The Enchanting Beauty of New Zealand Awaits

The Women’s Football World Cup has kicked off in New Zealand, and for your sheer convenience, here are six of the best possible places to stay and enjoy this amazing country… so you can balance off-side with off-grid!

QT Auckland

A cool yet quirky boutique hotel in which there are nine different styles of rooms and suites, including top-floor Harbour suites and ‘corner’ rooms with glorious double aspects. Every one is layered with intoxicating style thanks to design that’s bold and serene, smooth and textured, and celebratory of the bracing NZ lifestyle. The artworks, including worn artefacts combed from the beach, and even the staff outfits, relay a very different attitude, but don’t worry: laid-back luxury is assured, the restaurant is great, and the rooftop bar will keep you out all night.

The Farm At Cape Kidnappers, Hawke’s Bay

You’ll be staying at New Zealand’s largest privately owned and funded wildlife restoration project, protected by a 10.6km-long predator-proof fence. This keeps the 2500-hectare, sandstone headland safe and thriving for the most amazing selection of reptiles and mammals – among which the gannet community (birds with a 2-metre wingspan!) is a natural wonder, and the biggest in the world. They are always hungry and so will you be here after your bird-watching and refreshing immersion in nature. Or after playing the amazing private golf course. The Farm’s lodge and spa are warm and welcoming – we love the Owner’s Cottage – and you’ll be fed and watered (or wined, probably) in a homely yet always sumptuous way.

Solitaire Lodge, Rotorua

This beautiful lodge is the perfect retreat to relax and rejuvenate with friendly hosts and absolutely breath-taking vistas over Tarawera and its volcanic backdrop. And once you’ve got your breath back and your heart-rate is plodding along contentedly, there are lots of outdoor activities to enjoy close by this tranquil setting. Minutes from this iconic North Island resort you’ll discover a multitude of activities, including kayaks and sailing dinghies. There are nine amazing suites on offer. And each one has a deep, free-standing bath from which you can revel in the views. We’d definitely go for the full-board tariff that includes hearty breakfast and a five-course dinner.

Blanket Bay, Queenstown

For the eager and outgoing, we love the wilderness jet boat safari, amazing fly-fishing, riding, hiking and Alpine aura, as well as no less than five golf courses nearby. What a combo; and all around the shores of Blanket Bay at the foot of the Richardson Mountains! The Main Lodge here is rated as one of the world’s best, while chalets and a villa offer more privacy if you prefer that. There are numerous wineries in the area to excite the palette, as well as the excellent food and drinks served in-house.

Minaret Station Alpine Lodge, Wanaka

This luxurious lodge overlooks an incredible glacial valley in the “Southern Alps” at Minaret Station, a rugged working farm. The territory is spectacular, untouched, and so vast that helicopters are the preferred way to get about. For outdoor activities such as hiking, fly-fishing and heli-skiing it’s like nowhere else, and many outdoorsman and outdoorswoman return year after year because they just can’t get enough of it. It’s family owned and a world apart. Accommodation is warm and welcoming, and the Mountain Kitchen specialises in satisfying big appetites with superb locally produced food, including free-range venison, lamb and beef reared right here.

Bay Of Many Coves, Marlborough

Accessible only by either boat or helicopter, this stunning resort sits at the junction of native bush and secluded bay, and in summer or winter it can be your retreat and sanctuary when the rush of any more city life gets unbearable. The peace, the scenery, the food and the lovely hospitality are everything you could want. The Miritu Day Spa offers a wonderful wellness experience – indeed, you could go there every day – but we also covet the three-day trek along the Queen Charlotte walking track, taking you through forests, along remote ridges and around stunning bays in the company of pristine wildlife.

We bet you can picture yourself at at least one of these amazing places. Talk to
your 360 Travel Designer – they’ll get you there to start that trip of a lifetime!