Travel

Bora Bora is famed for its luxury resorts and over- water bungalows, while the beautiful island of Raiatea is home to some of the region’s most important historical sites. Get the best of both worlds on the Islands of Tahiti. Le Tahaa Island Resort & Spa (pictured) is just off Tahaa Island, north of Raiatea.

52 GOOD SPORTS  ’s hot tickets, from basketball to ice hockey and deep-dish pizza. 60 RED MEANS GO Adventure into the heart and soul of Australia. 68 DAY IN THE LIFE An Air New Zealander’s sunny .

MORE TO EXPLORE 70 Island magic Bliss in Bora Bora and Raiatea. 76 My place Golden Bay with Jack Tame. 78 A big day out Exploring Auckland with the whole family. 86 Stay Swell digs in Melbourne

LE TAHAA ISLAND& SPA RESORT LE TAHAA PHOTOGRAPHY and Sydney.

April 2020 51 Travel Chicago GOOD

SPORTS You’ll have a ball in Chicago. It’s where home-runs, goals, slam dunks and touchdowns are as much a part of life as Lake Michigan and the city’s famous deep-dish pizza.

STORY MARGOT BUTCHER

52 Kia Ora This page: Tomas Satoransky of the Chicago Bulls drives to the basket during a game against the Houston Rockets at the United Center last year. Opposite page: On the way to watch a baseball game at . Travel Chicago

IF CHICAGO WAS ever to rebel against its Windy City nickname, Sport City is ready on the bench. Like Wellington on a summer’s day, there’s nowhere finer when the sun is shining on Lake Michigan – the vast blue is polka-dotted with pleasure boats, cyclists glide along lakeside trails and river cruises hum through the famous slink of skyscrapers. When the weather bites down over winter, Chicagoans get ready. They call it ‘winterizing’. Leisure craft are plucked off the water and hauled into storage, as Canada geese arrive at the Great Lakes from summer cornfields. On Michigan Avenue – where postcard- perfect lights clothe naked branches along the Magnificent Mile – you’ll find grand, sturdy buildings built to buffer northern winds. Inside, toasty bars are full of folk buzzing about the Bulls and Blackhawks. With the NBA basketball season and NHL ice-hockey season usually starting around October each year, autumn and winter are —— with everything you could possibly win, just keenly anticipated. It’s when the United for being at a sports game. You really don’t Center– aka the Bull Ring – throws open If there’s so much as a need to know anything at all about ice hockey its big doors. 10-second break in the game, or basketball to have a great time, and the Never been a baller? Don’t know the first be ready for a T-shirt cannon buzz of 20,000 people all fired up for a red, thing about ice hockey? Don’t worry, you’re black and white victory in ice hockey’s not going to be left in the kitchen at the party, to be fired your way, or Stanley Cup is contagious. such is the showmanship in this city of sports. freebies on parachutes to The Bulls are notorious for spoiling their Besides, Michael Jordan is world famous. home fans. If there’s so much as a 10-second The greatest player in American basketball float down from the rafters. break in the game, be ready for a T-shirt history – a phenomenal 29,277 career points —— cannon to be fired your way, or freebies on for the Chicago Bulls – leaps forever from a parachutes to float down from the rafters. 1.5m granite base in the vestibule. Score legends including Stan Mikita stand You can put it all in the Bulls-branded tickets to a Bulls game and it’s unlikely to be testament to Chicago’s twin winter passions knapsack you were given on the way in. your only brush with fame. Actor and and, if you have the chance, this is one of Oscar-winning Hollywood director Ron the best spots in the world to take in a Howard is a courtside regular. Happy days. fast-moving game of ice hockey. It’s hard Even though it’s one of the largest indoor not to be amazed at the speed at which stadiums in the US, the United Center’s these athletes chase a vulcanised rubber design makes you feel right on top of the puck around a patch of ice that measures action no matter where you sit. It is 60.96m x 25.90m. designed to transform from an ice hockey Above the rink, a ‘jumbotron’ dazzles rink to a basketball court and back again. with non-stop game info, audio and replays: Statues of Chicago Blackhawks hockey state-of-the-art instant storytelling, along

Clockwise from top: Chicago River winds through skyscrapers; the Chicago Bulls’ mascot, Benny; at the United Center during a game between the Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks last year.

