Hapuku Lodge, New Zealand Hotel

New Zealand

Perfectly placed for a bird’s-eye view of the wild beauty of Kaikōura, a group of sustainable treehouses in NEW ZEALAND offers a perch in a locale renowned for whale and dolphin spotting.

To dub New Zealand a bird haven would be a big understatement. Isolated at the end of the world – with bats and marine animals among the only native mammals – birds rule the roost, providing the inspiration behind design-led Hapuku Lodge + Treehouses, located a few miles north of coastal hotspot Kaikōura.

‘If you could but be a bird you could more fully appreciate the beauty that is Kaikōura,’ say the Kiwi-American Wilson family, who took to the skies to craft five luxury treehouses named after their feathered friends: Kererū (pigeon), Pīwakawaka (fantail), Kōtare (kingfisher), Tui, and Korimako (Bellbird). High in the canopy, between the snow-capped Kaikōura Seaward Mountains and mesmerising Pacific Ocean, these wooden creations are architectural masterpieces with next-level views. At sundown, head to your private deck for romantic evenings spent deer-watching over a bottle of ice-cold sauvignon blanc from the nearby Marlborough district.

Alongside the treehouses, there’s Olive House plus lodge suites with hand-crafted, responsibly sourced timber furnishings, deep bath tubs and large windows for wildlife watching. With forest, mountain and ocean on the doorstep, it is impossible not to feel connected to nature here, and sustainability was clearly a passion long before it was a buzzword. Thanks to local fare, sponsorship of the Kaikōura Marine Mammal Foundation and a policy of tree planting for each guest that stays, Hapuku became the world’s first Green Globe property in 2002.

On the plate, discover the best produce from the land and sea with the likes of Kaikōura pāua ravioli and green-lipped mussels with chorizo cream. But perhaps the biggest draw is New Zealand’s outdoor playground. Hitch a boat ride to spot migrating humpbacks, sperm whales, aerobatic dusky dolphins, friendly fur seals and endangered albatross. Fill your remaining days with bush walks, cycling and kayaking, or relax at the pool, spa and sauna on slow mornings. No matter your activity, there is plenty of adventure to be had. Doubles from £640 including dinner and breakfast. 00 64 03 319 6559, hapukulodge.com

Words by Megan Dickson