New Zealand: Introduction: Overview

In 1984, when Huka Lodge, near the North Island’s Lake Taupo, was revamped and proclaimed itself a luxury retreat for international travelers, New Zealanders looked at each other and said, “But who’s gonna pay that much to come here?” Those nonbelievers apparently underestimated the draw of pristine scenery and gargantuan trout. The lodge promptly garnered international awards and was booked solid for years in advance, eventually raising the national standard for accommodation and leading a flurry of development in other remote regions of the country with acreage and mind-boggling views.

Since that time, New Zealand’s many lodges have taken the world of luxury travel by storm, and they up the ante with new openings every couple of years. These days you can stay at properties on both the South and the North Islands that cost $27,000 a night and come with yachts, chauffeurs and chefs. There are lodges on the summits of spectacular mountains that are accessible only by helicopter, others set on far-flung bays you can get to only by boat and some that are so pastoral, they belie the fact that they come with every 21st-century convenience.