54 Kia Ora Team mascot for more than 45 years, From above: Javier Benny the Bull is a celeb in his own right Baez of the Chicago Cubs hits a two-run (278,000 followers is up there among the home-run during a bovines of Instagram). Benny is remarkably game against the acrobatic for a middle-aged, scarlet-red Milwaukee Brewers hunk of beef, and when he’s not performing during the 2019 season; Soldier Field; backflips with cheerleaders the Luvabulls, Wrigley Field. he’s bounding up into the stands to give away even more free stuff. He might even haul you down to play a giant-sized game of Operation on a bull-shaped table that materialises on centre court to fill in a two-minute break in play. Grown adults holler Benny’s name to attract his gaze, and score more loot. Somewhere in all this non-stop razzmatazz, an incredibly skilful game of basketball is played out and beamed to the world. Chicago, population 2.7 million, is one of just 10 US cities to boast pro teams in all five of the major US leagues – baseball, gridiron football, basketball, ice hockey and, as they still call it stateside, soccer. It’s also one of just four metropolitan areas to sport two Major League Baseball teams. The Chicago Cubs play at Wrigley Field (named for chewing-gum magnate William Wrigley Jnr, who owned the Cubs early in the 20th century) in the city’s north, while the Chicago White Sox have

April 2020 55 Travel Chicago

been entertaining the south side since 1901. From above: The Competing in different sub-leagues – the Field Museum; David Montgomery of the American League (White Sox) and National Chicago Bears runs League (Cubs) – there’s plenty of room for while being tackled by both, but locals invariably support one or Markus Golden of the the other, an allegiance said to be New York Giants at Soldier Field last year. acquired umbilically. Even if they didn’t play American football there, Soldier Field, with the grandeur of a great museum, would be a landmark in its own right. It’s stately neighbours are The Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium. Does the name Soldier Field sound familiar? This is where the All Blacks, Black Ferns and Māori All Blacks play in Chicago. Everyone from the Rolling Stones to Ed Sheeran have performed here. After the medals embedded into a major expansion of New Year. The confluence of sports in the Blackhawks won the 2015 Stanley Cup, tens the original site in 2002 and 2003. The US autumn makes it an ideal time to visit of thousands of self-described ‘hockey- all-seasons tour includes an on-field Chicago, but the buzzer never sounds on this heads’ converged on the stadium to honour experience, but so hallowed is the turf that city when it comes to sporting distractions. the team and turned it scarlet with fan garb. certain areas stay off-limits – like the locker Include a visit to Chicago Sports Museum, The stadium – its name references the room for the Chicago Bears football team. an absorbing downtown attraction. Take the soldiers of World War I – is set in a major When other sports use the stadium, there’s lift to the seventh floor at the Water Tower municipal lakeside park a short drive from even a second ‘home’ locker room complex Place mall on North Michigan Avenue and, the city centre. Booking a guided tour of for the host side so the Bears’ HQ remains again, leave any preconceptions about Soldier Field is the best way to get a handle their exclusive den. American sport at the door. on its design and clever, subtle elements These are all-weather bears, playing Owner Grant DePorter grew up in a that continue to pay tribute to the fallen – from September – when the sky can still be five-star hotel where all the big sports stars from the classical colonnades to imprints cornflower-blue and the temperature of the day used to stay – what a head start of fallen leaves in the stone, to donated war mighty warm, through to the winter-white for an avid collector of sports memorabilia.

56 Kia Ora He was also blessed by that distinguishing From left: Playing the quality of true sports connoisseurs: the reaction time game in ability to scrutinise trivia for hours on end. the Measure Up exhibit One reason you’ll enjoy his sports temple at the Chicago Sports Museum; an interactive is the gallery of high-tech interactive exhibit; display of exhibits and virtual-reality games. Compare uniforms from the size of your palm, wingspan or leap to Chicago’s Bulls, Cubs, those of the legends of the basketball court; White Sox, Bears and Blackhawks teams. learn how to throw a simulated curve ball; or play at quarterback – it’s a fun, fast way to get a grip on the nitty-gritty of less familiar codes. From a hall of legends to a local history of sporting superstitions and scandals, all your bases are covered. DePorter even got his hands on the hoverboard and sports almanac prop from Back to the Future II – in which the Cubs won a World Series in 2015. Back in 1989 that was a good joke, anywhere but in Chicago. The city’s beloved Cubs had never cracked it. Spookily, the movie turned out to be a mere one year early in predicting the future: after 108 years trying, the Cubs won their first World Series in 2016. Was the space- time continuum disrupted? The museum doesn’t go that far, but Chicago partied for weeks, even on the south side. There’s nothing like sport to bring people together. choosechicago.com

