Kinloch Manor & Villas

Set on a hillside about 20 minutes outside Taupo, this isolated luxury resort is made up of a stark, white-stone white building and a clutch of wooden lodges that overlook the Jack Nicklaus-designed championship golf course, and the glittering lake beyond.

Golf is the primary focus here, with electric carts ferrying players to and from the clubhouse and between the main house and their lodges. But non-golfers can enjoy the tennis courts and the fine spa, while the large dining room serves ingredients sourced locally, including from the resort’s own vegetable garden.

And, no matter how you spend your day, everyone tends to gather for sundowners on the terrace, watching the sky flame rose-pink over Lake Taupo.