DESTINATION: TAUPO/ROTORUA

centre
of attention
The central North Island towns of Taupo and
Rotorua are the heart and soul of New Zealand
tourism and also boast some of the best golf
courses in the country. By Robert Tighe.

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 T
hat’s a ‘welcome to Rotorua’ lie for you
right there,” laughs Harry McCulloch, one
of my playing partners and a former club
captain at Rotorua Golf Club.
My drive on the second hole has come to rest
halfway up (or down if you prefer) one of the
countless bumps and hollows on the Arikikapakapa
course (try pronouncing that after a couple of
sociables in the clubhouse). Established in 1906, it
was originally a flat course but more than 100 years
of geothermal activity has transformed it into a
distinctly undulating track.
The geothermal activity in the centre of the
North Island has been responsible for more than
just reshaping the local golf course. Tourists have
been coming to Rotorua and Taupo for many years
to experience the spas, hot baths and spectacular
geysers dotted around the region. The area is also a
hotbed of Maori tourism and the recently upgraded
Te Puia centre across the road from the Rotorua Golf
Club offers a fascinating insight into the cultural
heritage of the native people of New Zealand. And
then, of course, there is the golf.
Taupo boasts three championship courses;
Wairakei International, Kinloch and Centennial,
one of the two challenging 18-hole layouts at
Taupo Golf Club. Less than an hour’s drive along
Highway 5 is Rotorua with three great value courses
to choose from. And if you still need a golfing fix,
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there is a host of other quality rural clubs within
driving distance to give you a real taste of golf in the
heartland of New Zealand.
Long weekend or even midweek breaks to
Rotorua and Taupo look set to become increasingly
popular with Australian golfers, thanks to the
introduction of direct flights from Sydney to
Rotorua. Kiwi golfers are already well aware of the
attractions of the area which have helped make
it one of the most popular golfing destinations in
New Zealand. Wairakei has long been regarded by
many as one of the best courses in the country and
just 20 minutes away is one of the undiscovered
gems of New Zealand golf, Kinloch.
The only course in the country designed by
Jack Nicklaus, it was opened by the man himself
in February 2008. It may be a young course, but
Kinloch plays and feels very much like an old classic
links. Gnarly Scots Pine trees add some real character
to the spectacular sparseness of the front nine. The
back nine boasts several holes with views of Lake
Taupo (which for all you trivia buffs is the same
size as Singapore) and a closing four holes that is
the equal of any in the country. The par five 18th,
in particular, is a hole you’ll remember long after
you’ve signed your card.
Measuring an intimidating 6734 metres from
the tournament tees and including two par fives
with split fairways, Kinloch is a course that places
a premium on course management. Wispy grass
borders the undulating fairways waiting to snare any
drive that is slightly astray. Factor in the 139 bunkers
dotted around the course and it should be pretty
obvious that Kinloch is a demanding test of golf.
Tom Long, Director of Golf at Kinloch, reckons
it is a true championship layout and he suggests it
will be a crime if the course doesn’t host the New
Zealand Open in the next ten years. Certainly ‘ol Jack
has designed the course with that in mind as there
are plenty of superb vantage points and any number
of made-for-television vistas.
The real crime at the moment is that so few
golfers have discovered Kinloch. Yes, the property
development side of the business has had its share
of problems and bad press in New Zealand, but

Opening spread: The 18th tee at Kinloch.

Left: Dunalistair House in Taupo.
Right: Peppers on the Point at Rotorua.

our new zealand golfing getaway

www.wairakei.co.nz
 judged purely on its merits as a golf course, Kinloch
is a stunning success. The one bonus of Kinloch’s
relatively low profile is you can play a full nine holes,
as I did, without seeing another group on the course
and that is a pretty special golfing experience in its
own right. Take advantage of it while you can.
The contrast with Wairakei couldn’t be more
striking. Although they are only 20 minutes apart,
the car park at Wairakei on the morning I visit is
jammed. And the number of people on the course
isn’t the only difference . A round at Kinloch is like
tramping in the back country of New Zealand,
whereas a walk around Wairakei feels like a day out
in a botanical garden. At Kinloch the quiet solitude
is almost deafening. At Wairakei the humming of
the cicadas provides a constant background noise.
Kinloch has a wild, raw, almost untamed feel about
it. Wairakei is all pampered perfection.
Built by the New Zealand Government and
designed in part by Australian legend Peter
Thomson, Wairakei was officially opened in 1970,
yet it feels like the golf course has been there
forever. You get the sense that this place was always
destined to be a golf course.
The best word to describe Wairakei is epic. Golfers

110
on the green ahead of you are dwarfed by the tall
timber that defines the course. The scale and variety
of trees and plant life is breathtaking and a recent
$2 million ecological restoration project will make
it a haven for plant and birdlife. The 150 hectare
property has been enclosed by a pest-proof fence
and construction work on a new pro shop outside
the perimeter fence will be finished later this year. It
promises to make an already special experience even
more memorable. As Charlie, a greenkeeper and
another one of my playing partners at Rotorua Golf
Club put it: “Wairakei just makes you feel good.”
Rotorua isn’t quite in the same league as Kinloch
or Wairakei, but it has a lot going for it. Not least
is the unique setting in the heart of an active
geothermal area. A sign on the par-3 9th warns
golfers to ‘ignore the thermal wasteland to the
right. On the green is where you must be.’ Of course
smack bang in the middle of the thermal wasteland
is where my ball lands and it takes me three shots
to hack it out of the pumice (volcanic rock). I don’t
venture quite so close to the thermal mud pool just
Opposite page from top: The 16th hole at Kinloch;
the 14th at Wairakei International.
Above left to right: Acacia Cliffs Lodge; Bayview
Wairakei Resort.

