Aotearoa · Region by Region
New Zealand
A country read region by region — and the insider's view of each, learned over twenty-five years.
Where We Go
Most maps show you the roads. Ours shows you the people — the carvers, hunters, pilots and winemakers who turn a country into a journey, region by region from the warm north to the wild south.
We had an incredible journey, thanks to your great planning and support. NZ is such an amazing country!
Anderson Family · Germany
Act One
The North Island
Where New Zealand begins: the warm north, the sacred centre, and the living heart of Māori culture.
01
The Far North
Northland
The warmest corner of the country, and its most spiritual. Cape Reinga, Spirits Bay and Tāne Mahuta (the kauri king of the forest) hold a deep mana for Māori. Tutukaka launches divers to the Poor Knights, and the Bay of Islands waits below.
02
Coastal Vineyard Country
The Near North
Sophisticated coastal vineyard country just beyond Auckland's reach, with private villas set above marine reserves, where the cellar door and the sea are minutes apart.
03
The Hauraki Gulf
Auckland
Misunderstood by most, and quietly a gem. A vibrant food scene and the finest Polynesian museum in the world sit at its centre. East lies the Hauraki Gulf: Rangitoto's volcano, Waiheke's vineyards and galleries. West, the black-sand coast where The Piano was filmed.
04
Off the Grid
Great Barrier Island
Very remote, solar-powered, rainwater-gathered, with superb marine life. It feels like New Zealand forty years ago, and we are quietly building the accommodation and experiences worthy of it.
05
The Heartland
Waikato
New Zealand's original dairy country — and far more besides. The glowworm caves of Waitomo, the green hills of Hobbiton, and Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari, where a predator-proof fence brought a whole forest back to life.
06
Geothermal Heart
Rotorua
The traditional tourist capital: geysers, boiling mud, and the deepest living Māori culture in the country. Long dominated by the coaches; now quiet, exceptional ways through it are emerging, and we are investing real time to breathe new life into it.
07
The Independent East
East Cape & Gisborne
Twenty-five years ago the founder met a Māori hunter here, on horseback, rifle slung over his shoulder. It hasn't changed much. Remote, rugged, proudly independent. Friendly, funny, deeply Māori country, and the first place on earth to see the sun.
08
The Sacred Lake
Taupō
A sacred lake ringed with sacred sites, and the home of our own Māori experiences. The local master carver is a close friend, as is Tom Loughlin, who cooks our Māori food in the wild. Smaller than Rotorua, for locals more than tourists — and all the better for it.
09
The Surf Coast
Taranaki
New Zealand's finest surfing, and dairy farms encircling a single sacred mountain. A region of raw natural drama, still waiting for accommodation worthy of its setting.
10
Wine Country
Hawke's Bay
Gentleman-farmer country, the centre of our Bordeaux blends and our finest Chardonnays. Art deco Napier, exceptional local artisans, and accommodation at every level. A region of deep comfort and serious wine.
11
Rugged Coast & Pinot
Wairarapa
Home to Wharekauhau Lodge and a beautiful, remote, rugged coastline. Excellent Pinot Noir for those who seek it — a quietly rewarding detour for the wine lover.
Across Cook Strait
That is the North — warm, sacred, and deeply lived in. Now the country changes its nature entirely.
Act Two
The South Island
Across Cook Strait: wilder, emptier, grander. The world's last great wilderness begins here.
01
The Top of the South
Nelson & Abel Tasman
We are excited about where Nelson is going. Easy golden beaches and rugged alpine hikes within an hour of each other, superb local operators, vineyards, and a steady arrival of beautiful new places to stay. One of our top four destinations.
02
Sauvignon & Sea
Marlborough Sounds
A labyrinth of drowned valleys and the largest wineries in the country, alongside a handful of niche Sauvignon Blanc producers worth seeking out. A region of real potential, where we know the quiet corners beyond the Queen Charlotte crowds.
03
The Whale Coast
Kaikōura
Where the mountains fall straight into the sea, and a deep ocean trench brings sperm whales close to shore year-round. Spectacular scenery, excellent local operators, and accommodation that has finally caught up to the setting.
04
The Wild Edge
West Coast
Very remote, where everyone knows everyone and is usually related to them. Franz Josef draws the crowds, but our superb local contacts take you under the skin of it, from hidden hikes to greenstone carvers. This region only gives itself up to those who linger.
05
The Alpine Crossing
Arthur's Pass
Mostly glimpsed from the train window — but those who stop find very good accommodation appearing, and Castle Hill, the limestone cathedral the Dalai Lama called a spiritual centre of the universe.
06
The High Country
Mackenzie Country
Beautiful tussocked high country around Aoraki / Mt Cook, on the great drive from Christchurch to Queenstown. The campervans keep to the road. Our local contacts take you behind the scenes, onto the glaciers and under the clearest dark skies in the hemisphere.
07
The Adventure Capital
Queenstown & the Lakes
The self-proclaimed adventure capital of the world — vibrant, beautiful, and yes, a little busy. Accommodation of every level, in every direction, so where we send you depends entirely on who you are. Go beyond the obvious and the whole region comes alive. One of our top three.
08
The Great Wilderness
Fiordland
1.2 million hectares of World Heritage wilderness, and a single road through all of it: the road to Milford. Ninety percent reachable only by helicopter, in what is often called the most spectacular flying on earth. We know the private hikes no one else walks.
09
Our Home
Central Otago
The hottest, driest, coldest part of New Zealand — and home to our headquarters. Traditional communities, very few tourists, world-class Pinot Noir, and a clutch of wonderfully off-beat places to stay. The New Zealand we live in, not the one on the postcards.
10
The Wildlife Coast
Otago Peninsula
The finest wildlife in the country — yellow-eyed penguins, sea lions, fur seals and royal albatross. Dunedin anchors it: a fun university town with three breweries and a lively bar scene at its back.
11
The Deep South
Stewart Island / Rakiura
The last stop before Antarctica. The old adventure guides were fishermen who still enjoy a drink and a friendly, Scottish sort of scrap. It rains and the lodges are simple, but the untouched south, reached by helicopter or charter boat, is as wild as New Zealand gets.
12
Beyond the Map
Chatham Islands
Way, way to the east — a forgotten cluster of islands, home of the Moriori. A single trusted host acts as guide to a place where everything worth seeing is private, integrating you into a singular local community.
“
A region of New Zealand only gives itself up to those who spend time in it. That is exactly what we design for.
Ahipara · 25 Years of Access
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