April 2020 57 harrycarays.com Museumisonthehouse.Sports city views, admissionto theChicago cranny. Notonlydoyou getknockout memorabilia fillsevery nookand beloved whose baseballsportscaster Dine attherestaurant namedfor a STRETCH ’S 7THINNING Eat chicagoathletichotel.com and exercise.” hear. Hear “Athletes andtrain, eat they don’t diet excellent tiponyour diningmenu: of your plushbed.And there’s an old-school pummelhorse atthefoot design, andyou mightfindan andclever issophisticated It inits before reopening asahotel in2015. underwent restoration avisionary history.rich insporting The building retro a vibebefittingahotel so sports Kapoor’s famous ‘bean’ sculpture, aka SirAnish Millennium Park –homeofChicago’s periodbuildingsitsopposite crafted getaway?Thissporting beautifully Where elseyou gonnastay onagreat ASSOCIATION CHICAGO ATHLETIC Sleep Travel 58 Kia Ora Association. cindysrooftop.com 13th Athletic flooroftheChicago MillenniumPark from the over views the most romantic, balcony glittery buzzy barchic, openfire pitsand plates,dates: snazzyseasonal Where peopletake smart their CINDY’S Easter pie. giordanos.com is basedonMama Giordano’s Italian The pizza stuffed from chain thislocal GIORDANO’S unos.com been dishingthemupsince1943. Unohas pizza. famous deep-dish thelocally andnottry visit Chicago to It shouldbeapunishableoffence UNO PIZZERIA&GRILL Cloud Gate–andcaptures Chicago thesmithrestaurant.com classicbistro inRiver North. this Cosy upandenjoy food in hearty THE SMITH badhunter.comStreet. vegan-friendly spotonWest Randolph Linger over lunchatthislight-filled, BAD HUNTER goddessandthebaker.com Millennium Park hasyou covered. avocado? This open-latenear cafe Craving aturmeric latte andsmashed ANDTHEBAKERGODDESS flightclubdarts.com/chicago exquisite smallplates ontap. ladders. All thiswith cocktails and bullseye toandsnakes darty games, from traditional one-on-one pre-loaded withamenuofdifferent electronic scoreboards. These are board transmitting real-time datato barssports hasreal and darts a real This take onpopularvirtual reality FLIGHT CLUB Play the run.chicago.politanrow.com diverse selectionoffood anddrinkon This gourmetfood hallisgreat for a POLITAN ROW

blow your mind.bluesheaven.com room inwhichthey were recorded will 50s and60strackslegendary in the revered sliceofblueshistory. Hearing Avenue. That’s it’s because amuch recording Michgan studio onSouth bespoke andsurprisinglyhumble chance to tour thisauthentic, the No music-loving soulshouldmiss FOUNDATION AT CHESS WILLIE DIXON’S BLUES HEAVEN Getting there Getting domestic network. connections across the from Auckland, with non-stop flightsto Chicago Air New Zealand operates Contact Centre Contact airnewzealand.co.nz 767 737 0800 Holidays Travel Brokers 0800 737 000

wendellaboats.com International Hotel &Tower. Tower andtheshowy Trump Cobs’ to theold-schoolTribune Bertrand Goldberg’s polarising‘Corn renowned for itsvertical skyline, from for gettingyour inacity bearings Bridge,DuSable thistour isbrilliant byDeparting boatfrom inner-city ARCHITECTURE TOUR CHICAGO RIVER CHICAGO Athletic Association. the top ofChicago Cindy’s restaurant at Athletic Association; at BadHunter; Chicago Butter dumplings left: Clockwise from above

PHOTOGRAPHY CHOOSE CHICAGO, GETTY Lord of the wings.

Lufthansa Technik congratulates Air New Zealand on 80 years of epic flights.

Lufthansa Technik AG | [email protected] | lufthansa-technik.com

19-29-314 Anzeige Gratulation 210x297_nur Air New Zealand 210x275mm.indd 1 02.03.20 09:56 Travel NorthernTerritory Red means go landscapes withdeepcultural significance In theheartofAustralia you’ll find and breathtaking beauty. PHOTOGRAPHY TODD EYRE This page: Mother with joey at The Kangaroo Sanctuary in Alice Springs. Opposite page: Uluru. Travel Northern Territory

Alice Springs/Mparntwe ‘Vast’ doesn’t do it justice, this stretch of rust- coloured land in the middle of the continent. Here, in the southern reaches of the Northern Territory, remote has a new meaning; beauty is raw and ancient. Welcome to Australia’s red centre, a place of sweeping landscapes, high adventure and deep cultural significance. A visit to The Kangaroo Sanctuary on the outskirts of Alice Springs is a chance to get close to some of the region’s wildlife. Book a sunset tour between Tuesday and Friday and you’ll see recuperating and rescued red kangaroos and, importantly, learn about their lives and environment. Hankering to explore the outback in a sustainable way? Earth Sanctuary is one of Australia’s first carbon-neutral venues. This family business, south of Alice Springs, offers astronomy and eco-tours, as well as Red Centre Devil, a ‘bushtucker lager’ made from the native quandong (wild peach). Of course, one of the best ways to appreciate the sheer scale of this arid, ochre land is from the air. A sunrise flight with Outback

