LUXURY

eautiful countryside portraits. It’s a wonderful idea to be
able to walk through the reeds and rushes and get amongst
the local inhabitants while still keeping your feet dry the
entire time.
At Lake Okareka Lodge the service I experienced was
excellent. The 24-hour butler staff are attentive without being
overbearing and exude a genuine ‘Kiwi’ persona – warm in
their manner and professional in their service. And being
on the lookout for ‘unexpected’ elements, I was pleasantly
surprised when I was presented with a fully valeted car on the
morning of my departure. It’s these sorts of things that stay
in your mind and set the ‘exceptional’ apart.
After checking out, my appetite for the water had been triggered
and I found myself boarding Pure Cruises’ catamaran, Tiua,
the only one of its kind on Lake Rotoiti. This luxurious beauty
is a great way to see what the lake has to offer and combined
with Tina and Matt’s wonderful hospitality, probably one of
the best cruises available. We visited the natural hot springs
located at Manupirua (only accessible by boat), bathed, relaxed
and enjoyed a wonderful lunch and afternoon onboard.
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Next on my list was the famed Solitare Lodge and the scenic
drive alongside Rotorua’s well known Blue and Green Lakes
really whets the appetite for the lodge’s location, perched
commandingly on a private peninsula on Lake Tarawera.
The arrival here is also discreet and welcoming and all suites
have glorious views. With the sun glistening on the cool lake
waters and the unique sound of a tui’s chattering melody
breaking through the otherwise silent surrounds, you can’t
help but wind down a notch or two.
My suite looked out over the lake to Mt Tarawera and beyond
and as I gazed out to the setting sun, I found myself thinking
that this historic land formation reminded me of the aweinspiring
Uluru in Australia’s heartland. If you have ever
travelled to Uluru and watched the sunlight and shadow play
on the rock, then you’ll know exactly what I mean. Solitaire
was New Zealand’s first purpose-built lodge in the 1970s and
still retains a respected place. Owner, Wayne Tomlinson and
his wife, Ingrid Jaques, exude a heart-warming charm and
Assistant Manager, Graeme Fairey, has taken ownership of
the dedicated New Zealand wine selection and will advise
matching with your meal. The main lodge lounge has a
comfortable and homely feel with a roaring fireplace above
which sits a stunning original painting of the long gone but
not forgotten pink terraces; the natural formation that was
destroyed along with the white terraces when Mt Tarawera
erupted in 1886.
“...the area was teaming with
native birdlife and beautiful
countryside portraits.”
At Solitare, you can stay cocooned in your suite and emerge
only when the delicious food is served (my vanilla scented
French toast and homemade preserves were mouthwatering),
or you can wrap up and explore the surroundings
by foot on one of the many walking tracks or by helicopter,
floatplane or boat – it’s really up to you.
I wandered down through the bush, observing the brilliant
lime green moss beds, the morning dew adorning lush green
fern fronds and the dense undergrowth that puts you in awe
of how the early settlers brokered their way through the
difficult terrain. The track emerged onto the stony lakeshore
with crystal clear and icy cool water gently lapping and a
view beyond that was picture perfect.
“...untouched and a fine example
of a natural wonder to
be enjoyed exactly as it is.”
Allow Wayne or one of the boat cruise companies in the
area to take you on a thrilling jet ride over Lake Tarawera.
We went early in the morning and encountered heavy mist,
which made the trip so much more eerie and interesting.
We explored some scenic bays and then headed to the
lake’s own ‘hot water beach’. I’m a real fan of the acclaimed
Hot Water Beach in the Coromandel region but I was very
impressed with this lake’s sizzling gem. Untouched and a
fine example of a natural wonder to be enjoyed exactly as
it is. Lie in the lakeside shallows, dip into a naturally formed
rock pool or a little further on, rest within a heated stream
under shady trees.
Solitaire Lodge is a New Zealand icon and Wayne is planning
a renovation of the suites soon that will convert some of the
1970s architecture - considered trendy at the time - into a
format that is more suited to today and will only add to the
overall package that Solitare has to offer.
It had been years since I’d visited the Polynesian Spa and so
a trip into town was next. With over 130 years of thermal
bathing history and a world-famous reputation, the spa has a
number of shared or private pools to choose from containing
either shallow-spring acidic water or deep-spring alkaline
water ranging from 36-42°C. I for one could feel the benefits
of these naturally heated therapeutic waters soaking into my
skin and inner being and could see why they are regularly
voted as a World Top Ten medical and thermal day spa by
readers of Condé Nast Traveller. Spa mud therapies and
hydro spa treatments are also on the menu and a visit to the
spa shop is a must as it has one of the most comprehensive
selections of ranges I have ever seen.
Feeling relaxed and chilled, it was back on the road and off
to Treetops Lodge & Wilderness Estate. The vision of owner,
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From top to bottom: Garden Suite at Lake Okareka Lodge, Lake Okareka
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Lodge at dusk, cuisine at Lake Okareka Lodge, Solitaire Lodge