New Zealand: A Rare World Apart

Nau Mai Haere Mai Ki Aotearoa! Welcome to New Zealand!

As you step onto the land of the Long White Cloud, your private transfer driver awaits to guide you to your STAY. Auckland, a city where urban allure meets natural splendor and affectionately known as the “City of Sails,” beckons with its tranquil harbors and bustling streets. Take this day to wander along the waterfront and explore.

Note: Check-in time at STAYs in New Zealand is typically 3 PM. To help you start your journey in comfort and relaxation, your room is available for guaranteed early check-in on arrival.

This morning, slip into the quiet embrace of the Waitākere Ranges, where native rainforest restores body and spirit after your long journey. In this sheltered world of ferns and filtered light, begin with a fern bath (shinrin-yoku) — a slow, sensory immersion taken fully clothed, where every sense opens to the damp earth, the touch of fronds, and the breath of the land around you. Here, the very air carries natural oils released by trees, known to calm the body’s stress and strengthen its defenses, a gentle reset after hours in the air.

In partnership with Mamakan, an artist interweaving nature, art, and cuisine, the forest unfolds into a private eco-dining encounter guided by a Māori elder, held on a regenerative farm closed to the public. Forage native ingredients, craft teas, and learn their stories as you gather modestly with respect for the land. Around an open fire, share in preparing a meal infused with mātauranga Māori, where each dish is guided by season, place, and tradition.

Here, art, nature, and cuisine are inseparable. The experience Mamakan shapes moves beyond dining — it is a living connection between forest, culture, and flavor, a rare moment of immersion offered only in this place.

This is the essence of regenerative luxury, where every moment supports the living legacy of a native forest farm pioneering conservation and boosting biodiversity in the Ranges.

Fly into Wellington and cross the Wairarapa, where valleys open into rolling farmland and the sea glints at the horizon. The road winds toward the edge of the land, a meeting of rugged coastline and pastoral hills, where the world feels pared back to its rawest elements.

Arrive at your Relais & Chateaux luxury Stay, a vast working estate with a ten-mile Pacific coastline framed by a mountain range along its western boundary. From your suite, the view stretches across Palliser Bay, the Pacific Ocean, and rolling pastoral land.

This is rare seclusion — a place to let the outside world fall away and to anchor yourself in stillness, space, and horizon.

Wake to the hush of surf rolling in from Palliser Bay and light spilling over the hills. The day is yours to shape as you wish. Wander the estate on foot or by bike, tracing quiet trails through farmland and down to the black-sand beach. Join a farm experience if you choose, watching skilled dogs at work or shearing demonstrations that carry forward generations of station life.

In the afternoon, you can opt for a spa treatment, a swim, or simply relax with a book. As evening settles, savor estate-sourced cuisine that speaks of both land and sea, each dish grounded in its surroundings.

Begin the morning with a coastal walk, cliffs rising to one side, ocean stretching endlessly to the other. Or, if you wish, test your hand at clay target shooting or take an ATV across the backcountry for views that sweep across the bay.

The pace remains yours, slow if you want it, active if you choose. What endures is the sense of seclusion. The estate’s vastness, the silence between waves, the intimacy of a place that seems reserved entirely for you.

Nights close with stars sharp against the southern sky, and the rare stillness that defines this sanctuary.

Check out of your luxury Country Estate and transfer to Wellington Airport for your flight south. Bid farewell to the North Island as you fly into Queenstown, New Zealand’s alpine jewel. Your private driver will escort you to your luxury Stay in this picturesque lakeside town. After settling in, explore Queenstown’s vibrant center. Stroll along Lake Wakatipu’s shores, where crystal-clear waters mirror the surrounding mountains.

Soak in the unique blend of adventure and natural beauty that defines this alpine paradise. As evening falls, choose from a diverse array of dining options. Before dinner, consider savoring a Central Otago Pinot Noir at a lakeside bar, toasting to your South Island adventure as alpenglow paints the Remarkables in warm hues.

Today, Queenstown is your playground. With no set itinerary, you’re free to craft your own adventure in this alpine paradise. Consider a private wine tour through Central Otago’s renowned vineyards, or perhaps a scenic tour unveiling hidden gems off the beaten path. For those seeking relaxation, a stroll along the lakefront or a ride on the Skyline Gondola offers breathtaking views of Lake Wakatipu and the surrounding mountains.

Whether you choose adventure or leisure, Queenstown’s vibrant energy and stunning beauty ensure a day filled with memorable experiences.

Note: You have the services of a private driver/guide for the entire day (up to 10 hours) with a flexible start time as per your preference.

Today, you step onto land rarely seen by others, including locals, a private Wanaka Station (Sheep farm in other words), a vast high-country property bordering Mt Aspiring National Park. Your private guide leads you by 4WD into this World Heritage landscape, where red deer, sheep, and cattle roam freely across rugged backcountry.

Pause to walk stretches of wide-open private trails, looking down over the deep blues of Lake Wanaka and across to the snow-capped peaks beyond. The pace is yours — hike as much or as little as you wish, with your vehicle always at hand. Along the way, hear stories of the land, its history, and the life it sustains.

At a ridge where the views spill endlessly, your vehicle becomes a mountain-top café: camp chairs set by the edge, tea or coffee poured steaming into your hands. Later, a gourmet picnic of local produce is prepared in the open air. This is New Zealand high country at its most intimate — wild, remote, and experienced in complete privacy.

As the curtain falls on your New Zealand  journey, it’s time for you to head to the airport.

This morning, you’ll be privately transferred to Christchurch airport for your flight back home.

We trust that the tapestry of experiences we’ve woven has left you with lasting memories.

Wishing you a safe and pleasant journey back home.