62 Kia Ora This page: Outback Ballooning. Opposite page clockwise from top left: Chris ‘Brolga’ Barns, founder of The Kangaroo Sanctuary, with one of his charges; a rescued joey; on an early morning Outback Ballooning trip. Travel Northern Territory

Ballooning can take you over the MacDonnell Ranges, craggy ridges that erupt from the earth and change hues as the light shifts. Back on terra firma, there’s more to explore, including the Araluen Arts Centre. If you’re there between September 10 and October 25, don’t miss Desert Mob, an annual event showcasing Aboriginal art, culture and stories. Time for a coffee? Head to the centre’s cafe, Yaye’s.

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park About five hours’ drive south-west of Alice Springs, you’ll come to this UNESCO World Heritage Area. The park is co-managed by the traditional owners, the Anangu, who welcome visitors keen to learn more about their traditions and culture, while respecting the land. On another day, check out the Kata Tjuta dunes at sunrise and the ancient rock domes of Kata Tjuta, which have great cultural significance to the Anangu; and feast your eyes on Uluru itself, the sacred monolith that dominates the landscape.

64 Kia Ora This page: Crossing the chasm on the Kings Canyon Rim Walk. Opposite page clockwise from top left: At the Desert Mob MarketPlace, Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs; Karrke Aboriginal Cultural Experience & Tours; selection of weapons at Karrke; using heated iron for decoration. Travel Northern Territory

At Kings Creek Station, a working farm This page: On the about 300km from Uluru, there’s food, the Kings Canyon Rim Walk. accommodation and adventures to be had. Check out the landscape on foot or quad bikes, or aboard a helicopter. Karrke Aboriginal Cultural Experience & Tours invites you to learn about seasonal bush tucker, art, bush medicine and artefacts. The tour introduces you to the local language, and you can buy authentic arts and crafts. Of course there’s much more, but a fitting farewell to this very special place is the Kings Canyon Rim Walk. The 6km circuit takes you past ancient rocks, ‘Garden of Eden’ greenery and a sacred waterhole. Glorious. northernterritory.com

Eat Sleep PAGE 27 CAFE CROWNE PLAZA ALICE SPRINGS Getting there Visit this locals’ favourite in Todd LASSETERS Mall, in the heart of Alice Springs, You’re just a few minutes from the Air New Zealand for good coffee, food and juice. CBD at this hotel, which has a fitness offers non-stop flights centre, outdoor pool, five places to to Sydney from JUICY RUMP eat and nine meeting rooms. Auckland, Wellington, ULURU The fare at this restaurant in the ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels Christchurch and Crowne Plaza Alice Springs Lasseters Queenstown, with hotel is great, but so are the views of THE LOST CAMEL HOTEL connections onward the MacDonnell Ranges from the A fun boutique hotel, which is part to Uluru and Alice deck and beer garden. of the Ayers Rock Resort. And you’re Springs/Mparntwe lasseters.com.au just 20 minutes away from Uluru. with partner airlines. ayersrockresort.com.au HANUMAN RESTAURANT Chef Jimmy Shu serves up fine food KINGS CREEK STATION that’s a culinary celebration of This working station has a range of south-east Asia and India. If you fancy accommodation options including Contact Centre 0800 737 000 grabbing something tasty and eating camping facilities, ‘safari cabins’ Holidays Travel Brokers in your accommodation, there’s a and luxury glamping tents. 0800 737 767 takeaway menu. hanuman.com.au kingscreekstation.com.au airnewzealand.co.nz

66 Kia Ora FNZ1824_Jarden_FA 2020-02-26T09:38:08+13:00

Your future shouldn’t cost you the present.

Every moment is precious. With our local wealth management experts on your side, we’ll make sure your investments are taken care of - so you can enjoy the things that matter, right now.

Our highest level of wealth management. Visit jarden.co.nz/compass to fi nd your local adviser.

Jarden Securities Limited is an accredited NZX Market Participant and a broker disclosure statement is available free on request. Travel Brisbane

Day in the life Sydney-based Nishi Jarver is Air New Zealand’s Marketing Manager for Australia. She was born and raised in Brisbane and gets back there at least once a month.

