TOURISM INDIA MARCH 2019 TOURISM INDIA FEBRUARY 2019 | Page 39

accommodation with all the comforts
you require, including spa baths and
private decks. You can walk on the
beach, soak up the stillness of the
lake, or enjoy guided tours of the
ancient forests that surround the site.
There’s also a restaurant on site with
an outlook as good as the food. A bus
from Queenstown and the southern
glaciers stops at the lodge daily.
Otherwise drive yourself to Wilderness
Lodge – it’s located on State Highway
6, two-and-a-half hours north of
Wanaka. The weather can be wild
in these parts - think rainforest and
temperate temperatures year-round -
but this is part of the place’s charm.
Spring is a good time for wildlife
activity and the lodge offers guided
tours to secret places where, apart
from the wildlife, there’s no one else
in sight.
Flying high
With no road access but by aerial
cable car or river boat, The Flying
Fox near Whanganui is ideal for
unplugging. Located on the mighty
Whanganui River, there are a range
of accommodation options to suit all
tastes. The James K Cottage named
after New Zealand’s best-known poet,
the quirky Gypsy Cart, and some
campsites. The Whanganui River is
a mystical and magical place, rich in
both Māori and European history, and
DROP YOUR PHONE,
DITCH THE iPAD AND
ENJOY THE WONDERS
OF THE TECH-FREE
WORLD IN THESE
OUT-OF-THE-WAY
NEW ZEALAND
DESTINATIONS.
it’s extremely meditative to watch the
deep green waters flow by. There’s not
much else to do here apart from walk
through the bush and soak up the
scenery, but that’s the joy of the place.
There is no direct car access to The
Flying Fox, so you will need to decide
whether you want to get there by cable
car or jet boat. However, both of these
options are located within 30 minutes’
drive from Whanganui.
Island life
Great Barrier Island in the Hauraki
Gulf is a hidden gem just 30 minutes
by plane from Auckland. Mount St
Paul Estate is set in more than 40ha
of pristine native bush and features a
range of accommodation options
and excellent food. The island
has bush, beach, hot springs and
mountains, and also offers great
surf. All the rooms on the estate
have central heating, plus elevated
views over the nearby sea. Great
Barrier Island also happens to be
New Zealand’s newest Dark Sky
Sanctuary so expect sublime night
time panoramas. Fly from Auckland
Airport’s domestic terminal or
take the Sealink Ferry from its
downtown wharf to the island.
The owners of the lodge are able to
arrange transfers from the airport
and the island wharf to the estate.
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