Huka Lodge

Huka Lodge is a fisherman's paradise, founded in 1924 on seventeen acres of land alongside the Waikato river, three hundred meters upstream from Huka Falls. The Waikato, along with some 40 other nearby rivers, attract anglers from all over the globe, and nearby Lake Taupo is filled to the brim with trout. Fishing is not the only draw, though — rafting, obviously, is an option, as are golf and horseback riding.

Though it's hard to imagine such celebrity guests as Queen Elizabeth II having much luck with the trout, it's not hard to see the appeal of what is essentially a secluded lodge in the midst of a breathtaking, unspoiled natural environment. Huka Lodge offers 18 junior lodge suites, one full-scale suite and two exclusive cottages – the four-suite Owner’s Cottage and the two-suite Alan Pye Cottage. Perhaps the main lodge's interior, with its tartan carpet and roaring fireplace, reminded the Queen of the Scottish highlands — but it's likely she stayed in the Cottage, the private owner's house.

The junior suites are secluded enough as well, each set privately in native bush, amongst tall trees, just meters from the river. Space is obviously no constraint out here, and the accommodations reflect this fact, with expansive bedrooms and separate dressing rooms and bathrooms. Even if you do not consider yourself a sporting man or woman (or if you're just unlucky with fishhooks) it's hard to find fault with this extremely well-done lodge, or the wooded riverfront idyll (designated a Garden of National Significance) that surrounds it.

How to get there:
Huka Lodge offers helicopter transfers from Auckland, Wellington and Rotorua. Transfers from Auckland are approximately 1 1/4 hours, from Wellington, 1 hour 35 minutes, and from Rotorua, 25 minutes. Driving generally takes 3-4 hours from Auckland, 4 1/2 hours from Wellington and 1 hour from Rotorua.