What I love most about Brisbane is that it courtyard bars. Venture through Fortitude is welcoming, laid-back and full of life. It Valley stopping at rooftop and boutique has a chilled vibe, friendly locals and myriad cocktail bars and one of the many great places to explore. Asian restaurants, such as Honto Japanese restaurant or Little Valley ‘neo-Chinese’ What people don’t know about Brisbane restaurant, then take in the view of the river is how easy it is to get up to Little Cove in from the Howard Smith Wharves precinct. Noosa or down to Cabarita Beach in northern New South Wales. A trip to Brisbane gives Eating Brisbane-style means visiting the you the best of both worlds: a great city and hidden gems as well as the new hotspots, some of the planet’s most beautiful beaches. and dining on local produce where possible. Sushi Kotobuki in East Brisbane has been a A great area to stay is around James Street long-time local favourite. It’s fresh, authentic in Fortitude Valley. It has so many good and the woman who runs it makes the sushi restaurants, bars and boutique designer in front of you. Greca, at the Howard Smith shops. is great for kids. by breakfast at one of the many great cafes. Wharves precinct, is one of the new kids on It’s a short walk from the CityCat ferries, These give Melbourne a run for its money. the block. It has riverfront views, and the or you can walk to the city or catch a bus. Pawpaw Cafe, Corner Store Cafe, Naim and honey saganaki is exceptional. Kiah Organic The Smug Fig are just a few of the top spots. & Wholefoods Warehouse is another gem, The best way to start the day is to do supporting locally sourced and sustainable something active, like walking along the For a great night out bar-hop down James products all year round – it’s also a great riverbank or taking a gym class, followed Street and enjoy some of Brisbane’s best place to stop for a smoothie.

68 Kia Ora PHOTOGRAPHY BRISBANE MARKETING, TOURISM AUSTRALIA, TOURISM AND EVENTS their citybecause they’re proud ofit. is thattheywant you toenjoy andexplore What you needtoknowlocals aboutthe a greatway tosee itandtake inthesights. beautiful cityandtheBrisbane Riverwalk is the onasunny day. It’s a The experiencenottomissisawalk along Queensland Bundaberg Rum. an excellent dancefloorandagood old the evening enjoying afantasticplaylist, The CaxtonHotel(the‘Cacko’) andfinish view. Afterwards, walk two minutesto where every seatinthehousehasagood rugby leaguematch atSuncorpStadium, international rugbygameorStateofOrigin The sportingevent toattendisan Point stairsareatoughfinisher. along theriverbank, andtheKangaroo back uptothecliffs. We doa5kmloop Bankand Botanic Gardens,acrosstoSouth Riverwalk infrontofthecity, throughthe across theStoryBridge anddown alongthe Point Cliffs for thebestviewof Brisbane, head friends for years. StartingattheKangaroo doing theBrisbane River withmy Loop The bestplace towalk/run? Ihave been menu andisagreatplace topeople watch. Hotel isgorgeous, hasanexcellent cocktail a newBrisbane Calile hotelandhotspot. lime/pepper). Thebarispoolside attheCalile, Pomerita (tequila/pomegranate/chilli syrup/ For cocktails gotoHellenika andordera at lunchtime, it’s thatgood. James Street–you’ll seeitonevery table Asian saladatHarveys Bar+Bistroon great steakhouses.Anddon’t missthe best beefintheworld andthecityhassome Queensland farmersproducesomeofthe Queensland steakwhile you’re here. where togo. Make sure you trya decide It’s onadatenightwhen we ourgo-to can’t has theirfavourite, butBeccofinoisours. excellent Italianrestaurantsandeveryone delicious. Brisbane hasitsfairshare of Teneriffe becauseitisconsistently I always orderpastaatBeccofinoin you thebest ofboth worlds: A tripto Brisbane gives a great cityandsome of theplanet’s most beautiful beaches. —— —— Wharves precinct. at Howard Smith Bridge the Story which runsunder The Fantauzzo hotel, page: Fiume Barin Bank.Opposite South Little Cove, Noosa;the The Caxton Hotel; George Bar&Bistro; Kangaroo Point; Brisbane from from top: View of This pageclockwise

April 2020 April 69 69 Travel Raiatea & Bora Bora Island

magic Beautiful lagoons, luxury resorts and culturally important touchstones – you can experience them all in the Islands of Tahiti. We take a trip to Raiatea and Bora Bora. STORY SHARON STEPHENSON

70 Kia Ora This page: View of Mount Otemanu, Bora Bora. Opposite page: An over-water bungalow at Le Tahaa Island Resort & Spa, which is on its own motu, near Raiatea. Travel Raiatea & Bora Bora

