The Ultimate Swing and Sip: New Zealand Luxury Golf and Wine Vacation

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1
Today, your journey begins in New Zealand.  Arrive in Auckland and meet your private chauffeur, who will take you to your luxurious accommodations at the Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour. Located in the heart of downtown Auckland, you will have a unique maritime experience between vibrant Viaduct Harbour and the new Wynard Quarter. Inspired by New Zealand’s landscape and culture, boasting panoramic views of Waitemata Harbour, this beautifully designed hotel is a true landmark destination. Enjoy the views from your private balcony and floor to ceiling windows, or relax with a rain shower or a long soak in your deep soaking bathtub.
Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour

Day 2
Travel by ferry to beautiful Waiheke Island, Auckland’s food and wine neighbor 12 miles away from the city, for your private wine tour.  Waiheke Island is 92 square kilometres of sandy beaches, vineyards, native bush settings, pristine coastline, olive groves and laid-back seaside villages, as well as some of the Auckland region’s hottest properties.

On your wine tasting tour, you will visit some of the Island’s most respected vineyards and boutique wineries on the island. The secrets of Waiheke’s stunning world-wide success in fine red wines will be revealed to the interested visitor. Come away with a deep appreciation of the vintner’s art and an understanding of the terroir, the weather and the tides of tradition which make up this art.  Upon conclusion of your tour, you will ferry back to downtown Auckland.
Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour

Day 3
Today, you’ll fly north up to Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands, with a private transfer to one of New Zealand’s premier luxury properties – The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs Lodge, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  Set on 6,000 acres near Matauri Bay, Northland, The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs affords spectacular 180-degree views of the Pacific Ocean.  Cape Brett and the offshore Cavalli Islands are part of the panorama which can be viewed from the verandas, living room and card room. Your stay here includes pre-dinner drinks, hors d’oeuvres, a la carte dinners, and a complimentary mini bar.  Also included is use of the heated infinity pool, hot tub, lap pool, sauna, jacuzzi, tennis courts, 3 private beaches, mountain bikes, and ample walking tracks.
The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs

Day 4
Enjoy 18 holes of golf today at the famous Kauri Cliffs course, designed by architect David Harman. The par 72 championship golf course measures 7125 yards and offers four to five sets of tees to challenge every skill level. Fifteen holes view the Pacific Ocean, six of which are played alongside cliffs that plunge to the sea. The beautiful inland holes wind through marsh, forest, and farmland.
The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs

Day 5
This morning, you will check out of Kauri Cliffs and your private driver will drop you off at Kerikeri airport for your flight to Rotorua.  When you arrive in Rotorua, your adventure continues with a tour of the town, where you will visit the Rotorua Museum – which houses exhibits devoted to the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera, a nearby dormant volcanic mountain. You will then move on to Rainbow Springs trout hatchery and wildlife sanctuary followed by a tour of Kiwi Encounter a hatchery and nursery for the unique and treasured Kiwi bird. Take a short stroll through the beautiful Government Gardens, before concluding your tour with a visit to Te Puia Thermal Reserve for a close look at geysers, boiling mud and silica terraces and the onsite Arts & Crafts Institute where you can see weavers and carvers at work.  Following your quick tour, your driver will drop you off at Solitaire Lodge.

After the short Set on a privately-owned peninsula on the shores of legendary Lake Tarawera, Solitaire Lodge’s luxurious suites each feature 180 degree views of the glassy lake and magnificent volcano, Mount Tarawera. Minutes from your doorstep, you will discover secluded private bays, hot water beaches, majestic forest waterfalls and natural thermal hot springs beckoning you to soak in. The lodge is also the perfect setting to simply relax, indulge and rejuvenate. Unwind with a decadent spa treatment, take a leisurely bushwalk, or sip a glass of champagne while relaxing in the terrace spa pool.
Solitaire Lodge in Rotorua

Day 6
You will be collected from Solitaire Lodge this morning for an exclusive full day Rotorua Sightseeing tour.  Circumnavigate Lake Rotorua across the course of the day, stopping at places of different cultural/adventure/eco significance along the way, starting with a Te Puia visit, and then lunch at the amazing Okere Store.  After lunch, you have the option of hiking the Kaituna River track or Hamurana springs (or both), possibly the Jubilee trail on Mt. Ngongotaha or visiting Ohinemutu village. Blue lake and Redwoods hikes are also possible as are visits to hot pools or hot water rivers or Waiotapu visit.  This is a private tour, so you have the flexibility to customize the day to fit your interests and activity level.
Solitaire Lodge in Rotorua

