November 8, 2007

Pacific | New Zealand

Kiwi Kidnappers Club

By Nicole Cotroneo

Drink and "drive" in Captain Cook's old stomping ground.

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It’s little wonder billionaire golf nut Julian Robertson targeted Hawke’s Bay for his second upscale New Zealand lodge. The Farm at Cape Kidnappers opens this month on the North Island’s eastern coast — a famed wine region whose striking landscape flaunts the country’s oldest vineyards and towering limestone cliffs plunging straight into the sea. And then there’s the Mediterranean-style climate, bathing Hawke’s Bay in 2,200 hours of sunshine per year.

With a name rooted in the tale of Captain Cook and an abducted Tahitian boy — don’t worry, there’s no funny business — Cape Kidnappers follows in the footsteps of its subtropical sister lodge Kauri Cliffs, in Northland: both have private cottage suites and a golf course ranked among the top 100 in the world. For as many golf balls as you can drive, there’s occasion to luxuriate: perhaps a candlelit soak in your oversized bathtub; a few languid laps in the heated pool; or simply watch the gannets fly over the Pacific from your balcony. You can do it all with a glass of vino from the farm’s own cellar. You’ll be hard-pressed to find finer — New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir were just declared the best in the world.