WHERE TO STAY, EAT
Mount St. Paul Lodge, Claris, Great Barrier Island; 4290-861,
www.mountstpaullodge.com. Colonial-style manor house sits on hillside with a sweeping coastal view. Each room has two private balconies. Pacific Rim cuisine served. Rates are $540 per night double occupancy. Two-night stay, including airport transfers, dinners and breakfasts, $1,084 for two.
Great Barrier Lodge, Whangaparapara Harbor, Great Barrier Island; 4290-488, www.greatbarrierlodge.com. Studio units, suites, cottages and backpacker rooms available, most with harbor views. Bar, simple restaurant. Rates from $33 for backpacker accommodations to $216 for a cottage that sleeps five.
The Boatshed, P.O. Box 560, Oneroa, Waiheke Island; 372-3242, www.boatshed.co.nz. Luxury boutique hotel is centrally located to explore the wineries of Waiheke Island. Private decks, all-day private dining; 35-minute ferry ride from Auckland. Doubles from $546. Four-course fixed-price dinners $81.
TO LEARN MORE
Tourism Auckland,
www.aucklandnz.com.
Tourism New Zealand, (310) 395-7480, www.newzealand.com.