Hilton Lake Taupo

Better than a hole in one!
With six stunning courses on your doorstep, Hilton Lake Taupo is the ideal choice
for a golng holiday. With a range of accommodation – guest rooms, suites and
apartments – whatever you or your group’s requirements are, we have
the space you need. Every room is a luxurious private sanctuary.
Enjoy panoramic lake views. Savour Simon Gault’s superb cuisine at Bistro Lago.
Slow the pace. Unwind. Experience the luxury of time, with Hilton Lake Taupo.

For more information or to book,

call 0800 448 002 or visit hilton.com/laketaupo
80-100 Napier Taupo Highway, Taupo
New Zealand 3330
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GRF
 a couple of hundred metres from the 17th tee, a
bubbling, boiling mass of grey mud. These added
bonuses make Rotorua one of the best value courses
in the area.
If you are spoiled for choice when it comes to golf
courses in the region, then the same can be said
about accommodation options. Bayview Wairakei
Resort offers some of the best value accommodation
in the area. Located across the road from Wairakei
International and with its own nine hole course
to hone your game before you take on the
championship course, Bayview Wairakei is an ideal
base for your Rotorua/Taupo experience.
For something a little more unique, Dunalistair
House is the only property on the grounds of the
Kinloch Club. A five-star holiday home and winner
of the Architectural Designers of NZ Supreme Home
of the Year for 2009, this state-of-the-art home has

Opposite page clockwise from top: Acacia Cliffs

Lodge; Great value golf at Rotorua; Peppers on the
Point at Lake Rotorua and one of its lodges.
Right top to bottom: The Huka Falls Cruise and
Rotorua course.

GRFAD031 Golf Vacations Advert-116361.indd 1 9/02/10 1:01 PM

 Dining room at the
Hilton Lake Taupo.

uninterrupted views of the 3rd and 4th holes. In

fact, the third green is just a pitching wedge from
the back lawn. The house sleeps eight people in four
at a glance
ensuite bedrooms and your host, Alistair Tod, can Getting there: Air New Zealand fly direct from
organise a full itinerary for you during your stay, Sydney to Rotorua twice a week. Fares start
including golfing trips and a spot of trout fishing. from $240 one way.
Acacia Cliffs Lodge is another luxury alternative. www.airnewzealand.com.au
This full-service lodge overlooking Lake Taupo also Emirates offers a daily service to Auckland
sleeps eight people and it has earned a glowing from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, with
reputation, particularly for the four-course evening Sydney offering the only A380 service to NZ.
meal served up by Rick and Linda Whitlock, both www.emirates.com/au/english
keen golfers as well as consummate hosts. Our Accommodation: Dunalistair House, Kinloch
evening spent around the big dining table with www.dunalistair.com, Bayview Wairakei
couples from Switzerland, Alaska and Melbourne Resort www.wairakei.co.nz, Acacia Cliffs
was one of the highlights of the trip. Lodge www.acaciacliffslodge.co.nz, Peppers
Another night to remember was spent at the on the Point
Bistro Lago restaurant, part of the Hilton Lake www.peppers.co.nz/on-the-point.
Taupo. With a sneaky peek of the lake and a classy, Green fees: Kinloch $NZ175, Wairakei
understated décor, Bistro Lago offers some of the $NZ150, Rotorua $NZ60.
best fine dining in the region. Celebrity chef Simon Things to do: Cruise along the Waikato River
Gault is the man behind the menu which includes to the base of the spectacular Huka Falls with
locally-caught fish as well as New Zealand beef Huka Falls River Cruise.
and lamb. My eye fillet with wasabi pea crust was a www.hukafallcruise.co.nz
winner but the Gold-Medal winning Berry Yoghurt Or spoil yourself with a treatment at DeBretts
Fizz dessert was the standout. Inspired by the world Spa Resort in Taupo.
famous El Bulli restaurant in Spain, the mix of frozen www.taupodebretts.com
yoghurt and the sherbert-like bubbling berry fizz
was a delight.
On our final night in Rotorua we treated ourselves
Auckland
to a night at Peppers on the Point. Once a Maori Pa
(or settlement) Peppers enjoys panoramic views of
Lake Rotorua. It is located at the end of a suburban
street, yet manages to create the impression that it
Tauranga
is a sprawling estate in the middle of the country. Hamilton
Peppers offers a range of accommodation including
two private cottage suites, a villa with views of Rotorua
the lake and a two bedroom Lake Villa apartment. Taupo
Lake Taupo
Fine dining is also a feature of Peppers and our Gisborne
C
four course meal in the grand old dining room NEW ZEALA
ND
was a fitting way to end a memorable visit to the
Napier
heartland of New Zealand. p

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