|
Luxury Living Down Under
New Zealand lies 1,200 miles southeast of Australia and was the last landmass on earth to be discovered. Because it is believed that the country–which consists primarily of a North Island and a South Island–has only been inhabited by humans for 1,000 years, New Zealanders pride themselves on being “the youngest country in the world.”
Inhabited by Maori tribes who came from Eastern Polynesia in the 1200s, Europeans, headed by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman, first reached New Zealand in 1642. Today, New Zealand’s population is about 4.4 million and most people are of European descent. Residents are called “Kiwis” after both a native flightless bird and the kiwi fruit vine. New Zealand is coveted for its stunning landscapes, lush forests, unique wildlife, and pleasant climate.
Wairarapa
Just an hour drive or train ride from Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city, the Wairarapa is a popular escape destination, renowned for its premium wines, gourmet food, and boutique accommodations.
Wairarapa’s most popular and attractive destination is Greytown.Settled in 1854, Greytown was New Zealand’s first planned inland town and was intended to be the region’s main center.
However, frequent river flooding caused the railway to bypass Greytown in the 1870s and the town became better known for its orchards. Greytown’s Victorian main street was rediscovered and revived in the late 1990s and now houses quaint shops and galleries.
Greytown is a top coffee and shopping stop. With large trees and original wooden buildings, the town oozes with metropolitan style. Popular spots include the artisan French Baker and Schoc Chocolate, a gourmet chocolate studio. Meet the personalities behind local wines at the Wairarapa Wine Cellar.
For more information, go to
www.wairarapanz.com.
Mercury Bay
While the Coromandel Peninsula is renowned for its beaches and islands, Whitianga in Mercury Bay is a year-round destination with a mild winter and plenty to do in every season. With fresh local homegrown produce and seafood, locals and visitors alike can enjoy the good life—scallops, crayfish, and fresh fish year-round, washed down with some of the region’s award-winning wines.
The Coromandel Coastal region got top marks in International Boating magazine’s 2010 “Best of the Best” issue. The caption for a photo of a super yacht moored in Mercury Bay stated, “The biggest shock has been to discover that there is nowhere as beautiful or rivals New Zealand for scenery and variety. Few people realize how extraordinarily virgin it still is.”
Whitianga is now a thermal resort. The largest of the settlements around Coromandel, with a resident population of 5,000 people, it grows to 20,000 over holiday periods and provides airport access and an all-weather safe harbor for boats. There are about 30 cafés, bars, and restaurants open all year-round.
Within a 30-minute drive from Whitianga, you can find 16 stunning white sand beaches and six golf courses (two are international standard 18-hole golf courses).
|
Pauanui has a stunning canal development where propert owners can moor their boats at their own pontoons.
Pauanui
Pauanui is situated on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, less than two hours away from Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga. Pauanui has a beautiful ocean beach with views to the outer islands and a tranquil harbor overlooking the Pinnacles of the Coromandel Ranges and Tairua. It has a stunning canal development where property owners can moor their boats at their own pontoons.
There is a 9- and 10-hole golf course within Pauanui and only minutes away an 18-hole international standard golf course at Lakes Resort. Tennis, bowls, walking and tramping are also pastimes that can be enjoyed in this unique beachside development, which also includes an airfield with homes bordering it for the flying enthusiasts.
The climate is very much like the North Island of New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty with lots of winter sunshine, as New Zealand’s predominant weather is from a westerly quarter and Pauanui is protected by the mountain range of the Coromandels.
Employment is mainly in the hospitality industry with the internationally acclaimed Puka Park tourist accommodation lodge and lakes resort, or in property maintenance because more than 80 percent of Pauanui properties are holiday homes.
For further information, www.pauanuionline.co.nz.
Queenstown
A resort town in Otago in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island, Queenstown is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long, thin, Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes. It has spectacular views of nearby mountains. The town is the largest center in Central Otago and was near a popular gold-mining site in the mid to late 19th century.
Today, with a population of about 11,000, Queenstown is known for its commerce-oriented tourism, especially adventure and ski tourism. It’s popular with young international and New Zealand travelers and also features opportunities for cross-country skiing, jet boating, whitewater rafting, bungee jumping, mountain biking, skateboarding, tramping, and fly fishing. You can tour Lake Wakatipu on a hundred-year-old coal-fired steamship called the TSS Earnslaw. The city also offers vibrant nightlife.
|