YOU’LL LEARN A new word when you visit RAIATEA from their home in Reunion Island, off the the Islands of Tahiti – nehenehe. It means When you fly from Tahiti into Raiatea in the east coast of Madagascar. It was meant to be beautiful, and it’s a word you’ll use often in Society Islands archipelago, try to snag a a pit stop, but they fell in love with Raiatea’s these isles which are a five-hour flight from window seat. You’ll be rewarded with views quiet rhythms and two years ago Gerard Auckland. The staggeringly white beaches of lush forest, black volcanic rocks, white started leading four-wheel drive tours of his are nehenehe; the fragrant national flower, sandy motu (islets) and some of the region’s adopted home. the tiare, is nehenehe; the forests are too. most historical sites. Our first stop is the island’s most sacred And as for those over-water bungalows This coral dot is smaller than Tahiti, point: Taputapuatea marae. This UNESCO- where visitors get to live out their tropical about 230km away, but it’s still the second listed heritage site, which was established island fantasies… you get the idea. largest island in the archipelago. Depending by 1000 AD, was once the spiritual, cultural, This is paradise super-sized, because on who’s telling the story, the name Raiatea political and religious heart of Polynesia Tahiti refers not only to the main island but means ‘faraway heaven’ or ‘sky with soft light’. and is home to several archaeological sites, also the 118 islands and atolls that stretch Our guide Bruno Gerard tells us Raiatea, including sacred stones used for the across the Pacific Ocean in five archipelagos. previously known as Havaii, became a investiture of chiefs. The biggest challenge is deciding which navigational hub with explorers setting sail We have the site to ourselves – the one to visit, but no matter where you go, from here in their waka for the ‘Polynesian beauty of travelling to an island where six you’ll never be short of nehenehe sights. Triangle’ – Hawaii in the north, Easter cars is considered a traffic jam – but Gerard Island in the south-east and New Zealand in says Taputapuatea is fast becoming a the south-west. This island was also home to cultural tourism hub, particularly for kapa Tupaia, who travelled with James Cook during haka groups from across the region, his first visit to New Zealand in 1769, and including New Zealand. played a major role in mediating between “This is a spiritual place for everyone, Māori and the Endeavour’s crew. but especially for Māori groups who really Gerard knows a thing or two about connect with Raiatea and the marae. They crossing oceans: in 2010 the economics have a sense of kinship with the Pacific’s teacher and his family sailed into Raiatea first settlers and their journey.”

This page clockwise from top: Taputapuatea marae, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Raiatea; Tahitian vanilla orchid; local man with Mount Otemanu in the distance. Opposite page clockwise from left: Over-water bungalows at Conrad Bora Bora Nui; the spa at Le Tahaa; a turtle swims in the clear waters off Bora Bora.

72 Kia Ora Leaving the main road that hugs the —— the six types of authentic French pastry at island’s rocky beaches and inlets we detour the breakfast buffet? You’ll have lots to into Raiatea’s thickly forested interior We tumble into the show them because there’s barely an inch which is criss-crossed with tramping ridiculously blue ocean. For of Bora Bora, also in the Society group, that tracks. Watched over by Mount Tefatoaiti as isn’t begging to be photographed. it pierces the rain clouds, we eventually go three hours, the weirdly You won’t be the first to fall in love with off-road in forest so dense and untouched wonderful and colourful the stunning motu that was once believed it feels as if we’re the first to set foot in it. marine life scooting around to be the last remaining tip of the sunken Gerard points out various flora and fauna continent of Atlantis. and explains the medicinal properties of are our only companions. Author James Michener called Bora Bora plants, including tiare apetahi, a fragrant —— the most beautiful island in the world; it’s wild flower found only in Tahiti, used to also been called ‘the pearl of the Pacific’. treat sunburn, among other things. surrounded by a single coral reef but they More recently, Bora Bora’s high-end resorts If Raiatea is roughly shaped like an couldn’t be more different. have attracted clients with surnames such isosceles triangle then Uturoa is near the While Raiatea leans heavily into its historic as Bieber and Kidman. apex of that triangle. The island’s laid-back and spiritual side, neighbouring Tahaa is all Most never venture far from their administrative centre is also the main hub about relaxation. Once you’ve visited a pearl luxurious over-water bungalows that spin for schools and shops. farm or one of the vanilla farms that dot the out across the lagoon, but when you can It’s a place where women tuck bright gently rolling hills, there’s not much else to drag yourself away, there are numerous hibiscus flowers behind their ears (right if do but kick back and watch the sky turn water-based activities to be enjoyed, such you’re single, left and in line with your various shades of burnt orange, preferably as kayaking, sailing and snorkelling. heart if you’re not), where the smell of from the deck of your over-water bungalow. We catch a boat to the main village where vanilla pods hangs in the air and where we’re collected by Manu Taxi Boat Bora Bora locals at the open-air market chat as they BORA BORA Excursions, which runs full- and half-day sell coconuts, taro and an array of jewel- It’s hard to talk about this tiny collection snorkelling trips. Skipper/guide Chris Aloe was coloured fruit. of motu without doing so in breathless tones. born in Bora Bora and is so familiar with these Uturoa is also where you need to go to What’s even harder is deciding what you waters he could well be half man, half fish. catch a boat to Tahaa, the island that should brag to your friends about – the We tumble into the ridiculously blue shares a lagoon with Raiatea. Both are five-star resorts, the dreamy blue water or ocean as three different types of stingray

