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In just 12 hours, you can be light years away from shaky stock markets, anxious investment bankers and depressing news reports. That’s less time than it takes to fly from Los Angeles to London, Milan or Amsterdam. What’s more, you’ll be effectively trimming your usual holiday expenditure, because recent events have tumbled the Kiwi dollar. It’s a win-win situation.
Relax and refresh without worrying about the cost
| Queenstown's astounding mountain scenery is even more enjoyable from the deck of a private luxury lodge. |
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Maybe you’ve been thinking about an Italian villa in Amalfi at around US$500 a night. But for just US$200 a night, you could have a sumptuous three-bedroom lake view condo in Queenstown, surrounded by the grandeur of New Zealand’s Southern Alps and an amazing array of adventure activities.
Spa treatments are an essential part of any excellent vacation. In Italy you’d be paying approximately US$180 for a one-hour treatment at a thermal spa. In Rotorua, New Zealand’s unique geothermal city, you can enjoy a one hour mud wrap and massage, followed by unlimited soaking in naturally-heated pools, for around US$80.
Delicious dining that won't eat into your wallet
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| The executive chef at Matakauri Lodge makes the most of seasonal ingredients with frequent menu changes. |
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Leave the Michelin stars to the Europeans and discover a new world of award-winning restaurants down here. Peter Gordon, New Zealand’s most acclaimed celebrity chef, designs the menu at Dine in Auckland. Three courses at this elegant five-star restaurant will cost around US$55. Eating at an equivalent restaurant in France would set you back at least US$200. At the cheaper end of the dining spectrum, a great steak (with all the trimmings) at Speight's Ale House on the lake's edge in Wanaka will cost you just US$15.
An excellent way to engage with New Zealand’s culinary culture is to take a cooking class. At Herzog Wines in Blenheim - recently named one of the world’s greatest wineries - you’ll only have to part with US$110 per person, for an experience that includes recipes and a gourmet lunch with fabulous Herzog wines. A similar experience in France will cost around US$300.
World-class golf with breathtaking views
| What would be more distracting - a low flying gannet or the amazing clifftop views? |
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Perched on the cliffs above Hawke’s Bay and the city of Napier, Cape Kidnappers features some of the most jaw-dropping views in golf and a signature 15th hole that appears to drop off the end of the earth. This breathtaking course is currently ranked #41 in Golf Magazine’s world’s top 100. While it’s New Zealand’s most expensive golf experience, at $US235 a day for non-members, Cape Kidnappers is fantastic value when you compare it with Club de Golf Valderrama, the top ranked Spanish course, which charges about US$365 a day.
Just north of Auckland at Gulf Harbour, another spectacular cliff-edge course, a day on the greens will cost just US$120. This course is the home base for Michael Campbell, the New Zealand golfer who won the US Open in 2005.
An overnight jaunt across the Pacific
New Zealand is an easy flight over the Pacific, and many of the flights between here and the USA are direct. If you leave Los Angeles at 9pm, you’ll be touching down in Auckland just after 7am. Watch a movie, take a nap and wake up in a corner of the world that can’t wait to meet you.
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| NEW ZEALAND GOLF |
Acclaimed golf greens worth scalping - set against epic backdrops of alpine mountains, cliff or sandy beach coastlines, lakes and rolling hills - this is inspirational golfing at its pinnacle for novice and fanatic alike.
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| Featured Accommodation | |
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| THE LUXURY OF NEW ZEALAND LODGING |
Do you feel like succumbing to serious indulgence on your visit to New Zealand? Discover the properties which offer the most luxurious of accommodation in the most beautiful surroundings.
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