Travel Horizons: Virginia Fischer

Showing posts with label Virginia Fischer. Show all posts

7.29.2019

Eichardt's | lakeside luxury in Queenstown

Queenstown, a beautiful small town with less than 16,000 full-time residents, belongs on every itinerary to New Zealand. Its downtown wraps around the shoreline of Lake Wakatipu, and former visitors will recognize this weeping willow tree — a favorite spot for couples to frame photos of their visit.

Queenstown abounds in possibilities for retail therapy (whether you want hand carved Maori jewelry or possum fur sweaters) and thrilling opportunities to engage in bungee-jumping, jet boat rides, or downhill skiing in the winter. It's also an ideal base for helicopter tours of majestic fjords (Doubtful Sound and Milford Sound) and glaciers.

If you want to stay downtown, Eichardt's Private Hotel is my first choice for five-star luxury accommodations. Located right on the lake, I was fortunate enough to have been blocked in one of Eichardt's apartments. Designed by Virginia Fischer, my second-floor living room area had a comfortable seating area with gas-burning fireplace and an unobstructed lake view.

A welcome and totally unexpected bonus was the apartment's washer dryer. I was able to leave Queenstown with enough clean laundry to finish out the trip. (Pro tip: if you wash out clothes in hotel sinks, keep a small plastic 8 oz. container of powdered laundry soap and a rubber sink stopper in your suitcase).

copyright (c) 2019 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

7.19.2019

Matakauri Lodge | moody waters

Did I ever say that Queenstown was beautiful? Obviously a rhetorical question, Queenstown is indeed beautiful, both when it's bright and sunny ... and when it's dark and cloudy. As many a landscape photographer will attest, clouds like those in the picture above make for dramatic photographs. I captured this image at dawn. The thick clouds meant no rosy sunrise colors, but the texture of these cumulous clouds hanging low over the water was a special early-morning treat.

Our first night in Queenstown found us at Matakauri Lodge. About 7 minutes outside of town, the lodge is located in a beautifully secluded location right on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. If you love a bathtub-with-a-view, this is a hallmark of Virginia Fischer interiors.

There are two secluded Virtuoso lakeside resorts in the Queenstown area — Matakauri and the equally beautiful Blanket Bay. Matakauri is close to town while Blanket Bay is about 45 minutes away at the northern end of the same lake. The lodges are quite distinct; Matakauri's elegant feminine decor contrasts with Blanket Bay's elegant hunting lodge ambience. I've spent one evening at both lodges and loved each one ... for different reasons.

You can't make a wrong choice in Queenstown. No matter where you stay, you'll enjoy the gorgeous views, luxurious accommodations, and incredible food.

7.12.2019

visit Wellington, stay at Wharekauhau

Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. Located at the southern end of the North Island, this small city (just over 400,000 residents) has a lot going for it. Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand,

offers an opportunity to view exhibits about the country's natural features, its history, and the culture of the original Maori people. Wellington is the nation's capital, and it's well worth taking a drive through the downtown and stopping at the Beehive (the Parliament building) to take selfies.

Where to stay? You can reach Wharekauhau Country Estate (pronounced far-he-ko-ho), very quickly by helicopter; it's just 15 miles from Wellington. Or you can make the drive and enjoy the beautiful scenery. We stopped for lunch at the Everest Bistro in Featherston and enjoyed a delicious and informal meal at a very local restaurant.

You'll definitely be wowed by Wharekauhau. Another luxury lodge designed by Virginia Fischer, it sits on a 50,000 acre working farm with a view of the sea. Its rooms were spacious, comfortable, and informally elegant (see below), and the food and wine were wonderful.

3.31.2018

New Zealand | don't know where to begin?

Sally Forth comic strip, March 31, 2018

Sally Forth is one of a handful of comic strips that I read regularly. In today's episode, Sally asks her family, "What is the one thing you'd like us to do together as a family?" After a moment's pause, Hillary answers, "New Zealand." Ted is immediately turned on by the idea of visiting the beautiful place where the three Hobbit movies (An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug, and The Battle of the Five Armies) were filmed. Sally responds with two practical concerns, the cost of air and where to begin.

"I don't know where to begin" is not infrequently the first hurdle encountered when contemplating our bucket list. Start with Google? 46 million websites come up when searching New Zealand, 3.6 million responses for New Zealand travel, 2.68 million options for New Zealand tours, and 1.79 million answers for New Zealand tourism.

How can anyone evaluate so many options? My answer to the Forth family ... find a travel advisor with experience planning travel to New Zealand, who has relationships with multiple destination management companies there. Instead of starting with millions of choices, I'll begin planning your trip with a half dozen vendors curated in terms of their expertise and reliability. Once I know your budget and the kinds of experiences you want to have, I'll know exactly where to begin.

A knowledgable travel advisor will save you time and money. New Zealand has some of the most gorgeous lodges in the world, and you can benefit from Virtuoso amenities that will provide added value during your stay. Even if your budget is more modest, our on-the-ground partners will know the best moderately priced options for your stay — as well as providing assistance if needed with looking for "bulk" air.

New Zealand is one of the two most gorgeous places I've ever been, Norway being the other. To whet your appetite, here are some articles I wrote about my April/May 2009 trip with Swain Destinations.

Kauri Cliffs | New Zealand golf and beach luxury
what to do in Queenstown, New Zealand
Napier, New Zealand | the Art Deco city
morning mist at Huka Lodge
black sand beach near Auckland
New Zealand | incredible scenic beauty
Virginia Fischer | New Zealand luxury lodges
more New Zealand Luxury Lodges

copyright (c) 2018 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

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