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One of the newest and most expensive luxury holiday hideaways is Fossil Cove on Waiheke Island.
At $3500 a night the newly built house on 4.8ha in a secluded bay caters mainly for "high-profile" overseas visitors, says owner Rosey Eady. She declined to drop any names but confirmed that one of her recent guests was a founder of internet giant Google.
"We have had some interesting guests," she added.
Fossil Cove opened last March and is the culmination of a 12-year dream for Eady and husband David Nicoll. Eady would not reveal how much the resort had cost to create.
"You would probably be shocked. We think it's worth it. It's turned out better than we dreamed."
She said it was the most expensive holiday home on the island, but she knew of a couple of others around the country even more pricey - at $6500 a night.
Fossil Cove is built from macrocarpa and Waiheke stone and decorated with collections of Polynesian tribal art and crafts.
Eady said they had planted around 10,000 trees to help make the house "disappear".
It features a 15-metre "infinity" pool.
Chefs and a nanny are available, there is a heli-pad on the property and a Range Rover is on hand to transport guests around the island.