April 2020 73 Travel Raiatea & Bora Bora

OPOA BEACH HOTEL Sandwiched between a dense forest and a private lagoon in the south-west of Raiatea, this hotel has secluded whitewashed bungalows. It’s about a 40-minute drive from the airport, but is well worth it. Spend your days at the private motu, snorkelling, then eating at the open-air restaurant. opoabeach.com

TAHITI IA ORA BEACH RESORT Perfect for a night or two before or after your flight, this popular hotel is just 15 minutes from Tahiti’s airport and has over-water bungalows. There are two restaurants and bars where you can sip a cocktail while the sun sinks into the sea. allaccor.com

Eat Mount Otemanu, Bora Bora IRIATAI FRENCH RESTAURANT This fine-dining restaurant at Conrad Bora Bora Nui produces delights such as lobster medallions, truffle risotto swish past us, along with sleek blacktip reef Sleep and roasted lamb fillet. Bag a seat on sharks and lemon sharks. For three hours, CONRAD BORA BORA NUI the balcony with views over the lagoon the weirdly wonderful and colourful marine Located on a private islet – Motu and save room for the chocolate life scooting around coral gardens are our Toopua – this resort enjoys a long ‘coconut’. conradhotels3.hilton.com private stretch of soft, white sand. only companions. Relax in the stylish over-water villas, THE OHIRI RESTAURANT For lunch, we drop anchor at tiny Motu gasp at the views from the hilltop At Le Tahaa Island Resort & Spa you’ll Fanfan, home to a couple of families who’ve Hina Spa and indulge at the six find this fine-dining eatery where you piled tables high with meat and fish cooked restaurants and bars. can break out your nice dress. Enjoy hangi-style in the ground, along with salads conradhotels3.hilton.com a five-course menu that blends and platters of tropical fruit grown nearby. Polynesian and French influences LE TAHAA ISLAND RESORT and draws heavily on local seafood. Someone plays a ukulele – you’re never far & SPA letahaa.com Set on Motu Tautau, a private islet in from the strumming in the islands – as we the Raiatea Lagoon, this 58-room eat, chat and feel envious of their life. Play After lunch, Aloe shows us how to make resort offers a mix of luxurious over-water bungalows and beach MOUNT OTEMANU traditional crowns and baskets from suites. Opened in 2002, the This extinct volcano rises 727m out banana leaves. As laughing kids throw architecture and design is inspired by of the lagoon. Visitors can traverse themselves off the jetty, he cuts coconuts traditional Polynesian style and uses the base to see World War II cannons, from trees and demonstrates how to local materials such as tapa cloth. cave formations and ancient prepare the meat and milk, which we all There are three restaurants, a spa, archaeological relics. You can’t climb have a turn doing. The Tahitians are much fitness centre and a pool, or you could to the top of the mountain, but nearby just slip into the sea from your villa. Mount Pahia provides stunning views better at this than us. letahaa.com of the craggy rock face. Perhaps because of its remoteness, Tahiti was one of the last corners of the globe to be inhabited by humans, beginning with the original migrating Polynesians Getting there and extending through to the arrival of Air New Zealand flies non-stop European explorers, including the French. to Tahiti from Auckland with RAIATEA & Today, Tahiti’s language, culture and food connections available across BORA BORA carry the fingerprints of both France and the domestic network. Polynesia. Dishes such as beef bourguignon Connections to Moorea, and thick wheels of French cheese sit Raiatea and Bora Bora are available with our partner comfortably next to fafaru, seawater- Air Tahiti. fermented prawns and shrimp and a local delicacy (which smells a bit like stinky cheese but tastes delicious) and poisson cru, LE TAHAA ISLAND RESORT & SPA, TAHITI TOURISME TAHITI ISLAND& SPA, RESORT LE TAHAA the much loved local dish of raw fish tossed in coconut milk. Contact Centre The hardest part about visiting Bora Bora 0800 737 000 Holidays Travel Brokers is having to say goodbye. It’s that kind of 0800 737 767 airnewzealand.co.nz place. tahititourisme.nz PHOTOGRAPHY

74 Kia Ora Has your business invested in research and development this year?

You may now qualify for a 15% income tax credit on your eligible research and development costs.

