New Zealand offers 15,000 kilometres of ethereal coastline along which sailors, golfers, game fishermen, nature lovers, beach bums, divers and foodies can each find their own kind of Kiwi heaven:
• Auckland itself sits on 3 harbours and is known as the “City of Sails” with more boats per capita than anywhere else in the world. Aucklanders are proud of their outstanding food and wine – try Clooney in Freeman’s Bay for inventive NZ cuisine and The Grove is described as a “tunnel of excellence” by critics. The area enjoys a sunny climate, great shopping, fabulous beaches and a Polynesian cultural slant. Recoup after your long flight with an overnight stop at Auckland’s finest Victorian boutique hotel Cotter House.
• The Bay of Islands is an idyllic yachting haven – known as “heaven on the edge of the earth”. The climate is sub-tropical – here you can swim with dolphins, go sea kayaking and there are no less than 144 islands to explore. Condé Nast Traveler (USA) readers voted The Lodge Kauri Cliffs in Matauri Bay the “number 1 lodge resort in the world” – go ashore for a round of golf and lunch or dinner.
• Cavilli Islands – this small group of islands lie near Whangaroa on the NE of New Zealand. Dive the wreck of Greenpeace’s RAINBOW WARRIOR sunk by French Intelligence in 1985. The Cavillis are one of the top dive sights in Northland and are also home to the high-end Cavilli Island Retreat and Spa whose restaurant specialises in exquisite crayfish and local seafood.
• Great Barrier Island for “Middle Earth” style rugged beauty. Surf or boogie board at Medlands Beach, take a heli-fishing tour, kayak the island’s beautiful bays.
• The Marlborough Sounds are an extensive network of sea-drowned valleys and sheltered fjords at the north end of South Island. It was here that Captain Cook discovered “Cooks Scurvy Grass” – the Vitamin C content cured his sailors of scurvy, and the area is steeped in Maori mythology.
• Hauraki Gulf - numerous beaches dot its shores, many of them well known for surfing. The area is known for one of nature’s great phenomena: “super-schools” of 300-500 bottlenose and common dolphins. This Marine Park is also home to several critically endangered bird species such as the kiwi, takahe, brown teal and grey-faced petrel.
• Whangaroa Harbour is particularly beautiful, with extensive mangrove swamps on one side and flanked by 2 pretty towns. The Kingfish Lodge has a pontoon and it’s bar is a good place to talk game fishing with the locals and other visitors.