the feel is of complete isolation. Matakauri’s chalet architecture complements the South Island’s alpine environment, and the design features local beech and Glenorchy slate. The schist stone used for feature walls is also of the immediate region and the smart furnishings are in harvest colours that echo Queenstown’s golden autumns. On offer are four chalet-style villas plus three suites in the main lodge, a small spa, comfy communal areas, and menus focused on Central Otago ingredients. Danish-born general manager Tomas Kastberg plays mine host with ease (he enjoys Australian company and happily answers to Tommo). The typical guest at unstarchy Matakauri is a comfort-loving foodie, mad about the five-star Kiwi lodge experience; access www.matakauri.co.nz. Also known for convivial atmosphere: Mangapapa Lodge (between Hastings and Napier) and Treetops Lodge (Rotorua). Lady of the lake: If we are to be purist about the lodge genre, then Eichardt’s is a ring-in. It fits the bill in terms of size and views (three suites face Lake Wakatipu, two feature mountain aspects) but there’s a hint of metro-chic, too, even if the Queenstown CBD is barely one street. Virginia Fisher, who set the benchmark when she designed Huka’s interiors, has literally gone to town with her decor for this restored 1870s landmark building. Fisher has chosen spicy tones (seal brown is one of her favourites), with beds set on raised platforms and dressed with possum-fur throws, fireplaces clad in metal and layer-upon-layer of rich and velvety luxury. Breakfast is served in The Parlour (open fire and wingback chairs) and general manager Victoria Shaw (who used to run Wharekauhau) believes in a hands-on, unfussy style. Eichardt’s is another international award-winner – in fact New Zealand itself is hot, perceived as a safe and secure destination for international visitors. Accommodation of this standard is the delectable icing on the cake; access www.eichardtshotel.co.nz. Also beautifully restored with waterfront location: Jeong-K Place (Devonport, Auckland). Blanket approval: A colleague of mine who visited Blanket Bay said she felt she’d pitched up at the Ponderosa. The scale of the Blanket Bay spread may be Bonanza-like but we’re definitely talking fishing, boating and hearty walking rather than cattle-ranching. A favourite with Americans, Blanket Bay is further along the Queenstown-Glenorchy Road than Matakauri but is similarly tucked away. Blanket Bay takes its unusual name from the era of pioneer shearers, whose shelters were made from blanket canopies. There’s rich irony in this, considering the sumptuous luxury of the contemporary lodge’s accommodation. Its five guest rooms and three colossal suites are decorated in muted colours and a further selection of lakeside chalets is detailed with schist and recycled wharfing timber. Public areas – the Great Room, Wine Cave et al – follow a country house theme and there’s a large pool, hot spa and beauty therapy salon. The seasons are precisely defined in this patch of the South Island and Blanket Bay offers activities to suit. Choose from jet-boating, fly-fishing, horse-riding and heli-skiing – my friend swears she found a mountain guide who was the spit of Little Joe Cartwright – or just cosy on down, like Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston did on their honeymoon. It’s a hideaway as snug as it sounds; access www.blanketbay.com. Also with an idyllic waterside setting: Maruia River Lodge (two hours from Nelson) and Lake Brunner Lodge (three hours from Christchurch). Just cruising: Lake Wanaka has long been lady-in-waiting to nearby Queenstown but things are beginning to change. Shania Twain has bought a rural spread there and Tom Cruise gave it the thumbs-up when he booked out Whare Kea Lodge. Built as a holiday home for a member of the Myer retail dynasty, the six-suite lodge can be reserved on a per room basis or as a full rental, a la Cruise. It is a super-large ranch-style home with jaw-dropping views of Lake Wanaka and its sentinel snow-crowned peaks. The decor is contemporary, very pale and streamlined (no use trying to compete with the wall-to-wall views), and food is prepared at guests’ whim. Evening meals celebrate local produce and Central Otago wines (including superb pinot noir) and it’s all lacking in pretence - treat it like your own home, albeit one with a helipad. Whare Kea Lodge is to expand early next year but this is no conventional extension. The new accommodation will be a tiny alpine chalet on a promontory overlooking the Matukituki Valley; access for a maximum of four guests by helicopter. Top-of-the-world stuff, adrift in the clouds and snow; access www.wharekealodge.com. Also with few rooms and absolute seclusion: Sherwood Lodge (90 minutes from Christchurch). Auckland: three degrees of separation Andrew Conway A luxury lodge