New Zealand

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• Geyserland! - Rotorua
• A perfect 10 for Polynesia - Tahiti
• Captivated by a Kiwi odyssey - New Zealand

THREE WEEKS JUST isn’t enough to see New Zealand. We planned our itinerary for both North and South Islands but we knew there was a lot we wouldn’t fit in on this first visit.

The prospect of a 24-hour flight to get there, particularly with a toddler in tow, had seemed daunting. But worth it? You bet!

My sister is married to a Kiwi so we had been well briefed about all the great things we could expect. We knew that New Zealand had rocketed up the world gastronomic league.

And thanks to Peter Jackson and Lord of the Rings, the country has practically become an outpost of Hollywood.

Nothing, however, could prepare us for the fact that from the moment we got off the plane New Zealand would blow our socks off. ‘Breathtaking’ is a word I found myself using a lot.

The place that probably summed up the magic of New Zealand for us was the Bay Of Many Coves Resort near the wine-growing country of Marlborough at the north of the South Island.

A couple of weeks into our trip, we had taken the Interislander ferry for the three-hour journey from Wellington across the Cook Strait to Picton.

Here we were met by a water taxi whose captain told us to look out for bottlenose dolphins as we travelled up Queen Charlotte Sound to the hotel.

Relatively new and fairly small, the place exceeded our expectations. Our apartment was stunningly set on a hillside with a sweeping view of the bay.

Even more attractive was the fact that our accommodation was next to a gourmet restaurant with a menu based on abundant local produce (from green shell mussels and fresh salmon to cherries, olives and grapes).

Ultimate private dining experience

And for a real blast of luxury, the restaurant will deliver your food directly to your room – each course is brought separately. This is the ultimate private dining experience.

Imagine yourself seated on the deck of a secluded verandah under the stars (and oh! what stars). On one side of you is the ocean, on the other are mountains – what could be more romantic?

But from the moment we had arrived in Auckland, the holiday had begun serving up these ‘wow’ moments.

We had hired a car and headed for the scenic road to the south to Napier in the Hawkes Bay region – famous for its wines and for long hot summers.

First on the agenda was a much-anticipated family get-together. Vern – my husband Vernon Kay – managed to slip away from the family reunion to enjoy a day’s golf at what he described as ‘one of the most amazing golf courses in the world’, Cape Kidnappers in Te Awanga.

The course is set on a peninsula surrounded by a crashing sea – it would be impossible to find a more dramatic location.

The 18 holes are played right along the cliff edges. It is one of New Zealand’s most expensive courses: green fees cost from around £100. But, according to Vern, this is less than for some top courses in the UK. Another reason to like New Zealand – it’s a very affordable place.

On our drive down to Wellington, we stopped at Taupo, a lovely tourist town in the centre of North Island. Lake Taupo is the largest freshwater lake in Australasia and one of New Zealand’s main tourist attractions.

A real James Bond experience

The main town of Taupo has become a hip place and a great shopping town. Like the rest of the country, it’s very welcoming with lots of good bars and restaurants. Locals treat the lake like the seaside, going armed with picnics and parasols.

Wellington proved to be another unexpected delight. We dined at Logan Brown, consistently named one of New Zealand’s top restaurants. Messrs Logan and Brown are well known for their TV cooking show. The food is good but not expensive – a three-course set lunch costs from just £14 per head.

We all loved the Te Papa Tongarewa museum, which tells the story of New Zealand as a nation.

We also adored the city zoo, the oldest in New Zealand: my little girl Phoebe loved feeding the giraffes from a viewing platform.

We had another great experience that had something of James Bond about it when we were taken by helicopter for lunch at Wharekauhau Country Estate in Featherston, a lodge based on a 5,000-acre working sheep station overlooking spectacular Palliser Bay.

It takes 90 minutes to drive here from Wellington. The flight took us ten minutes. But be warned, the city is not known as ‘Windy Wellington’ for nothing – the part where we flew over the Rimutaka mountains was a bit of a white-knuckle ride.

It takes 90 minutes to drive here from Wellington. The flight took us ten minutes. But be warned, the city is not known as ‘Windy Wellington’ for nothing – the part where we flew over the Rimutaka mountains was a bit of a white-knuckle ride.

It was all worth it, however. When we landed, we were greeted by a lovely lady bearing a tray of champagne. The estate has the most stunningly beautiful seaside setting.

Lunch was equally attractive: the menu features New Zealand classics such as rack of lamb, venison, pigeon breast, crab broth and crayfish, with an accent on organic produce.

It was hard to drag ourselves away

Meanwhile our helicopter and pilot waited patiently on the hotel’s lawn. The ‘heli-lunch’ worked out at about £200 a head – I’ve had cheaper meals but nothing quite so memorable.

Another great outing was a visit to Greytown, New Zealand’s first planned inland settlement which oozes that unique small-town charm that the country does so well.

The place is famous for its hospitality, with great restaurants, fine antique shops and good boutique hotels.

Our stay on the South Island was short but we had time to enjoy Blenheim and its wineries on a carriage tour of the estates. Travelling by horse and carriage is a great way to sample wine.

Because I had a toddler with me, I tasted responsibly – spitting out rather than swallowing (Vernon did not follow suit!).

For the final part of the holiday we headed back to the North Island where we drove to Paraparaumu Beach on the Kapiti Coast. We stayed in what the Kiwis call a ‘bach’, a beach house (all Kiwis seem to aspire to the ownership of a weekend bach).

Our wonderful bach was a very tranquil, modern house that had the feel of a five-star hotel. We were within walking distance of shops and restaurants and right next to the sea.

We spent most of the time on the glass-walled sundeck. When we had to leave, it was very hard to drag ourselves away.

Is New Zealand the biggest holiday secret? Sure. Do I want it to stay that way? I’d love to keep it my big, big secret: strictly Tess Daly’s.