Ultimate New Zealand: Helicopters, Boats and Boutique Luxury Hotels

Arrive in Auckland, North Island. You'll be welcomed at the airport and privately transferred to Princes Wharf in Waitemata Harbour. Stay two nights in a hotel whose architecture and decor take on clear themes; wide open spaces, light-coloured wood, white walls and clean geometry softened by sumptuous materials. From your Italian-designed room, you have excellent views of the harbour and a private balcony. The swimming pool is a particular favourite, with a huge window ate one end that looks out over the water beyond. The bar embodies the quintessential spirit of home: fabulous views, appropriate furnishings, well-made cocktails and impeccably modern food.

The CBD (central business district) is full of fashionable restaurants and bars and the stylish Viaduct Basin. The New Zealand Maritime Museum is within walking distance: it exhibits everything from explorations to Maori sailors to triumphs at the America's Cup. Also nearby is New Zealand's oldest park, the Auckland Domain, and the beautiful tropical glasshouses of the Wintergardens, dating back to the 1920s. The shabby-chic Karangahape Road and the artsy Ponsonby are great places to visit. Rugby lovers must head to Eden Park, south-west of the business district. Climbing to the top of Mount Victoria will give you a full, immersive view of the city. The sun sends Aucklanders running to the beaches of Waitemata Harbour. In fact, you'll soon find out why Auckland is regularly voted as one of the best cities to live in.
Included in the itinerary - Hauraki by seaplane. Waitemata Harbour opens onto the Hauraki Gulf. On board a small seaplane, you'll fly over the crater of Rangitoto - Auckland's youngest and most impressive volcano - and then over Rakino and Waiheke Island, which has a beautiful, hillside vineyard.

Pick up your hire car and drive to Rotorua. Stay overnight by the lake in a large, elegant house. The room, which is well-appointed, luxurious and comfortable, overlooks the water. The dining room is full of delicious surprises all day long - the 'Pacific fusion' cuisine is designed to wow food lovers.

Included in the itinerary - Helicopter to White Island. Today, you'll take a flight over the 17 Lakes of Rotorua, then head for the Bay of Plenty and White Island, off Whakatane. Once a place dedicated to sulphur mining, this active volcanic island is now home to a private nature reserve. A one-hour guided hike allows you to explore the impressive volcano and to observe a large colony of Australasian gannets.
Then drive to Lake Taupo, in the caldera of the eponymous volcano. Spend the night in a beautiful designer home. The peaceful setting offers wonderful views of the valley and is very close to Taupo's restaurants and boutiques, and Whakaipo's unspoilt bay.

Head south-east to the Pacific Ocean and Hawkes Bay. Stay two nights just outside Napier, a key hub of wine and fruit production. The eco-friendly lodge is situated in the heart of a vineyard, designed so that guests can enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of viticulture. The rooms are impeccable and open out to the vineyard, the garden is dotted with local trees and the orchard and vegetable garden are organic.

The activities offered by the estate are understandably nature-based, including hiking, riding, cycling, quad-biking, exploring the farm's work and bird-watching excursions - the region boasts the world's largest colony of albatrosses. Outside the estate, try your hand at trout fishing, kayaking and rafting, or simply relaxing on the beach. There's also vineyard yours and Maori cultural experiences, which we can arrange for you. When it comes to golf, the Cape Kidnappers Golf Course, designed by minimalist architect Tom Doak, is one of the best in the world.

Return the car to the airport, fly to Wellington and then fly to Queenstown, South Island. Private transfer and three-night stay on the shore of stunning Wakatipu Lake, in an iconic hotel in the city centre. Your hotel is an old 19th century residence, converted into an elegant hotel. Designer Virginia Fisher's interior design is sleek, refined and shifts seamlessly between antiques and modern furnishings. A new contemporary building adjoins the historic house, providing a stark contrast. The rooms are spacious and cosy, each with a fireplace and views of the lake or mountains surrounding Queenstown.

The region is rich with natural wonders, and it also boasts a lot of agriculture which yields wonderful produce, including the wines of Central Otago, which can be found in shops or directly on the farms. Pater Jackson has added a new dimension to the region with his film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings', in which it became 'Middle Earth'. Queenstown, meanwhile, is New Zealand's capital of outdoor activities. Take a fantastic tour of Wakatipu Lake on the TSS Earnslaw steamship dating back to 1912, where you'll be transported back in time to another era of travel.

Included in the itinerary - A cruise through Milford Sound. Return flight to Queenstown. Fjordland National Park - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - has breathtaking views of the mountains and glaciers. Cruising on the fjord, with its steep, jagged walls that rise thousands of feet above the water, allows you to experience geology in all its glory. There are two spectacular waterfalls here: Lady Bowen Falls and Stirling Falls. Large dolphins play alongside the boat, and you'll spot seals, rockhopper penguins and, sometimes, humpback or mink whales.

Pick up the second hire car and drive to Lake Pukaki, which reflects the glaciers of Mount Cook, the country's highest mountain. The journey offers some of the finest views in the Southern Alps. Spend two nights on the south shore of the lake, in a contemporary and sleek eco-lodge.

If Lake Pukaki looks a little familiar it you, it's because it was used for Peter Jackson's film series 'The Hobbit'. There aren't any dragons or floating cities on its waters, just the rays of the sun bouncing off sediment carried by the Tasman River, giving the lake its distinctive turquoise colour.
Option - Helicopter flight over the Tasman Glacier (drop-off at the top) and Cook Mountain.

Drive east towards Christchurch, which is half a day's drive away. Spend two nights at the city's finest hotel, right in the centre of town. This award-winning hotel is both elegant and comfortable, with two excellent restaurants.

New Zealand's second largest city is known for its gardens, parks, museums, restaurants and nightlife. The road extending to the south-west of the city offers fairy tale scenery. You'll barely have left Christchurch before being confronted by the sprawling scenery of the Banks peninsula, dominated by Mount Herbert, which itself affords panoramic views across the peninsula. A multitude of green hills, surrounded by the deep azure sea, roll along the horizon to Akaroa, which is home to a colony of penguins and seals.