Tailor-made Vacation · New Zealand
New Zealand Wine Tour: Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay and Central Otago
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At a glance
New Zealand makes three wines worth traveling for, and they come from three regions that could not be more different from each other.
Hawke's Bay on the North Island is the oldest and most established, a sun-drenched coastal bowl of vineyards and orchards anchored by the Art Deco city of Napier.
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The reds here are Bordeaux-influenced and serious, the food scene has grown to match, and the lodges sitting among the vines are some of the most considered places to stay in the country.
Marlborough, at the top of the South Island, is where New Zealand put itself on the world wine map. Sauvignon Blanc is the obvious headline but the region has more depth than its reputation suggests, and arriving by ferry through the Marlborough Sounds, water threading between forested hills on every side, is an entrance that earns its place in the itinerary.
Central Otago is the one that stays with people. The most southerly wine region on earth, set against a landscape of mountains, river valleys, and high-altitude light that makes everything look slightly unreal.
The Pinot Noirs here are unlike anything produced anywhere else, and the lodges in the Gibbston Valley and around Queenstown are exactly the right places to drink them.
Ten days, three regions, private tastings throughout. Out Of Office handles the bookings, the access, and the winemaker introductions. You handle the glasses.
Day by day
This is a sample plan, not a fixed departure. Days can be added, removed or reordered, and almost every client changes something. Prices are an entry-level guide; your quote will be exact.
Day 1: Arrive Auckland, Fly to Napier
Fly into Auckland and connect to Napier, gateway to Hawke’s Bay. Your base for the next two nights is a boutique lodge among the vines. First evening at leisure.
Days 2 and 3: Hawke's Bay
Two full days in the region, with a private guide to navigate the vineyards properly. Hawke’s Bay is New Zealand’s second-largest wine region, known for Bordeaux-style blends planted along five river valleys. The Gimblett Gravels sub-region is the place to focus: free-draining shingle soils and a long growing season that produces reds with real structure.
A winemaker lunch at Black Barn, which sits at the center of the region’s social life as much as its wine life, is worth building a day around. Napier itself deserves an afternoon: the Art Deco architecture is the most concentrated in the world outside Miami, and the city wears it without making too much of a fuss about it.
Days 4 and 5: Wellington and the Crossing to Marlborough
Drive south to Wellington for one night, worth the stop for dinner and a walk around Cuba Street. The following morning, board the Interislander ferry to Picton, threading through the Marlborough Sounds as the South Island announces itself. Transfer to your lodge in the Wairau Valley.
Days 6 and 7: Marlborough
The world’s largest producer of Sauvignon Blanc, but that is not the whole story. A private guide takes you beyond Cloudy Bay, which is excellent and worth visiting, to the smaller producers doing more interesting things with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling. Winery lunches, cellar door tastings, and long afternoons in a region where the pace drops the moment you arrive.
Days 8 and 9: Central Otago
Fly from Blenheim to Queenstown and transfer to the Gibbston Valley. Gibbston Valley Lodge sits among organic Pinot Noir vines with a vinotherapy spa and a kitchen focused on locally sourced produce, the right base for two nights in the most dramatic wine landscape on the itinerary. Private tastings at Peregrine, Kinross, and the lodge’s own winery. A winemaker dinner on the final evening.
Day 10: Depart Queenstown
Transfer to Queenstown Airport for your onward flight.
Our Experts
New Zealand is one of the most magical places in the world. If you love out-of-this-world landscapes, this island nation is definitely worth adding to your bucket list.
Breathtaking landscapes, awe-inspiring environments - New Zealand impresses at every turn. The vibrant Māori culture on display here is also so special.
Stellar service. Stellar products. Stellar people and it gets so much better when you pick up the phone and call.
Anthony S.
Super client centred service. From first contact I have had warm, efficient, friendly and flexible service.
John
I’m confident in giving Out Of Office a 5-star review! They are one of the leaders in this space without a doubt.
Tiberiu
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Frequently asked questions
What does Out Of Office do?
Out Of Office is a luxury LGBTQ+ travel company specializing in tailor-made vacations and extraordinary journeys around the world. We create bespoke luxury vacations, LGBTQ+ honeymoons, safaris, cruises, beach escapes, private tours and group trips, with every itinerary designed around you. Our travel specialists combine global expertise, first-hand destination knowledge and trusted local partners to create seamless, highly personalized experiences.
Is Out Of Office a gay travel agency?
Out Of Office is an LGBTQ+ owned and run luxury travel specialist, with particular expertise in gay and LGBTQ+ travel. We understand the additional considerations that can come with traveling as an LGBTQ+ person or couple, from local laws and customs to finding genuinely welcoming hotels and experiences.
We welcome every traveler, including friends, families and allies. Many of our clients are not members of the LGBTQ+ community, but choose Out Of Office for our luxury travel expertise, personalized service and discretion.
Do you create tailor-made LGBTQ+ vacations?
Yes. Every tailor-made trip with Out Of Office is designed from scratch around your interests, travel style, budget and the way you want to experience a destination. We can arrange luxury hotels, private transfers, flights, guides, excursions, cruises and special experiences as part of one personalized itinerary. The journeys shown on our website are there to inspire you rather than restrict you; only clearly identified group departures operate as fixed itineraries.
How do you choose LGBTQ+ friendly hotels and destinations?
We combine first-hand destination knowledge with trusted local expertise to recommend luxury hotels, resorts and experiences where LGBTQ+ travelers can feel informed and welcome. We also consider the laws, customs and attitudes of each destination, because LGBTQ+ rights and experiences differ around the world. Our team regularly visit many of the properties we work with and where a destination requires greater awareness, we give you clear and considered advice so that you can make an informed decision about where and how you travel.
We plant trees for every booking
For every booking made with Out Of Office we commit to planting trees in your name to help reduce the impact of travel on future generations. You'll even get a link to see where your trees are planted in the world via our partner Ecologi.
We donate to Rainbow Railroad with every booking
Rainbow Railroad helps LGBTQ+ people escape state-sponsored violence and persecution. A donation goes with every trip we sell, funded by us and never added to your price.
Start Planning Your Trip
Tell us where you would love to go, when you are thinking of traveling and what kind of trip you have in mind. One of our LGBTQ+ travel specialists will create a tailor-made itinerary designed around your destination, style and preferences.
One named specialist, first inquiry to homecoming. No call center, and nothing is charged until you decide to book.