Long Bright World

Adventurers have no shortage of destinations for finding their thrills, but there might be nowhere that collects so much variety in one place as the two islands of New Zealand.

Why talk about New Zealand now, in the dead of the country’s winter season? Two reasons. One, it doesn’t really matter. There’s no bad time to visit — not just because the climate is generally mild, but also because of the wintertime activities available. Second, because if you are considering a summer visit, now is when you’ll want to start picking out your hotel. Our top recommendations don’t have a ton of rooms, but they are extremely popular, so do your best to beat the rush.

And that rush? They’re here looking for a rush. New Zealand might well be the adventure capital of the world. With craggy peaks and rolling hills, dramatic seascapes and quaint mountain towns, beautiful beaches and deep fjords — even a bit of all-important city life — the “Long Bright World” has it all, including some special hotels ready to be home base for your exploration.

Adrenaline fiends flock to South Island, particularly the region around Queenstown, where rugged coastline meets forbidding mountain ranges. Bungee jumpers, spelunkers, off-roaders, skydivers, zipliners, whitewater rafters, and more all find their essential challenge here. In the Southern Alps, a host of visually arresting ski areas await, including the aptly named Remarkables. The North Island skews a touch more urban, with a slightly warmer climate, more agriculture, and a greater share of wildlife.

Even a humble camping trip takes on mythical airs in such a landscape, and the range of cycling and hiking routes (almost universally well-maintained) boggles the mind. This is a hikers’ (or “trampers’”) paradise: eleven Great Walks span an astonishing array of backcountry terrain, from lofty mountainsides to lush rainforests to easygoing beach trails. Unlike Australia, almost none of the wildlife you’ll encounter poses any danger. It’s actually considered lucky to catch sight of the endangered, venomous katipo spider. There’s also the kea, the only alpine parrot in the world, which is renowned for its cheekiness and insatiable curiosity.

New Zealand’s landmass is slightly larger than the UK’s, yet only 4.7 million people live here, compared to the UK’s 65.6 million. This of course pales next to the sheep population of 70 million. Auckland, the largest city, is nicknamed the “City of Sails” for its thriving sailing and yachting communities; one household in three owns a boat. “Windy Wellington” is famous for its gusty weather off Cook Strait; it’s both the world’s windiest city and its southernmost sovereign state capital. Queenstown, a small city nestled among the peaks of the Remarkables, pairs extreme activities of every description with a bit of bustling nightlife.

Indigenous Māori culture is woven into Kiwi society at every level. Besides rugby players’ imposing haka performances, there are also rich traditions in carving, weaving, performing arts, and social or religious functions at the communal marae. However, controversies have arisen over political representation, prejudice, and socioeconomic pressure; limited governmental redress for past grievances has led to land transfer and the establishment of Māori industries, but many continue to push for stronger measures.

New Zealand’s accommodation options mirror the variety of its landscape, including a growing list of stylish urban boutiques. Here, we’re narrowing the focus to the rural — the lodges, farmsteads, vineyard retreats, and mountain villas that express the full range of adventure travel the country has to offer.

The Lindis

Omarama, New Zealand

Set in the less-traveled Ahuriri Valley on the South Island of New Zealand, the Lindis is reminiscent of the best Patagonian hotels for the way it melts into the landscape, and for the way it demonstrates that unapologetically modern architecture and design are the perfect complement for their ageless natural surroundings. The suites are extraordinarily lavish, as are the freestanding Pods, set out of sight of the main lodge.

Huka Lodge

Taupo, New Zealand

Huka Lodge is a fisherman’s paradise, founded in 1924 on seventeen acres of land alongside the Waikato river, three hundred meters upstream from Huka Falls. The Waikato, along with some 40 other nearby rivers, attract anglers from all over the globe, and nearby Lake Taupo is filled to the brim with trout. Fishing is not the only draw, though — rafting, obviously, is an option, as are golf and horseback riding.

Eagles Nest

Russell, New Zealand

The spectacular “Bay of Islands” region is home to a world-class hotel, the Eagles Nest. This hotel is a legend around New Zealand, but it’s not as well known overseas, perhaps a function of its small size; comprising just four villas, with an absolute maximum capacity of 22 people at a time, there’s a limit to the number of evangelists this place can produce. Those who do manage a reservation are bound to go home raving about the place.

Stoneridge Estate

Queenstown, New Zealand

Built around a 150-year-old stone homestead, Stoneridge Estate is the result of four decades of vision by a local family who transformed a former sheep paddock into one of New Zealand’s most atmospheric retreats. Its stone walls and arched windows recall old European châteaux, as the lodge blends reclaimed materials and antique detailing. Suites and cottages open onto formal gardens and mountain peaks.

