Want to holiday like the wealthiest Kiwis? Spy editor Ricardo Simich reveals where they go and what they do.
Boats and the Bay of Islands
Toy billionaire Nick Mowbray and partner Jaimee Lupton will spend time boating in the Bay of Islands this summer. Their 40m $21 million superyacht boasts three decks, a spa and entertaining rooms, and five luxury cabins each with en suite. The yacht was formerly owned by NZ's wealthiest man Graeme Hart, who now has a 58m yacht named Odyssey II, which is also expected to be up at the Bay of Islands, as are many of the gin palaces currently moored at Auckland's Viaduct.
Broadcaster Paul Henry and CEO of Emerald Group Diane Foreman tell us they will be spending time around the Bay on Henry's vessel, Olive, named after his late mother, and at their Waiheke Island property.
With 144 islands, kayaking and sailboarding and other aquatic activities are de rigueur in the Bay. Though hikers might want to keep an eye out for the beloved sculpture of the late Adrian Burr and partner Peter Tatham, who recently sold Michael Parekōwhai's famous piece, A Peak in Darien, which depicts a bronze bull on a piano. It had been housed on the pair's beautiful Hawke's Bay estate, and it's understood the sculpture, which set a Kiwi art auction record when it sold for $2m last month, may have settled up north.
One splendid boat that won't be moored in the Bay this year is that of property investment magnates Simon and Paula Herbert. Their 42.6m superyacht H is still in the Mediterranean. The couple will however be in the Bay of Islands in their ultra-modern waterfront estate at Paroa Bay, near Russell, which experts estimate now to be valued at $18m. The home has a massive jetty and fruit and vege gardens for the live-in chef to cater to guests' fresh food needs.
Other rich-listers with estates and compounds of note in the BOI include the Turner family of Sleepyhead, the Yates gardening family, the Masfen property mogul's family and Viaduct Harbour Holdings, Farmer and Wyborn families.
It is understood opera star Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, who returned to New Zealand to live earlier this year, will be in her secluded mansion on a picturesque peninsula in Rawhiti.
Sky TV founder Craig Heatley usually spends the break on his private beach on Moturua Island, which is a 10km boat ride from Russell. Experts value his hideaway at around $40m.
Property magnate Peter Cooper has the 400ha property called The Landing, on Purerua Peninsula, with four architecturally fabulous residences, six private beaches and a vineyard. It is marketed as a haven for the rich and famous - former US President Barack Obama wrote in The Landing guestbook: "It is magical here." If Cooper's not in residence you can rent The Landing for around $15,000 a night, or $4500 for the Vineyard Villa.
And where's the New Year's Party? Don't ask. The region will be in the red traffic light setting, so no major gatherings will be possible. But many of the above will likely enjoy a few drinks or a meal at The Duke of Marlborough in Russell. If you're lucky enough to be there you may score an invite onto a boat or a compound and see some midnight fireworks.
Waiheke Island
Many with boats in the Bay of Islands tend to stop in at Waiheke Island before heading north. The Hart family have a compound known as Church Bay Farm, which experts estimate that with the purchasing of various blocks of land over about a decade, is now thought to be worth about $50m. The main house is described as a Cape Cod-style white beach house with a guest wing and swimming pool.
One of New Zealand's wealthiest families, the Spencers, have the largest slice of Waiheke, many say over half the Island, which is farm and coastal land, cultivated by the late John Spencer. Over the past 20 years, son Berridge has opened access to one of the more pristine parts of the property at Man O' War Bay at the eastern end of Waiheke, which showcases the various wines from the property's vineyards. There is a chapel, which Spencer Jnr had purpose-built to marry wife Olivia eight years ago. The Spencer compound is a few bays away and still very private, just the way they like it. Man O' War has become a popular place for boaties and wine aficionados.
One expert described America's Cup mover and shaker Brad Butterworth's Oneroa beachfront mansion as the prettiest house on the Island. The Andrew Patterson designed home is estimated to be worth around $20m. Not a bad development investment at all, Butterworth reportedly bought the land in 2003 for $1.1m.
The Citizen of the Island Award goes to Mainfreight chairman Bruce Plested, whose beautiful Pie Melon Bay beachfront house has been going through major renovations over recent months. The lawn out front of the home has seen plenty of charity beach cricket matches over the years with Black Caps and A-listers a plenty.
Earlier this year the Rich Lister sold $75m in shares to buy the 300ha property known as Fountainhead in Carey Bay on the northeast side of the island. The purchase will see the Plested family keep the land safe from subdivision and will care for the estate's significant tracts of native bush and other environmental features. This year, like many monied folk on the Island who oppose the development of a marina at Kennedy Point, he reportedly put around $40,000 towards the battle against it.
Waiheke has become world-famous as Auckland's version of San Francisco's Sonoma Valley, albeit an island rather than a valley. Day trips by helicopter to enjoy the island hospitality has become a booming business. At least 20 of its richest inhabitants have their own, or part-own a chopper and in summer the buzzing traffic takes co-ordination between estates.
The vineyards at which you will most likely find the rich and famous on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are the slices of Tuscany which is Poderi Crisci and the equally fabulous Tantalus Estate in the Onetangi Valley. There, you will see large tables booked months in advance on either side of the year-end break, enjoying long lunches before the private parties that night.
