The glorious scenery of Milford Sound
Luxury on ice
Anthony Gallagher took a helicopter ride over New Zealand’s most spectacular region before retiring to Blanket Bay for pre-dinner drinks… on the rocks, of course.
How do you prefer your New Zealand vacation: with luxury on the side with lashings of adventure, or adventure on the side with lashings of luxury?
Fortunately, both can be savoured without this modern-day dilemma, as New Zealand’s boutique accommodation is rated as among the best in the world. This pair of islands punches far above its weight. Queenstown and surrounds is considered the jewel in New Zealand’s crown, where nature’s best is cramped into a relatively small area of the South Island, known as the adventure capital of the world. While the rest of New Zealand may bemoan this observation, the joy of any journey across the Tasman is discovering all of the intrinsic beauty of the Land of the Long White Cloud.
Helicopter on the lawn at Blanket Bay
Certainly, New Zealand is arguably the most beautiful destination on the planet, boasting breathtaking scenery that has lured the world’s top filmmakers to capture Hobbits and Orcs in their “natural” habitat. Closer to reality, depending on your point of view, some of the top automobile brands around the globe, such as VW and BMW, have also cast New Zealand firmly in their camera sights, as the ideal destination for its spectacular roads stretching across impossible scenery, from which to film their latest advertisements.
The secret of this island gem, where Scottish settlers meet Polynesian culture and where haggis and tartan have been replaced by award-winning wines and wool, is that New Zealand retains its indelible charm which, like its organic produce, is far removed from the ravages of the rest of the world.
Blanket Bay Resort, one of New Zealand’s finest luxury lodges and a member of the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World group, has set a benchmark for service, style and excellence in hospitality. Situated just 25 minutes from cosmopolitan Queenstown and sitting on the shores of the impossibly beautiful Lake Wakatipu, Blanket Bay was built in 1999, but crafted to appear older. In a bid to give the lodge an authentic flavour, Mexican artisans were flown in to teach local craftsmen how to “age” the timber – sourced from Brisbane’s disused wharfs.
Fly fishing on Lake Wakatipu
Inside, lounge around in the warmth and comfort of several living areas and swap stories with well-heeled travellers from around the globe while soaking up scenery towering above the shores of Lake Wakatipu with the Remarkables spectacular snow-caps right on the doorstep. For the more adventurous, there’s an array of activities, such as jet boating, white water rafting, golf, chopper rides, aeroplanes, paragliding, hang-gliding, horse riding, mountain biking, four-wheel driving, or simply hiking along some of the world’s best walking tracks. Trout fishing is a popular seasonal sport and, unfortunately for the island’s deer population, so is hunting.
Those searching for the quintessential Queenstown experience will be relieved to discover a host of ski resorts sit about 40 minutes drive away, as well as the option of plunging from a bridge into a ravine with a bungee elastic band attached to your legs. This precarious sport is bound to satisfy those who are seduced by sheer terror and are also willing to toss life’s coin. Fortunately, the odds are, your coin will come up heads, but there are no guarantees... and that’s why it’s so thrilling!
Should all of this be far too challenging, then surrounding villages like Arrowtown are close, quaint and charming with cafés and art galleries and a slice of yesteryear where the locals still enjoy a slow pace and less frenetic life. Several wineries are within easy drive of Queenstown and the pick of the bunch is the very stylish Amisfield Winery & Bistro at Lake Hayes, just ten minutes’ drive from Queenstown. Here, day-trippers and skiers laze in the sun and enjoy delicious tasting dishes accompanied by award-winning wines, all the while soaking up spectacular surrounding views of the lake, valley farmland and Coronet Peak. Bookings are essential, but make sure you include this in your itinerary.
A view over Blanket Bay from the north.
After so much adventure, upon return to Blanket Bay, dinner can either be enjoyed in your room or you can feast with other guests in one of two dining rooms, including the lodge’s intimate wine cellar. Should you be comfortably ensconced in front of the log fire, then dinner is served to you. A select and well-planned seasonal organic menu is prepared daily and combines the best of local produce, and of course the best regional wines. Staff members are well prepared to cater for guests with individual needs and the service is unobtrusive.
So luxurious is this lodge, that all activities are planned for guests upon request, whether it is a picnic lunch on a hillside, or a thrilling helicopter flight where you can land on a glacier.
Imagine having eggs Benedict served to you for breakfast, as your chopper swoops over the lake and lands on the lawn in front of you. Fifteen minutes later, you are crunching snow and ice underfoot on an ancient glacier precipice that challenges even the most hardened. What makes this journey so spectacular is the realisation that, before helicopters, this journey would have been a three-day trek and another three-day climb, through some of the world’s must rugged mountains. While those who opt for the chopper may feel they have cheated a little, the scenery that has literally inspired many a marriage proposal, soon replaces the guilt.
Heliboarding is one of the many activities on offer at Blanket Bay
While I missed the opportunity to propose, as I was flying solo, so to speak, I was delighted to be whisked off to Milford Sound via the west coast before landing on a beach next to a seal colony. The journey continued back over the mountains before landing atop a lake which spews out the world’s fifth tallest waterfall, cascading into a dizzy ravine that runs past the Milford track. Those with peeled eyes, and a keen sense of imagination, may see a hobbit, or two.
Our Kiwi cousins have developed some fantastic tourism product around Queenstown and beyond, but Blanket Bay Resort remains without a doubt the best the region has to offer.
Do yourself a favour and take a dalliance across the “ditch”. There is no doubt you’ll be delighted.
By the fireside at Blanket Bay
Travel Facts
Getting there
- Air New Zealand flies regularly from Australia’s eastern states to Queenstown. Phone 13 24 76 or visit www.airnewzealand.com.au
- Qantas flies direct to Queenstown from Sydney. Phone 13 1313 or visit www.qantas.com.au
Getting around
- Limousine South can arrange transfers from the airport to Blanket Bay and around the region. Phone +64 3 442 9288 or visit www.limousinesouth.co.nz
- Over the Top, phone +64 3 442 7733 or 0800 123 4354 (in New Zealand) or visit www.flynz.co.nz
What to do
Where to stay
- Blanket Bay is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group. Phone +64 3 442 9422 or visit www.blanketbay.com
Tip
- Amisfield Winery offers an excellent entrée into New Zealand produce and wine through its popular tasting platters. Phone +64 3 442 0556 or visit www.amisfield.co.nz
Further information
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