Otahuna Lodge

Tai Tapu, New Zealand

Otahuna Lodge is New Zealand’s grandest historic homestead, a turreted Queen Anne estate set among daffodil-dotted gardens just outside Christchurch. Built in 1895 for a prominent Canterbury statesman, it is now a private lodge layered with carved kauri, stained glass, and roaring fireplaces. No two suites are alike, each reflecting the house’s original bones, from inglenooks to wide verandas.

Rosewood Cape Kidnappers

Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

Where else but in New Zealand would you actively seek out a working sheep ranch for a bit of rural high luxury? This is lodge country, where plush interiors and rugged exteriors go hand in glove. And this particular sheep ranch, Rosewood Cape Kidnappers, lies not on some dull green hillside but on the headlands overlooking Hawke’s Bay, on the North Island of New Zealand.

Bay of Many Coves

Marlborough, New Zealand

This is one of those New Zealand hotels where your room comes with a generous, serene expanse of the natural world and practically no one to share it with. No danger of your helicopter, seaplane or ferry arriving at the wrong hotel on the Bay of Many Coves; there’s just one here, and like its setting, it’s a stunner. It’s a scenic trip in, and on arrival you’re greeted by the only form of terrestrial transport available: a golf cart.

Solitaire Lodge

Rotorua, New Zealand

To get hung up on the décor and the furnishings at Solitaire Lodge would be (forgive us) to miss the forest for the chairs. What’s special about the lodge is most certainly its location, close to the popular North Island resort town of Rotorua, but with a lake all its own: Lake Tarawera, which Solitaire overlooks from a hillside atop a peninsula, surrounded by the lake’s calm waters, with a view of the Tarawera volcano in the distance.

Delamore Lodge

Waiheke Island, New Zealand

Delamore Lodge is the archetypal New Zealand lodge hotel — a luxe and secluded guest house in improbably stunning natural surroundings. In this case, the setting is Waiheke Island, a 35-minute ferry ride from Auckland, and the lodge itself a unique four-suite property carved into a hillside facing Owhanake Bay, a surprisingly successful blend of Mediterranean architecture and Maori décor.

Blanket Bay

Glenorchy, New Zealand

American visitors may find there’s something familiar about the architecture at Blanket Bay, built by an Idaho architect as a conscious homage to the lodges of the American West. Exotic it isn’t — this place’s impact is derived not from novelty but from sheer excess. The setting is not alien but simply spectacular, and the lodge goes easy on the New Zealand vernacular in favor of a restrained and comfortable grandeur.

Rosewood Matakauri

Queenstown, New Zealand

Rosewood Matakauri is a tiny hotel — comprising just three suites in the main lodge, and four villas nestled in the native bush, this is one of the most private and intimate hotels anywhere. And its location doesn’t hurt a bit, to say the least. Here, at the edge of Lake Wakatipu, this hotel features interiors that rival, in their sheer luxuriousness, the finest city hotels and the most exclusive resorts.

Wharekauhau Country Estate

Featherston, New Zealand

Wharekauhau Country Estate is a 3,000-acre working sheep farm set above the cliffs of Palliser Bay. This lodge is home to a cluster of freestanding cottage suites, each with open fires, exposed beams, and wide views over pasture and sea. Guests spend their days riding horses along the coast, sipping local Pinot in the main lodge, or exploring the estate’s trails by quad bike.

Gibbston Valley Lodge and Spa

Queenstown, New Zealand

Set within one of Central Otago’s oldest vineyards, Gibbston Valley Lodge & Spa offers a grounded and sensorial take on wine country luxury. Timber-clad villas look out to wide skies and distinct ridgelines, while days revolve around organic gardens, vinotherapy spa rituals, and BioGro-certified Pinot Noir wines. From handpicked grapes to solar-powered streams, every detail reflects deliberate care.

Azur

Queenstown, New Zealand

New Zealan has city culture, of course, but what’s worth going on and on about are the natural gifts of the place. So a hotel like Azur plays to all its location’s strengths; it’s urbane and sophisticated, just a few minutes from the center of Queenstown, but mostly it’s just immersed in natural splendor, with views of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkable mountain range, and easy access to all the activities.

Eichardt’s Private Hotel

Queenstown, New Zealand

Eichardt’s Private Hotel was established during the gold rush days of the 1860s, and was, at the time, Queenstown’s premier lodging. Of course, that was a long time ago, and in the intervening years hard times befell the property. But every setback is an opportunity in disguise. Eichardt’s, a pale and waterlogged shadow of its former self, was rescued and rehabilitated by its new manager, Victoria Shaw. The result is a delightful small hotel.