You are most likely to see them misbehave at Stonyridge, Mudbrick or Cable Bay, where everyone lets their hair down that little bit more. All have their fair share of A-listers, and most notably, pop Star Taylor Swift has enjoyed the fun hospitality at Mudbrick. Another favourite haunt, The Oyster Inn, is owned by Celebrity Chef Josh Emett and wife Helen.
If you want to live like the rich on Waiheke, renting one of the big homes with at least four bedrooms will cost $1500 and upwards a night.
Great Mercury Island
The private Island was purchased by uber rich-listers Sir Michael Fay and David Richwhite in 1978 and is a traditional New Year's Eve gathering point for boaties coming from the Coromandel.
The island's northern half is primarily farmland, which supports both sheep and beef farming operations. Its southern half has been re-vegetated with an impressive forest of pine and native trees, and there are many pristine white sand beaches.
The Fay family compound with its cream architectural villas moulded into the land, wouldn't be out of place in Sicily. The buildings of the neighbouring Richwhite family compound are equally impressive and ultra-modern. Irish rockers U2 are reportedly among the rich and famous to have stayed on Great Mercury.
While Richwhite still spends time between his home in London and the island, Fay spends much of his time on Great Mercury - like the America's Cup, it is a life passion of his. He works on the preservation of the Island, keeping it a pest-free sanctuary and providing a great learning space for Iwi and archaeologists.
The boat parties over the past 30 years have seen dozens of boaties each year coming into the harbour and enjoying the barbecues hosted by both families out on the beach.
Richwhite's son Topher has kept the tradition going over the last several years, but things may be a bit quieter this year as he and his Expedition Earth partner Bridget Thackwray are said to be building a home north of Auckland near her home town of Kerikeri.
The public are welcome at Great Mercury's beaches and all that is asked is that you leave only footprints and pack out all trace of your visit.
Queenstown
Queenstown is flush with the super rich and famous, with an influx of Aucklanders pouring into the tourism mecca to join those that call the stunning spot home.
Standouts of the summer scene in Queenstown are business power couple Rob Fyfe and Sara Tetro, Sir Michael Hill and Lady Christine, Sam Neill, Sir Russell Coutts and, new to the crop, entrepreneurs Nadia Lim and husband Carlos Bagrie.
The Hills have done much to elevate Queenstown as a global location. The world-renowned The Hills Golf Club, just out of Arrowtown is one testament to this. Set in more than 200 hectares of land, the course is surrounded by 360-degree views of mountain range scenery, including Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and The Crown Range. Beside The Hills is Lodge at the Hills, set in 11 hectares, a mansion with rich art, culture and mouth-watering designer furnishings.
If you want to party like a multi-millionaire, The Hills Lodge will set you back as much as $50,000 a night for exclusive use of the place. Another popular venue with the wealthy is the Penthouse at Eichardts - with uninterrupted views across Lake Wakatipu it can cost up to $12,000 a night. If that's a bit steep, many of the luxury homes in Queenstown can be rented from $1500 a night, though the more luxurious can fetch up to $25,000 a night.
Fyfe and Tetro have called Queenstown their primary home for several years now, and this year, Fyfe was appointed Chairman of Michael Hill International, after being a board member for over seven years. The pair are often seen at separate tables, holding court with various movers and shakers at Aosta in Arrowtown, the place to be seen and the new restaurant that celebrity chef Ben Bayly opened with Hill in 2019.
Other spots to people-watch on New Year's Eve and Day are Akarua Wines & Kitchen by Artisan, just out of Arrowtown, as well as the classic Amisfield Winery, slightly further out of Arrowtown. And if he's in town, try and find Good Group Hospitality's Al Spary, owner of such gems as Botswana Butchery. The man is a party legend and always makes sure everyone has a suitable somewhere to go, to have a good time.
An Aucklander leading the second-holiday-home charge is New Zealand Mortgages & Securities director James Kellow and wife Stephanie, who this year bought a modern home with spectacular views of Queenstown overlooking the Shotover Bridge, for an estimated $8m.
Lim and Bagrie may be too busy to party this summer - it's understood Lim will start filming her new Three show Nadia's Farm in the new year at their 485-hectare Arrowtown farm. The family of four is on a mission to show that farming ethically can be profitable.
Near Lim and Bagrie is America's Cup supremo Coutts' station. He splits his time between there and his a multimillion-dollar Cape Cod-style beachfront home at Tindalls Beach on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, 40km north of Auckland.
Coutts is giving Hill a run for his money in the private golf course stakes, albeit on a slightly smaller scale. Earlier this year, the five-times America's Cup winner applied to Queenstown-Lakes District Council for resource consent to add another three holes to his private golf course to bring it to 18 par on the 41-hectare farm. Coutts bought the property for a reported $5m and industry watchers say it would be more than quadruple that value now, he is said to still be actively looking at land on the Crown Terrace.
The Hart family has a place in Closeburn Station, said to be New Zealand's first farm park gated luxury community. They bought there in 2017 for $24m - a record sale then, it's now estimated to be worth more than $35m.
And there are plenty of rich-lister newbies to the area to keep the summer scene lively. Two said to have recently spent $15m-plus on homes in the neighbourhood are Ryan Baker, the down-to-earth founder of tech company Timely, and Australian multi-millionaire Sheona Devin, who founded software testing firm Planit.
And next year Xero founder Rod Drury could join the Queenstown summer scene - he's building a 2000sqm home on the lower slopes of Coronet Peak. Insiders say he's spending more than $30m on the development.
