The setting
About 20 minutes’ drive from Queenstown and a hop and a skip away from the historic gold mining settlement of Arrowtown. The 27 holes that make up the golf course are beautifully framed by mountain ranges, most notably the Remarkables to the south, which had their first dusting of snow in late April when I was there. The setting was enhanced with luxury Mercs dotted around the place for the MercedesTrophy golf tournament, but more on that later.
The space
Upon arriving, you drive down an avenue lined with 150-year-old trees, which in mid-autumn created a golden greeting befitting the central Otago location.
The resort’s origins were as a wheat farm in the 1860s, setup by two French brothers. The resort’s Japanese owner and developer, Eiichi Ishii, has done a good job in combining those historical elements with the luxury accommodation and golf courses.
The restaurants have an authentic feel to them, especially the Millhouse, which is in the original flour mill at the farm.
Once you’re settled in, it feels like you’ve got this great big place to yourself. With many of the guests out on the golf course when I arrived, my stroll around the expansive area was interrupted only by the odd marauding duck.
The kit
It felt more like a home away from home than your typical resort, and was reminiscent of my time in Swiss alpine villages during their autumn last year.
My room was the entry-level deluxe studio set along the sixth fairway of the Arrow 9 part of the course. The studio name belied the amount of space there was to stretch out and relax.
Alternatively, you’ve got multibedroom suites and cottages to cater for more upmarket couples or bigger groups. Splitting one of the cottages between five or six friends would be an ideal way to plan a boys’ or girls’ weekend away, with either golf or skiing catered for.
The accommodation is spread out across the 200-hectare property, but there’s always a friendly staff member on hand to whisk you to and from your room in a golf cart.
Comfort factor
Inside the room, the gas fire was a nice touch to sit in front of on a cold day. It wasn’t difficult to picture it as the perfect setting for a romantic getaway, complete with autumn afternoon strolls, a dip in the hot pools, or a massage at the award-winning spa (hot tip, get one of those if you’ve got time), followed by some time in front of the fire with a glass of wine and a good cheese spread.
Food
The aforementioned Millhouse was the restaurant I dined at, along with Richie and Gemma McCaw, at the MercedesTrophy’s gala awards dinner. The food was delicious and beautifully presented from the mind of executive chef Andi Bozhiqi. I had the merino lamb loin, which was wonderfully tender, while others spoke of the crusted duck breast as the best duck they’d had. Considering the upmarket crowd, that was some compliment.
But the flavour party doesn’t end at the Millhouse. With a Japanese owner there is a Japanese restaurant in Kobe