A sublime New Zealand escape in two of the Southern Hemisphere’s finest luxury lodges

When you head to a part of the world that the Dalai Lama called "a spiritual centre of the universe", then you know you’re in for a very special escape.

The city of Christchurch on New Zealand’s South Island is just under a 10-hour direct overnight flight from Singapore and two truly stunning lodges both sit within easy reach, once you’ve landed.

Our journey came at the start of the Kiwi autumn, bringing beautiful sunny days and fresh evenings, but their summer, which runs from December through February, makes it a perfect destination for the Christmas and New Year holidays, both western and lunar.

FLOCKHILL LODGE

Our first stop was Flockhill Lodge, in a location of majestic, heart-stopping beauty – the very same that inspired the Dalai Lama. Located roughly in the centre of the Canterbury Region, midway between the South Island’s east and west coasts, getting there is half the fun.

Serious A-List celebrities from Hollywood, Silicon Valley and the music industry fly in by chopper, but even the rail and road routes are spectacular. The New Zealand Automobile Association calls the 90-minute drive from Christchurch through the Southern Alps’ Great Alpine Highway a “transcendent, transformational traverse”. Then the TranzAlpine Express to nearby Arthur’s Pass is regularly named among the world’s top ten train rides.

Flockhill has been around since 1857 and lives up to its name thanks to a jaw-dropping 14,500-hectare sheep station, which also features a hilltop lodge with four suites, known as The Homestead.

Guests can only book the whole place, which sleeps up to eight and runs at S$11,100 (US$8,145) per night from June through September, or up to S$26,200 per night over holidays.

Rates, however, include meals crafted at The Homestead by chef Craig Martin, as well as a brilliant selection of experiences.

On our stay, they included a gentle guided hike up through ancient, mystical boulder-strewn landscapes, filled with Maori history, to an escarpment that you may recognise from The Chronicles of Narnia. With 360-degree views over snow-dusted mountains, ancient volcanos and vast tracts of forest and bush, its scale truly makes you feel tiny. 

Horse riding and mountain biking, caving, kayaking, cooking classes, skiing and wine tasting are just some of the options on offer – when you’re not enjoying the pool and hot tub with views which redefine jaw-dropping, that is.

But another experience told us so much about the ground beneath our feet – and the animals which joined us in roaming it.

With 13,000 Merino ewes and 1800 Angus cattle, Flockhill represents the pinnacle of High Country farming, so named for the mountainous terrain which makes it much harder than traditional agriculture.

Exploring it comes during an unforgettable farm tour with self-proclaimed  ‘Shepherd for hire’ Sean, a former solider from northeast England who once specialised in counter terrorism training; today he knows every inch of the hills, valleys, rivers and forests of this magnificent landscape.

When he tells you to listen for the roar of the old wild stags, while we scanned the horizon to spot one –  including an especially elusive but legendary albino – you sit, almost entranced.

As he expertly navigated our 4x4 down a steep incline, we arrived above a river with gently burbling river waters so crystal clear that you can see exactly what you’re catching before it bites.

This is fly fishing country, for rainbow trout, on a strict catch-and-release basis, only allowing two people to fish per day. There’s no limit for the gannet, however, that Sean points out, which is able to ‘eat its own body weight in fish in a day’.

He then spots a clump of bright green watercress, which is soon tipped off to the kitchen for foraging, and later reappears as a sensational soup at dinner.

We weren’t alone in the 4x4, as there were four-legged friends in a compartment behind us. The bond Sean holds with his three dogs was a joy to behold, as they showered him with love.

Terrifyingly smart and silent, Hinnie expertly followed every peep of the whistle hanging round Sean’s neck, cajoling large grumpy cows by nipping cheekily at their heels, alternating between running alongside them and laying flat, ears pricked, always attentive in a beautiful agricultural ballet.

