Wharekauhau Country Estate, Palliser Bay

Wharekauhau Country Estate strikes the perfect balance between authenticity and contemporary luxury, celebrating its 19th-century heritage while providing modern creature comforts in a seamless fusion of the two.

Their 3,000 private acres spread out towards 12 miles of coastline in the south of New Zealand’s North Island, with rippling mountains rising to the west and glassy Lake Oneke to the east. The land is picture-perfect, all silver fern and Podocarp forests, babbling streams, rich pastures and the property’s very own gardens, comprising vegetable patches and fruit orchards that provide ingredients for the hotel kitchen, such as lemons, courgettes, sweet potatoes and plums. Beehives producing Manuka honey, a large hen coop plus thousands of sheep and cattle point to the ongoing farm work at Wharekauhau, all of which contribute towards what’s on offer in the lodge’s restaurant.

Before sitting down to dinner in the grand dining room, meet other guests of Wharekauhau over an aperitif or two in the lounge. Then, prepare for a sensory feast as you’re served creative New Zealand dishes that draw on the natural bounty of the estate itself, as well as foraged foods like kelp and wild tomatoes. Every day brings new taste bud-tingling menus, all included in your stay with Wharekauhau Country Estate.

Such exquisite food fuels exciting adventures here in the North Island too, so you can spend your days out hiking, mountain or quad biking and fishing; perhaps indulging in some wine tasting or trying your hand as a chef to snag some insider tips. Soak up the coastal views as you embark on a walk through the estate, exploring the gardens and farmland, or find a perch by the window to enjoy a good book as you’re warmed by the fire. You can swim in the indoor pool, hit the spa, go for croquet or tennis and head to a nearby golf course too. Though all of that said, you also wouldn’t be blamed for simply wanting to curl up in your private living room or sit out on the veranda, just taking a moment to breathe in the sea air and soak up these pristine New Zealand surroundings