New Zealand adventure vacations are always a unique experience, and many guests don’t realize that they are also synonymous with first-class luxury for the discerning traveler. In particular, there is the vacation experience of touring the many beautiful islands of New Zealand, be they the main north and south islands, or the numerous smaller ones sprinkled along the coastlines. Each is beautiful and exciting in its own way, offering new experiences for every visitor. The only difficult part about the trip is figuring out which of the islands to experience first.

The luxury side of things comes in the travel arrangements. One could easily take the ferries to islands such as Great Barrier or Waiheke, but there are much lovelier options on hand as well. Luxury catamaran sailboats can be chartered out for several days at a time, offering complete comfort and the joy of sun and waves during the journey between destinations. Many such trips come complete with diving experiences as well, allowing visitors a peek at the beautiful undersea life around New Zealand.

Waiheke is a unique place, showcasing the variety of experiences available to New Zealand vacationers. Home to both olive groves and vineyards, it has a unique food culture that is a delight to explore, with wine tastings and olive samplings for guests to participate in as they come by to visit.

Alternatively, there are islands such as Great Barrier, with rugged forest terrain that allows for an invigorating hike or adventure bicycling tour. These are often an exciting counterpoint to the comfortable decadence that comes from the sailing experience. Guests can explore the island ’til their hearts are content, then return to their ship and collapse into easygoing relaxation once again, enjoying a fine wine as they leave the adventure behind them for another evening.

Mollies Boutique Hotel is a gem amongst already-incredible New Zealand luxury vacations, offering packages and supremely comfortable accommodations to anyone who visits.

The facilities at Mollies are some of the best in New Zealand. It is a five-star luxury hotel, offering 13 world-class suites with views of either the magnificent Auckland city harbor or the beautiful hotel gardens. Divided into junior, villa and premier suites, each one has an en suite bathroom with a spa bath, luxury appointments such as big screen satellite televisions, corner fireplaces, verandas to watch the city skyline from and more. The absolute comfort of the guests is the first and only priority of these amazing rooms.

Mollies offers a number of vacation packages, allowing guests to customize their stay to exactly the desire they enjoy the most. There’s the honeymoon package, offering a late checkout, choice of suite, the finest French Champagne and even an exclusive honeymoon gift for the newlyweds. Or there’s the spa package, providing guests with a full health and beauty treatment to relax their cares away. There is even the opulence package, offering elements of the spa experience married to a magnificent five-course gourmet dinner with matching wines during a five-night stay.

Mollies is situated in the beautiful city of Auckland, known as the City of Sails. A gorgeous backdrop of modern city against magnificent countryside, it provides beautiful views for every guest, day and night. The city is host to activities galore for those who can bear to tear themselves away from the comforts and luxuries of Mollies for a few hours. Indeed, Mollies can make arrangements with local tours and restaurants for their guests if the holidaymakers are eager to explore the host city of their amazing hotel.

Matakauri Lodge is a luxurious, five-star resort in historic Queenstown, New Zealand. From the moment that you arrive in Auckland, you can charter a plane or car to take you to Queenstown and your opulent lodgings. While the car ride will allow you to admire the breathtaking scenery as you seek your destination, the plane will give you an aerial view of some of the most spectacular landscape in the natural world, making a stay at the lodge a much-desired part of New Zealand luxury vacations.

The lodge is located at Lake Wakatipu. From the moment that you arrive, you will witness the remarkable Cecil and Walter Peak mountain ranges just outside of your window. The lodge, being only 7 minutes away from Queenstown, also offers you a virtual alpine lakeside retreat that is perfectly situated in one of the world’s most tranquil and exquisite landscapes. As soon as you arrive, you will be glad that your New Zealand luxury vacation began at the lodge.

You will gain access to beautiful living and dining areas as well as a full-service luxury spa, swimming pool and fitness center. The rooms are bright, colorful and spacious as well as tranquil and serene. Each room is decorated with a fresh and contemporary style and just a hint of glamour that will make you feel like royalty.

For meals, you will be privy to some of the region’s best gourmet foods and the finest local wines. Should you have used one of your excursions out of the lodge to go fishing on the lake, the chefs will even prepare your catch for you by turning it into one of their mouthwatering gourmet creations. You can enjoy your meals in the dining room with other guests, or you can eat your meals privately. Room service is available with just a mention.

If you are looking for a five-star experience and a panoramic view of some of the best mountain scenery that you will ever see just outside of your rooms during your New Zealand luxury vacation, the Matakauri Lodge will certainly provide it.

If you love golf and are thinking of taking a New Zealand luxury vacation, why not do both? The golf opportunities that you can get in New Zealand are spectacular — you will never find golf as breathtakingly beautiful as when you hit the fairway on any of the exquisite courses in New Zealand.

For the real golf connoisseur, there are many different vacation packages to choose from. You can take both the North and South Island tours. Each has its own unique panoramic scenery to make your New Zealand luxury vacation a golf excursion for the ages.

Should you choose to go with any of the golf packages for your New Zealand luxury vacation, depending on your location you will be privy to long range mountain backdrops in the North while you line up your drives and you can stare in awe at the amazing forestry that surrounds you as you ride from hole to hole. If the landscape in South Island can’t put you “in the zone,” nothing can. The air in the fabulous South Islands is crisp and clean and unlike any place else on Earth. You also can sample some of the region’s best gourmet foods at the country clubs and enjoy the area’s famous wines.