holiday in New Zealand should start in style, and what better place than Auckland? The City of Sails, named for the flotilla of billowing yachts which fill the sparkling Waitemata Harbour every weekend, is rapidly raising the stakes in the luxury accommodation market and is the ideal gateway for savvy travellers who want a slice of cosmopolitan city life at the start or end of their trans-Tasman holiday. Towering over the central business district at No. 1, Courthouse Lane, the imposing Ascott Metropolis is Auckland’s third-highest building with spectacular city and harbour views and rooms to match. This is New York-style, home-away-from-home living with 37 floors of fully serviced apartments and private residences which are the last word in inner-city luxury for overnight, weekend or longer-term executive stays. Each studio, one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartment comes with separate living and dining areas, comfy beds with ultra-light doonas, TV, in-house movies, CD player, fully equipped designer kitchens, and balconies which open to dazzling views of the harbour, Albert Park and futuristic Sky Tower. There’s 24-hour reception, room service and security, daily maid service and valet parking, as well as a groovy indoor heated lap pool, sauna and well-equipped gym. The hotel is home to Otto’s, recently named Best Restaurant in Auckland by Metro magazine, and the stylish Recess Bar. The Ascott Metropolis sits atop the meticulously restored former Magistrate’s Courthouse, a vision of Oamaru limestone, polished marble, detailed timber and onyx ceilings which provides the grandest of guest entrances. A stroll from the city’s best shops and boutiques, restaurants, cafes, bars and clubs, art galleries and museums, harbour and ferries, it’s the ideal location for a top Auckland stay. Apartments cost from $200 a night. Bookings, 1800 827 268, www.the-ascott.com If you’re looking for something smaller and more intimate, the delightful Mollies on Tweed will have you in instant luxury lodge mode. A delightful 1905 ‘villa’ nestled in the leafy Auckland suburb of St Mary’s Bay (a five-minute cab ride from the city centre), Mollies is part of the Small Luxury Hotels portfolio and its first ‘gateway’ property in Auckland. Named after Mollie Wilson, who operated the villa as a boarding house for many years, it’s now in the hands of Mollie’s daughter Frances, and husband Stephen Fitzgerald, who have transformed the place into a super-luxury guest house. Having spent many years in New York – Frances is an accomplished piano teacher and Stephen a set designer – the couple have poured their artistic talents into the villa along with a treasure trove of artworks and antiques gathered from their travels. The grand and spacious villa has eight harbour view and two garden suites – each self-contained with large bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms, living and dining areas, and kitchen facilities – with a delightful formal lounge, dining room, bar and a sun-splashed outdoor terrace. The cafes and shops of trendy Ponsonby are close by and it’s just a stroll down to the western harbour and its lovely water views. This is a wonderfully personal way to start a lodge holiday, or the key to a delightful short break in Auckland. Rooms start from NZ$800 a night for a garden suite, NZ$1,000 for a harbour view suite, with breakfast. Bookings, Small Luxury Hotels of the World, (02) 9411 5512, 1800 251 958, www.slh.com Last, but by no means least, is the five-star Hilton Auckland, perched right on the waters of Waitemata Harbour. With its dress-circle position at Princes Wharf, the NZ$200 million hotel is one of Auckland’s landmark properties boasting breathtaking views of the open harbour and distant islands. Just 300 metres from the CBD, the Hilton is a thoroughly stylish, contemporary and cutting-edge hotel with 158 deluxe guest rooms and eight glamorous suites designed along nautical lines in keeping with its setting. Relax in the exclusive Spa de Serville, take a dip in the eye-catching, glass-fronted swimming pool, enjoy a cocktail in the groovy Bellini bar, and dine in style at the sensational White, another of Auckland’s finest restaurants. Executive chef Geoff Scott and his team take New Zealand’s freshest produce and turn it into menus which constantly have local and international critics raving – one for the must-do list on any visit to Auckland. Rooms cost from $345 a night. Bookings, (02) 9287 0707, 1800 022 255, www.hilton.com Other leading Auckland hotels and apartments: Quay West Suites and Sebel Suites, www.mirvac.com.au; Hyatt Regency Auckland, www.auckland.hyatt.com; Mercure Hotel Auckland, www.accor.com; Stamford Plaza Auckland, www.stamford. com.au; Sheraton Auckland Hotel and Towers, www.sheraton. com/auckland. For details on Auckland, www.aucklandnz.com | |||||
|
