SLOW STAYS

Like a fairytale farm, The Good Life Retreat outside New Zealand’s Most Beautiful Town of 2019 will cast a spell of hand-crafted, made-with-love magic on you. Designed for family getaways or loved-up couple’s retreats, you’ll have the run of this architecturally designed property where a menagerie of furry friends – including adorable Blacknose Valais sheep – waddle and roam between pond and pasture. Combining wholesome country charm with luxury trappings, the Slow Stay is home to three rooms (couples can select the Honeymoon Suite) or the whole retreat is available for families and groups. Mini farmhands will delight in getting up close to hand-reared animals with twice daily feedings. The veggie garden and orchard are yours for the picking too, and you can opt for more farm-life with a beehive experience. (Don’t forget to try the smoked butter and fresh honey harvested onsite, slathered on the included fresh bread.) Once you’ve explored, kick back with a drop from the unique wine cellar, book a yoga session or take a dip in the heated plunge pool. A sauna sesh followed by a soak in the outdoor bath under star-dotted skies is in order too. If you manage to break the enchantment, Waikato region’s goodies abound: scenic trails, museums and gourmet eats are never far.