Fly me to... New Zealand
Heading due south. Far south. Where fjords carve into stone, where forests shimmer with rain, where the wind speaks louder than we do. New Zealand is one of those rare places that quietly set you right, without ever raising its voice. Weisse takes you there its own way: off the beaten path, human in scale, precise to the last detail. Clifftop lodges, hidden villas, retreats carved into silence. Each stop becomes a lookout. Glacier flyovers, hillside hikes, dinners by the fire. The unnecessary stays at the border.
Up close and grounded
Here, you travel at the pace of the land. No checklist. Just places chosen for how they make you feel. Places that speak softly, like a fire that takes its time. You walk. You look. You let the landscape catch you. No need to push. Just enough to feel. This is that kind of journey, anchored in the present.
Now, let’s get into it.
We love New Zealand for…
A trail climbs, snow crunches underfoot, then suddenly, a frozen mirror appears at 1,800 meters. Lake Alta. Pure, silent, clear as a secret. You stand before the peaks, breath held. No words needed.
Dolphins at dawn, albatrosses skimming the waves, whales rising in the distance. Here, nature performs without notice, you just have to show up.
Sulphur-scented air, bubbling earth, and ancient energy rising from the ground. A land that exhales, and teaches you to listen.
A raw surf spot, polished pebbles, and a wind that calls. You paddle out. You ride. You return.
Just a book, a view, a sky full of stars, and the rare pleasure of being exactly where you are.
One boat, one cove, water like glass. You drop anchor. You swim. You forget the time.
From sharing a hangi feast to feeling the pulse of a haka, navigating by waka or witnessing the sacred art of ta moko, this is not a museum piece, it’s a living culture. You don’t just visit Aotearoa. You connect.
Weisse’s selection
A mountain range on one side, the ocean on the other. In between, a handful of treehouses, all facing the horizon. Raw wood, steel, clean lines. The place fades away to better frame the landscape. In Kaikōura, albatrosses skim the sea, whales exhale offshore, and dolphins swim at dawn. On land, life plays out on horseback, by bike, and at the table. Further on: the mossy trails of Fiordland, the sulphur mists of Rotorua, the lunar ridges of Tongariro, the legendary waves of Raglan. You’ll step into Māori soul too: hangi feasts, haka, waka navigation, and ta moko as living memory. No unnecessary décor. Just enough to do without. A rare hideaway, for those who look far.
On the shores of Lake Wakatipu, just steps from Glenorchy and Fiordland’s most spectacular sights, Blanket Bay offers alpine elegance at its finest. Dark wood, raw stone, a crackling fire, and endless views. You come here to unwind, yes, but also to feel alive. Helicopter rides to the glaciers, kayaking through fjords, fly-fishing in turquoise rivers, golf with a view, or mountain biking deep into native forest. A dip in the pool between two adventures. Everything is orchestrated with precision, quiet efficiency, and a touch of flair. And in the evening: a whisky by the fire, followed by a gastronomic dinner at the Relais & Châteaux restaurant, an ode to the South Island’s finest producers. It’s bold. It’s rich. It leaves a mark.
Three mountains, one lake, and silence. And you, in the middle. Matakauri is a refined retreat just minutes from Queenstown. Clean lines, glass-walled suites, a fireplace quietly burning, and always that stark, stunning face-off with the Remarkables. Days unfold slowly: breakfast facing the peaks, a morning flight over Milford Sound’s valleys, quiet gallery visits or bush walks in the afternoon, and a steaming bath at dusk, alone with the ridgelines. You eat well. You sleep even better. You think. You stop rushing. And it feels good.
At the tip of a wind-swept peninsula, Annandale hides four impossible-to-find villas, set like ships in the hills. Around them: deserted coves, rolling green pastures, and sheep roaming free. This is the kingdom at the edge of the world. Four exceptional villas, one of them only accessible by helicopter. Seascape, all raw concrete and glass, frames the ocean like a living painting. Once you arrive, you stay. Walks through the hills, massages facing the horizon, private fishing, outdoor baths in the sea spray, barbecues with a private chef, or silent hikes along the ridgelines. The experience is deep. No crowds, no noise. There’s no pretending here. Either you hold solitude, or it holds you. The kind of place you keep to yourself.
The story
“Mountains sharp like knives, forests dripping with silence, air so clean it stings a bit.Landed at one of those off-grid lodges where you hike in the morning, fly-fish by lunch, and end the day by the fire with local lamb and pinot noir.
If you’re into heli-drop hikes, serious solitude, and no-compromise comfort, you’re in the right place.”
— Olivier Weisse
Localisation
Dreaming of a tailor-made escape to New Zealand?
With Weisse curating every step, all you need to do is lace up your boots and let the land guide you. From fjords to volcanoes, silent valleys to cliffside lodges, here, nature does the talking. Ready to go off the radar?