The R&D Tax Incentive – helping your business grow, and driving New Zealand forward.

Visit rdti.govt.nz to find out more.

callaghaninnovation.govt.nz ird.govt.nz mbie.govt.nz Travel Golden Bay

My place Broadcaster Jack Tame reflects on Golden Bay, a place of natural beauty and happy times.

I’M THE ELDEST of four, and when I was a even been asked to play a couple of sets on my kid, my parents decided that for the first guitar there, which has been interesting. school holidays of every year, they would Then there are lots of other little towns and take us to different destinations around the settlements. My parents live in Collingwood, South Island. Over seven or eight years, we and there’s Pōhara and Tata Beach, which made our way around the whole island, and are popular holiday destinations. the last place we visited was Golden Bay. My parents fell in love with the place. We started There are a couple of food and drink returning year after year, and all came to love places we always go to. The Mussel Inn is it. About four years ago, my parents moved a pub halfway between Collingwood and from Christchurch to Golden Bay. That’s Tākaka that has incredible live music and where home is now – where all the family brews its own beer. Its signature beer is gatherings are held and where you have to the Captain Cooker, which is brewed with go if you want a taste of Mum’s cooking. mānuka, and it’s beautiful. There’s a place The locals reckon the hills keep out some of called the Wholemeal Cafe in Tākaka that Golden Bay is very much the end of the the worst weather, but if a storm comes in does real fruit ice creams – this is very much line. You don’t go there on the way to from the Tasman and slips over Kahurangi real-fruit ice-cream country. I love going to anywhere. The only way you can get there National Park, it can get pretty wild. the Courthouse Cafe in Collingwood, which in the car is over the Tākaka Hill, which is a cute cafe in the old courthouse, and to probably takes 40 minutes. Because of the The biggest town in Golden Bay is Tākaka, the Collingwood Tavern, aka Tinky’s, for a massive hills that surround the bay, it and it’s still pretty small. It has a great scallop pie. It’s not for everyone, but it’s almost has its own weather system. Saturday market I always go to. I may have delicious, I promise you.

76 Kia Ora STORY INDA LOPEZ PHOTOGRAPHY NELSON TASMAN really supportive ofeach other. smaller community thatmeanspeople are years ago. There’s somethingabouta Bay asbeingwhat Waiheke Island was 30 appearances. Isometimesthink of Golden they look andkeeping how up with aren’t pretentious. No one’s toobothered world andallbackgrounds. People there There arepeople fromallpartsofthe community. Therearelotsofhippies. Golden Bay hasareally eclectic you can doaroundthem. would befreezing,butthere’s alittlewalk wouldn’t want toswim inthem, becauseit tapu, sothey’re sacredtolocalMāori.You life underthesurface. Thespringsareawāhi through aglassofwater –you canseeallthe than 60monagoodday. It’s like looking in New before. Zealand Thevisibilityismore world. I’ve notseenanything quitelike them clearestthe andcleanest water inthe Te Waikoropupū Springshave someof excesses by walking alongthebeach. together, we trytowork offour myriad either direction.Whenever thefamily gets you canusually walk for hoursandin see. InGolden Bay, onceyou’re atthebeach, amazing thesizeofsomepāuayou snorkelling thereover theyears. It’s keen, orkayak outto. I’ve donealotof shore you canswim out to, ifyou’re really There areacouple ofislands justoffthe beautiful, peacefulgolden place –paradise. Tata Beach ismy favourite beach. It’s a really cool. of thespitthere’s alighthouse,which is and see amazing things.At thevery end go onspecialtoursoutthere can you but there’s somuch importantfloraandfauna, Island. Thereisrestrictedaccessbecause phenomenon atthetopofSouth Farewell Spitisanamazinggeographical food guilt-free afterthat. I rememberwas smashing Christmas feel like attheendoffour days’ tramping. to have aswim, which isexactly what you untouched, andtherearesomegreatspots which isamazing.It’s beautifuland of thebigclimbs, you hit the Aorere River, last the from forest. Once you comedown more traditionalNew beech Zealand you terrain,thena getintosub-alpine At there’s first, amazingtropicalbush, then You startinKaramea, ontheWest Coast. couple ofyears ago, insteadofdriving. on theHeaphy Track for Christmasa My sisterandItrampedintoGolden Bay

Waikoropupū Springs. Opposite page:Te Cafe inCollingwood. theCourthouse Beach; and Tākaka;Tata between Collingwood town; The MusselInn, Tākaka; mural inthe CafeWholemeal in from top: The This pageclockwise April 2020 April 77 77