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lifestyle I getaway

"Super [odges" in New Zealand and Australia offer a level of IuxurV that transcends anV hotel rating system. Text and photos bv Roderick Eime here is a rarefied statusphere fbr the elite traveller; where tl-re experience is valued and rernenrbered long after settling the account and heading for home.

Long envied lor their premium cachet and set amid dramatic, blockbuster loc:rtions, New Zealand's ultra exclusive "Super Lodges" continue to earn the praise of luxury travellers and hardnosed critics alike. Not to be outdone,

Grasmere Lodge will always command the attention of those looking lor quiet and comlort in a nostalgic colonial style.

Set amidst the spectacular Southern AIps, you'll be wondering which Hollywood epic you're in.

The original homestead harks back to lB5B and, with gradual and tasteful modernisation, now presents the perfect

complement to the natural grandeur of

Grasmere Lodge, Cass, South Island

its surroundings.

Every guest room at Grasmere Lodge has one king or two single beds, two armchairs and a coflee table, CD playeq minibaq a work desk with a modem plug and chair. Each private patio or deck has two outdoor chairs for enjoying the views and lresh mountain air.

Playing heavily on its dramatic location near Arthur's Pass, New Zealand's

A Lake Mew Deluxe Room is NZ$435 (about HK$2,439) per person

Australia has launched a counterattack and brought the battle right up to their transTasman cousins. We compare the top of the line from each side.

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HONG KONG BUSINESS. SEPTEMBER2008

(double occupancy) and includes a pre-

dinner cocktail hour; a five-course table d'h6te gourmet dinner and a full cooked or continental breakfast. www. gras mer e lo dge. c om

Huka Lodge, Taupo Widely considered the top lodge in Ncw Zealand despite fierce competition, Huka continues to garner awards fron-r publications such as Tiaael + Izisure, Cond6 Nast, Andrew Harper and The Robb Report.

Ideally positioned in a private hideaway adjacent to the Waikato River and surrounded by botanic gardens, Huka Lodge was originally a private fishing lodge in the 1920s, but its reputation lor fine food and natural serenitv has soread far and wide.

getaway I lifestyle

Executive Chef John Allred enjoys a substantial reputation, thanks to his

schooling courtesy

of lodge ownet

multimillionaire banker and investor Alex van Heeren.

The lodge is compact and snug and gives the impression of embracing its guests. Apart from the famed Owner's Cottage, Huka Lodge provides 20 guest suites, all decorated in keeping with the

main lodge.

Tariffs begin at NZ$730 (HK$4,094) per person, fully inclusive. www.hukalodge.com

Maungatautari, Lodge, Lake Karapiro Unlike many of its contemporaries

same personal touch extends to their exemplary hospitality, which makes guests feel like old friends visiting for an

extended dinner.

Set on 30 hectares of park-like gardens, there are stud horses and sheep just beyond the colourful expanses of lavender, organic vegetable gardens and citrus orchards. The property is also part of an ambitious wildlife conservation program that aims to preserve and protect the many threatened NZ species such as kiwi, kereru, tui, korimako ftellbirds), kokako, kaka, kakariki, hihi (stitchbirds), toutouwai (robins), skinks, geckos, giant weta and tuatara.

The lodge itself is roomy, bright

throughout New Zealand, Maungatautari Lodge is a relatively recent construction, built by its ownerhosts, Peter and Christine Scoular,

and airy assisted by broad picture windows with views all the way to Lake Karapiro. Christine does most of the cooking and even occasionally invites guests into the kitchen to share in the

to their own personal design. This

culinary experience.

A double occupancv suitc is NZ$g70 (HK$5,439) and incltrdt's dinncr, bcd and breaklhst. www.ntalodge.corn

Also wortl-r :r nrenti<lr-r: l'rcctops Luxury Lodgc, Rotonra; Pcppers rln the Point, Rotorua; Kawal.ra Poir-rt Lodge, Rotorua; Otahuna Lodgc, Christchurch; Select Braemar Lodge & Spa, Hannrer Springs; Blankct I3ay Lodgc, Qycenstown.

Arajilta Retreat, Lord Howe lsland Discreetly tucked away anrid luxuriant ker.rtia palms and ban,van lrees ()n World Heritage-listed Lord Howc Island, Arajilla Retreat is perlbctly placed to deliver rclaxation and rc'juvenation.

Owned and opcratcd by thc Shead Iamily, Arajilla is onc ol- onlv tu,o such prcmiun'r propcrties on the tiny and rcmotc island, in the T:rsmzrn Sc:r betwcen Ar-rstralia and Ncw Zcaland.

SEPTEMBER 2008

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HONG KONG BUSINESS

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Grasmere Lodge looks almost too good to be true in its rustic setting and colonial elegance

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