Day 7
Check out of Solitaire Lodge and enjoy breathtaking views of New Zealand’s North Island en route to Napier, a beautifully preserved Art Deco town.  Around the bay from Napier on Hawke’s Bay, you’ll arrive at Cape Kidnappers.  Set atop 6,000 rolling acres of pasture land, The Farm at Cape Kidnappers encompasses terrain which is reminiscent of Montana but plunges 800 feet into the sea. The cluster of lodge buildings are suggestive of a working farm. A combination of stone and weathered wood, the buildings combine rustic materials with comfortable up-to-date furniture. 180-degree panoramic views of the farm, golf course and Pacific Ocean are enjoyed from each suite’s private balcony.  Your stay includes pre-dinner drinks, hors d’oeuvres, a la carte dinners, and a complimentary mini bar.  At Cape Kidnappers, view New Zealand’s only mainland Gannet colony amid spectacular coastal cliffs.
The Farm at Cape Kidnappers

Day 8
Today, you’ll play 18 holes at the amazing Cape Kidnappers Golf Course. Designed by architect Tom Doak, the par 71 course measures 7119 yards and challenges golfers of all skill levels. Stand 450 feet above sea level and look out across the waves far below in Hawke’s Bay. The opening 9 meanders through working farmland, rolling though the hills, trees, and cattle.  On the back 9, the topography changes dramatically, as the land tilts toward the sea as a series of ridges jutting out toward the edge of the cliffs. Three times, you’ll have to make the perilous leap from the end of one ridge to the end of the next. Be careful, and watch your yardages! It takes 10 seconds of hang time for your ball to reach the ocean below.
The Farm at Cape Kidnappers

Day 9
Food and Wine Lovers delight as today on your full day tour, you will become absorbed into the vibrant world of Hawke’s Bay wine – talk with the personalities who are passionate about crafting world class wines from our soils. Visit some of the best of our wineries and taste their award winning wines. Rich soils and warm growing conditions attract innovative epicurean food producers – taste, touch and smell their myriad of tantalizing products. Meet these enthusiastic personalities that make this area a must-do for wine aficionados.
The Farm at Cape Kidnappers

Day 10
Your driver will collect you at Cape Kidnappers and transfer you to the Napier airport.  Depending on your flight time, you might be able to have another round of golf or indulge in a relaxing spa treatment.  Upon arrival into Queenstown, your driver will take you through downtown and onward to Matakauri Lodge.  The Lodge and its adjoining suites are luxuriously appointed and have been designed to be in harmony with the lakefront environment and surrounding bush. It is one of New Zealand’s most private and serene vacation retreats, nestled among bush on the edge of Lake Wakatipu.  Your stay includes pre-dinner drinks, hors d’oeuvres, a la carte dinners, and a complimentary mini bar.
Matakauri Lodge

Day 11
Heli-day as you will be whisked by helicopter to the World Heritage listed Milford Sound flying over secluded alpine lakes, lush rainforest, through deep bush-fringed valleys and past rugged mountain peaks. Take in the beauty of the Southern Alps on your way into Milford Sound, experiencing this amazing glacial creation. View Lake Quill, the source of the spectacular Sutherland Falls – the second highest waterfall in the Southern Hemisphere. Sweep the full length of the fiord, flying to a remote West Coast beach to view seal colonies. Before heading for home, weather permitting, you have a chance to land ‘on top of the world’ where you can stand among the ancient ice flows of the Fiordland Glaciers.
Matakauri Lodge

Day 12
This morning you will embark on a private wine tour into the heart of Central Otago – a region famous for its outstanding cool-climate wines, boutique wineries, amazing scenery and a fascinating pioneering history. You’ll have the opportunity to experience tastings at four vineyards in Gibbston Valley, Cromwell and Bannockburn. Enjoy a delightful lunch at Carrick Winery restaurant before visiting Old Cromwell Town. Soak up the scenery on a stunning drive through the Kawarau Gorge whilst learning about the early pioneering history of this amazing region, as well as the historic Kawarau Bridge and the original AJ Hackett Bungy jump.
Matakauri Lodge

Day 13

Today you will head over to Michael Hill’s course to enjoy a round of golf at the The Hills, which has a certain mystic of exclusivity around it. Flanked by the magnificent scenery of The Remarkables and art installations/sculptures on every hole, visitors to The Hills are treated to much more than 18 holes of golf on a world-class championship course.
Matakauri Lodge

Day 14
Today, your fabulous New Zealand vacation ends as you take a private transfer to the Queenstown airport to catch your connecting flight home.