HOW TO GET THERE

For more than 18 years Charlies Golf Tours has been taking Australasians on golfing holidays around the world. Now, it’s sister brand, Golf Encounters, is doing the same thing in New Zealand – enabling people to explore world class course on both the North and South Islands.

With a handful of World Top-100 courses in New Zealand, you will not be disappointed – indeed, you will be challenged and taken way out of your comfort zone. And with hundreds more regional and local club courses available all around the country, there won’t be an area in New Zealand where they can’t fix you up with a round or two!

Golf Encounters delivers a superbly organised, fun and great value golfing holiday experience for you and your partner, a small group of friends or a group from a golf club.

They take care of everything so you can enjoy a hassle-free relaxed holiday and play golf on spectacular courses. They will tailor the holiday just for you; to your budget, length of trip, level of accommodation and standard of golf courses. And they have rates that are equal to or better than if you booked a trip yourself, so why not let them do all the hard work and pull everything together for you?

There are three suggested itineraries on their website (www.golfencounters.co.nz) which cover New Zealand’s marquee courses. These will provide a starting point for you to plan your golfing holiday. If you want to explore more of New Zealand than just the golf courses, as a full service travel agent, Golf Encounters is well placed to book all the various tourist activities that are available here too – a visit to the Lord of the Rings film sets, Hobbiton, a winery visit or two, a train journey on the TranzAlpine over Arthur’s Pass to the West Coast, it’s all possible.

Best times to travel to New Zealand? Anytime, although probably give June to August a miss – it can be wet and cold, particularly down South.