 A holiday in New Zealand is always very special
and I have seen a number of my friends
migrating to this country in search of greener A pastures and promise of a good life. During my days as a student of Tourism Management at the Trade Wings Institute
of Management, Guwahati (Assam), quite a number of my
close friends opted to migrate to New Zealand, given the fact
that the Tourism industry in New Zealand is booming and the
prospect of jobs in the Tourism industry is quite encouraging.
Rajesh Goyal was one such buddy who left India lock,
stock and barrel. Hailing from a business family and given the
fact that terrorism was eating into the vitals of Assam's
economy, the Goyal family decided to leave. After successfully
overcoming the rigorous immigration procedures, they finally
settled down in the city of Auckland.
Its been almost a decade now and with Goyal family's
burgeoning spices business doing really well in the promised
land, Rajesh decided to tie the nuptial knot. In spite of the fact
that I was engrossed with my job as a travel writer,
crisscrossing the subcontinent, I simply couldn't say no to him
when I received the invitation card.
So off I was, first to Auckland to attend the marriage
ceremony and later on at the fabulous Cavalli Beach House
Retreat, which is one of New Zealand's most isolated secret
beach hideaways. The
four-hour-drive from
A u c k l a n d w a s
exhilarating and I was
received at the resort's
l o b b y b y o n e o f
Rajesh's colleague –
Ankit, who is of Indian
origin and a business
partner of the Goyal
family. Ankit would be
m y g u i d e c u m
companion for the
next few days and a
l o t o f o u t d o o r
a c t i v i t i e s w e r e
planned in advance.
The next day Ankit woke me up early as we planned to get
involved in outdoor activities. After a warm shower and light
breakfast, we headed to the retreat's jetty and boarded a
launch that would take us on a sightseeing trip. After an
enthralling 2 hours sea voyage, we decided to have an impromptu lunch onboard.
I am not an avid adventure sports freak. No guts really! On
one of my visits to Goa, I did take a few days' lesson on Scuba
Diving at the Barracuda Dive Center that is located at Panaji's
magnificent Marriot hotel. Anyway, I mustered some courage
and decided to give it a shot, since a qualified diver was at
hand.
As I put on my
diving gear, I could
sense a tinge of
nervous sensation
engulfing me and I
got hold of Mike
(diving specialist) as
we splashed on the
azure blue waters. I
had the notion that
India was by far the
most captivating
country in terms of
diving spots since we
have fabulous diving
destinations like
Lakshadweep ,
 One great way of romancing New Zealand is by hopping on to a helicopter flight. Cape
Reinga, popularly referred to as “Top of New Zealand”, draws the discerning visitors to go
onboard the breathtaking 1-hour Mountain Flight. As we sat onboard the Salt Air helicopter
and fastened our seat belts, the copter slowly started its ascent and within minutes we were
flying on top of the West Coast. The scenery below was surreal to say the least and made for
a truly kaleidoscopic vignette. We landed at Far North where a coach was awaiting our
arrival and we were whisked away to the panoramic Pouto where we had an impromptu
lunch in the ethereal backdrop of the spectacular sand dunes.
 Daman, Diu, Goa and Andaman Islands that are unrivalled.
But after an hour, as I rose up to the surface and put my foot
onboard, there was a sense of fulfillment. Post diving, I can say
with certainty that be it the “Rainbow Warrior” wreck or the
bewildering coastal conservation reserve in close proximity to
the Cavalli Beach House; they are amongst the best diving
sites the world has to offer.
Apart from the usual beach activities, the Cavalli Beach
House is ideally located in close proximity to the famed Mahinepua Conservation Reserve that offers some incredible hiking options. We spent one full day hiking in the forest cover
of Mahinepua, which was refreshing to say the least.
One great way of romancing New Zealand is by hopping
on to a helicopter flight. Cape Reinga, popularly referred to as
“Top of New Zealand”, draws the discerning visitors to go
onboard the breathtaking 1-hour Mountain Flight. As we sat
onboard the Salt Air helicopter and fastened our seat belts,
the copter slowly started its ascent and within minutes we
were flying on top of the West Coast. The
scenery below was surreal to say the least
and made for a truly kaleidoscopic vignette.
We landed at Far North where a coach was
awaiting our arrival and we were whisked
away to the panoramic Pouto where we had
an impromptu lunch in the ethereal
backdrop of the spectacular sand dunes.
Although Helicopter Tourism sounds
great, it comes for a price. The 6 hours Cape
Reinga/Pouto trip is pegged at NZ $ 4,300 –
NZ $ 4,600 depending upon the number of
passengers. There is another trip operated
by Salt Air – this one takes you to the
enchanting Waitiki region and can be
covered in 4 hours and is competitively
priced at NZ $ 375.00 per person.
Unfortunately due to paucity of time, we
gave the later a miss.
For those unable to board high altitude
helicopter flights, breathtaking day trips by
car to some of the most exotic locales of
New Zealand are available too. I was
especially stupefied by the sheer grandeur
and panoramic natural vistas of Cape
Karikari and Mangonui. Time permitting,
first time visitors would do well to visit the
heavily forested regions of Waipoua and
Puketi forest as well as Paihia and Russel.
According to my companion Ankit, no
trip to New Zealand is ever complete
without a stint at one of New Zealand's superbly landscaped golf courses. On the penultimate day of
our stay we arranged a trip to the fabulous Carrington Golf
Club. The Carrington Club is ideally nestled in Northland's
Karikari Peninsula. It is spread over an area of 3000 lush green
acres and what impressed me the most was the natural
setting of 4 Kms. of exclusive balmy beach stretch. There is
also an exclusive wetland site and the region is rich in avian
life. We were truly enchanted by the excellent golfing
ambience at Carrington Club. And why not! The course is all of
6417 meters with a par 72 and offers a terrain ranging from
green undulating vales and testing water holes. What makes
the Carrington Golf Course truly spectacular is that it has the
longest par 5's in the whole of New Zealand as well as the
shortest par 3's.
At the Cavalli Beach, world-class visitor amenities set in a
sylvan rural setting and a life enhanced by boundless
activities awaits you.
-: Fact File :-
Getting There:
New Zealand being a small country is
well served by International Airlines' like Air New Zealand,
Qantas, United Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Thai
International.
Reaching Cavalli Beach House:
The Cavalli Beach House
Retreat is ideally located in a remote waterfront locale in
East Coast. From Auckland one can reach the retreat in four
hours driving time. However, if you happen to board a
commuter flight from Auckland, you will reach the Bay of
Islands airport in 35 minutes. Alternatively, if you choose a
helicopter ride, you will reach the retreat from Kerikeri in 45
minutes.
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