KIWI Beauty

There are numerous reasons why New Zealand should be your destination to visit, but for now Rosewood's trio of luxury lodges comes up on top.

- AMELIA CHIA

My last night in New Zealand is a simple yet spectacular affair. I arise from my restful slumber on the patio and focus my sleepy-lidded gaze on the horizon, where the golden sun is simmering gently in the glittering waters. I can hear the barbecue sizzling away promisingly, as dedicated Rosewood Kauri Cliffs staff bustle around quietly getting dinner prepared in my villa.

The wind on my face is crisp and cool, which is refreshing on my parched skin. With salt-crusted hair and an achy body after nine days of outdoor activities, this is a blissful way to end the trip.

New Zealand, consisting of North and South Islands and over 700 smaller islands, has a lot going for it when it comes to attracting tourists from all over the globe. With unparalleled vistas of snow-capped mountains, glaciers and fjords, Māori culture and some of the world's best produce and wines, New Zealand is a destination that truly has it all. You can spend one day kicking back in a sprawling vineyard in Malborough, another sailing down the peaks and waterfalls of Milford Sound, and end it all off with bungee jumping in Queenstown.

While the country's dramatic landscapes are known to draw visitors in and hold them happily captive, the main purpose of my jaunt to Middle-earth is to meander my way through Rosewood's three luxury lodges: Kauri Cliffs, Cape Kidnappers and Matakauri. Previously owned by hedge fund billionaire and philanthropist Julian Robertson, the lodges joined the Rosewood portfolio at the end of last year, marking the hospitality company's foray into Oceania.