This country’s golfing is just superb. The many 18-hole courses are absolutely rich with greenery and posh luxury at every hole. Many of the luxury vacation packages in North and South Island come complete with lodgings, full-day golf and scenic tours. You also have the option of venturing out and exploring some of the country’s best attractions on your own or with a guide. New Zealand golf resorts and country clubs are so opulent that you will even enjoy time spent in the bunkers.

With so many regions to choose from for your golf vacation package, the only real question will be which one of the many beautiful locales will you choose? Areas include Queenstown, Auckland, Rotura, Cape Kidnappers, Paraparaumu Beach and many more, each of which offers its very own specialized golf vacation packages. Each area offers its region’s best in gourmet food and wines and cultural experiences, but you will also enjoy luxury accommodations with every amenity. Besides great golf, you can expect adventure and excitement should you decide to go exploring into the country. You’ve never taken a golf vacation like this before!

When most people think of New Zealand luxury vacations, they immediately think of snow-capped Alps and icy mountainsides. While these can be seen in Queenstown and North Island, Kiwi Dundee Adventures offers luxury travelers a different side of the real New Zealand that is rich in forestry and coastal wonders.

From the moment that you arrive in the Coromandel Peninsula, you will see that South Island and Queenstown is a virtual paradise of native forests, breathtaking mountains and tranquil national parks that offers travelers the chance to see horticulture and farming at its richest. This is where you can find glowworms along with the friendliest people that you can meet. When Kiwi Dundee is your guide through all of this, you know that your journey will be unforgettable.

There are different tours and activities to suit your every need, along with professional staff to satisfy your every whim. Adventurers can choose from one- to three-day tours that will travel through the North Island Highlights. You can go hiking on the mountains if you’re hard core, or you can just stroll at your own leisurely pace so that you have time to truly take in the wonders all around you.

Should you prefer to take an educational tour so that you can learn all about the history and culture of the area, Kiwi Dundee also has a tour perfect for you. The educational tour is wonderful for the New Zealand luxury vacation traveler and hobbyists such as bird watchers, gardeners, horticulturists and photographers who are looking to expand their knowledge while viewing some of the species that are indigenous to New Zealand.

This is one luxury travel company that truly keeps the traveler in mind. Kiwi Dundee adventures are designed to be the best in luxury travel. The landscape is not only rich in beauty but informative. When you leave any of these tours, you can rest assured that you will have a story to tell that will be unmatched by any you’ve heard. I guarantee that you’ve never seen North Island and Queenstown like this before!

When considering what to do for your upcoming New Zealand luxury vacation, consider the scores of people who have benefitted from this sage advice: If you want to experience a place, make sure you dig into the local food. What better way to take this advice than to time your vacation to coincide with a major food festival?

The Auckland Food Show is an annual event that the locals enjoy — and take exceptionally seriously. So seriously that in 2008 and 2009 alike, it won awards for the best food show in its size category for all of Australasia, and the best overall event in New Zealand. World-famous chefs and aspiring amateurs alike show up to the event and do their best to make it one of the most exciting times for visitors and locals.

There’s plenty on display for purchase and for sampling. Categories of food available at this event include the entire spectrum; if it can be prepared, it will be present. Asian-local fusion dishes, new takes on old standards, classic confections refined until they’re utterly perfect, delicious candied treats and, of course, an abundant supply of fine local wines, beers and liquors all work to enchant the tongue.

Of course, eating isn’t the only thing one can do at the food show. There are celebrity cooking classes, where you rub shoulders with famous chefs and listen to their advice on how to open up the many flavors of your food in your own cooking at home. There’s the opportunity to swap recipes with fellow travelers, see food as entertainment in Iron Chef-style competitions and to place orders for high-quality cookware that you might not otherwise come across.

If you love food, but have trouble deciding what new dish to experience first, the Auckland Food Show is the vacation to be preferred. Advice and options abound, and the time spent will stand out in the memory as a feast beyond compare.

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After soaking up the sun and enjoying the royal treatment, a trip to an historic museum is a welcome addition to your New Zealand luxury vacation. As it just so happens, 2010 is a fantastic year to visit the visually stunning Auckland Museum. The legendary institution plays host to various noteworthy events this year.

The landmark gallery continues to celebrate its octogenarian status in a yearlong series entitled “I Am 80.” Built in 1929 to commemorate the end of the First World War, the now iconic building has endured as one of New Zealand’s cultural epicenters. Its neoclassical columns now are illuminated in stunning new lighting at night. The lighting was installed in October and uses the latest LED technology. Visitors to the museum are invited to enjoy an interactive memory wall in the Welcome Lounge of the building; the wall encourages patrons to share their memories from the past 80 years.

The Auckland Museum truly specializes in the traditions and history of the country. The three permanent galleries entitled People, Land and War take museum buffs on a walk through New Zealand history. The ground floor, People, tells the story of the Pacific Island people and their evolution with exhibits focusing on decorative arts and an interactive kid’s area. The first level, Land, is more like a traditional natural history museum with tons of fossils and archaeological finds from the country’s past. Finally, War, on the upper level, chronicles how war has changed New Zealand over the years with replicas of weapons and armor.

Starting June 12th, Auckland Museum will launch a limited exhibition entitled “Kai to Pie.” This one-of-a-kind exhibit focuses on the food of Auckland. A delightful tasting menu is part of the exhibit and a must for adventurous epicureans. “Kai to Pie” also will shine the spotlight on local chefs and traditional dishes.

Also in 2010, the museum plays host to concert series, special children’s events and film television events that turn the gaze to New Zealand pop culture.

There is so much happening at the Auckland Museum this year, it almost feels like a party. The only thing missing from that party? You, of course!