With the two other dogs Tyne and Wear, the feel was more like bouncers in a nightclub, barking orders, running amok and generally scaring the herd into submission. The good cop/bad cop schtick was definitely effective, as in no time the cattle were corralled and the three dogs jumped straight back into the vehicle, awaiting their next instructions.

If you’re lucky enough to visit during sheep shearing season, prepare for another sensory overload. Hundreds of sheep are herded together in sheds before being shorn by tattooed, muscular shearers, largely to a soundtrack of 90s hip hop. 50 Cent has rarely played to such a woolly crowd.

Huge piles of Angora are collected as the ewes go from toasty in their coats to chilly and stripped, ending up looking like disconsolate goats. To the great amusement of the workers – and doubtless a few of the ewes too – I’m invited  to have a go at shearing, placing my feet either side of the surprisingly docile animal to steady it.

Holding the electric shears, I gingerly and very slowly trim a thin line along its belly. I ask if I have a future in shearing: “Maybe stick to the computer, mate. We take two minutes to do a whole sheep. You might do one a day.”

City slicker credentials duly confirmed, the distinguished Alpine lodge of The Homestead comes calling for an evening of relaxed luxury to which it would be very, very easy to quickly get accustomed.

That is if you can pull yourself away from your suite, given its widescreen cinema-like window on the constantly changing landscape outside, not to mention what must be one of the world’s finest bathtub views.

With a fire roaring, drinks and canapes are served by the brilliant young couple running front-of-house. In an incredible coincidence, it turns out they both come from the same small town as me, some 12,000 miles away in eastern England.

Chef Craig has prepared a southern cheese roll with jalapeno and smoked mayo, a Flockhill lamb chop with mint salsa verde and then preserved fig with jamon – but they’re just bites to accompany perfectly crafted cocktails.

Next comes that elegant watercress soup, positively humming with freshness and vitality in a shade of green which looks improbably bright, then unforgettable local salmon which makes you realise what salmon should taste like.

The main event was another triumph in the form of wagyu with onion soubise, black garlic puree and soy roasted mushrooms with chef’s own XO sauce, an absolute winner. He makes it with local paua, better known as abalone, and I immediately implored him to sell it commercially.

After dinner, although sadly it was too cloudy for stargazing – which is seemingly awe-inspiring – their cosy den came calling with its vinyl record deck and 85” TV. And no prizes for guessing that Lord of The Rings is the most requested flick.

Breakfast in the farmhouse kitchen came all too soon, but not before a sunrise which has forever etched itself indelibly in our minds and eyes. An explosion of burnt orange, magenta and pink framed the perfectly triangular peaks in front of us to dazzling effect, accompanied by a soundtrack of the sweetest birdsong.

As if more reason were needed to visit Flockhill, an exciting postscript is that this December will see the opening of seven new villas in a separate part of the property, along with a game-changing new open-fire restaurant called Sugarloaf by the hugely-talented chef Taylor Cullen.

The drive back to Christchurch – we used the excellent Prime Travel to take us – was just as memorable as the way over, with the added bonus of a stop for the Kiwi classic of a pie in a tiny town called Sheffield. Not just any pie, but regularly rated the best in the country. Go for the classic mince and cheese, chicken, or camembert and apricot for the veges.

The city of Christchurch is well worth a night or two of your time. It has a young, vibrant feel to it, borne in part out of the area’s renaissance following the deadly – and completely unexpected – pair of earthquakes which rocked the city in 2010 and 2011.

Once known as one of the most English of New Zealand destinations, today it is proudly multi-cultural, with Chinese, Tagalog, Hindi and Arabic just some of the languages heard all over. With an exciting dining and shopping scene, some of the best street art in New Zealand, a city centre dedicated to pedestrians and the picture-perfect Banks Peninsula just minutes away, it merits much more than an airport transfer.

OTAHUNA LODGE

Just a 30-minute drive from central Christchurch, the cone of an ancient extinct volcano is part of the backdrop to Otahuna Lodge, a late Victorian mansion which ranks as one of the most charming places to stay.

Once the home of Sir Heaton Rhodes, a legendary figure in politics, business and the arts, known as ‘The grand old man of New Zealand public life’, it stands as New Zealand's largest private historic residence and offers a warmth of familial hospitality like nowhere else.

In an astonishing life, Rhodes was a soldier, a cabinet minister, philanthropist, famed stamp collector, cattle breeder and horticulturalist – to name but a few of his interests and callings. He was a great friend to British royalty and was visited at Otahuna by The Duke of York, who was later to become King George V.

It’s no surprise that King Charles and Queen Camilla have twice chosen to stay at Otahuna during their long overseas tours, deliberately deciding to switch off and not have any engagements. We quickly understood why.

In spring, guests are welcomed by more than a million – yes, that’s a million – daffodils that explode with colour on Otahuna’s vast front lawn.

The entry hall is an exquisite example of the 1890s Arts and Crafts style, featuring sumptuous, elaborately carved woodwork at every turn, stained glass and a memorable Visitors’ Book. Adjacent is the Drawing Room, the perfect spot for fireside aperitifs and canapes, or dining in one of the property’s turrets, nooks and corners.

With just seven suites, Otahuna is a true enclave of the most refined comfort imaginable. Flowers freshly picked from the estate deck the rooms, while fireplaces, lavish bathrooms and freshly baked cookies add to the homely feel of consummate luxury.

Our Rhodes Suite, the great man’s former bedroom, was an expansive delight, complete with its own turret. Doors also open onto a private balcony overlooking the garden, one of the country’s finest. (The Rhodes Suite starts from S$2,200 per night inclusive of drinks with canapes, a four-course set-menu dinner with wine pairings,  breakfast and laundry service.)

Indeed, the 30 acres of grounds are recognised as a garden of national significance by the New Zealand Gardens Trust, while the changing seasons bring with them new colours, textures and aromas – elements also seen in at Otahuna, as more than 120 varieties of fruits and vegetables are organically grown in the potager garden and orchard.

Chefs have a true bounty to play with and work hand in hand with the gardening team. From fungi to feijoa, Otahuna is roughly 80 per cent self-sufficient in produce. Even brilliant house-made charcuterie comes from the happy pigs living at ‘Oinkahuna’ who feast on acorns.

Chef Jimmy McIntyre – a true icon of the New Zealand dining landscape – and team craft five-course menus which change daily and never cease to wow, especially when paired with the finest local wines.

Plates could include a memorable sweetcorn and saffron soup – both picked hours earlier – with avocado, lime and a shrimp and sweetcorn fritter. Or Otahuna lamb rack with lamb braise, rosemary gnocchi and a Pinot jus.

As for settings, dinner in the candlelit baronial grander of the formal private dining room with its original Japanese wallpaper from 1895 makes for a meal with few equals, but guests can also eat in the wine cellar, the library, the garden – or even your own turret.

Unmissable on-property experiences include guided garden tours, dips in the swimming pool and massages. Off-property, there are harbour cruises, swimming with dolphins, penguin encounters, wine tastings, scenic helicopter tours, horse riding and world class golf.

But chances are you’ll end up following Charles and Camilla’s approach by simply staying on property and letting yourself be charmed and beguiled by Otahuna’s gentle rhythms of life, with no distractions – and thankfully no TV.

The affable operations manager, Ryan Jackson explained that Otahuna is growing in popularity with visitors from Singapore. “We're getting more and more Singaporeans come through as there's a direct flight from Christchurch to Singapore. The Southern Alps, the High Country stations and gardens, the largest penguin colony in New Zealand are all on our doorstep. We're also really the only luxury lodge that is adjacent to a city,” said Jackson.

However enchanting the region and its breathtaking landscapes may be, it’s two truly world-class lodges, their dining and hospitality that will entice Singaporeans seeking to make unforgettable travel memories.