Where's Johnny Jet: In the Trees in Rotorua

Kia ora! (That's "Welcome!" in Maori.) This week travel back in time without leaving the luxuries of the modern world, as we check into one of the most amazing and exclusive lodges in the world: Treetops. There we explore some of New Zealand's beauty, culture and adventure sports! Boy, are you going to love this place! If you're ready for that mini-virtual vacation, put down your phone, grab a cup of java or glass of wine, sit back and relax. I'm about to take you to a place you will never forget.

About Rotorua

Last week we left off just before touching down in Rotorua, New Zealand. Roturua is 137 miles southeast of Auckland -- a 40-minute small plane ride, or a 2-1/2- to 3-hour drive). Rotorua is probably the most touristy location on the North Island, and is famous for its smell. The many geothermal hotspots carry the unpleasant aroma of rotten eggs (blame the sulfur). But don't let the smell stop you. Rotorua is known as the place to go for adventure sports (we will try some shortly) and as the trout fishing capital of the world (there are 11 major lakes in the area). Visitors also come to Rotorua to learn more about New Zealand's indigenous peoples, the Maori. A third of Rotorua's 70,000 residents are of Maori descent, the highest percentage of any city in New Zealand. As for the weather, Rotorua has a mild climate. At 950 feet above sea level, it never gets too hot. The average summer highs range from 68° to 78° F. Wintertime highs hover between 50° and 55° F. Remember: New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere, so its seasons are the opposite the U.S. The warmest months are January, February and March.

Getting to Treetops Lodge

Fortunately, I wasn't staying in downtown Rotorua (the smell really is ridiculously bad). I was 30 minutes (12 miles) away in the remote village of Horohoro where the air is fresh, crisp and clean. As I pulled into the Treetops Lodge driveway the terrain quickly turned from smooth flat pavement to bumpy dirt. The road was occasionally very steep. The 2-mile driveway seemed to take much longer than the actual 10 minutes. It must've been all the anticipation to reach the lodge -- I read so many incredible things about this exclusive retreat, which has won all kinds of awards, like Harpers' Hideaway of the Year. In fact, a 5-night stay was even included in the 2005 Oscar gift basket (no wonder so many A-list celebrities have stayed there).

John Sax

Treetops is no ordinary lodge. To fully understand it, you have to know about its creator. John Sax, a New Zealand native, is the chief executive and sole shareholder of over 20 companies in New Zealand, including Southpark Corporation (Auckland's largest industrial landowner). He designed most of his properties, including Treetops Lodge. A key element in all is that they be eco-friendly. Many of the Treetops rooms have light sensors, to avoid wasting electricity. Mr. Sax is a family man, and his dream was to build a sanctuary that reflected the very best of what New Zealand has to offer. He said: "My hope is that God's creation may be what really inspires you, that encourages you to reflect on the things that are truly important: family, friends, community and what it brings us life's real joy and satisfaction." After spending a few days with him at his lodge, and then at his Auckland home, I learned about his foundation (For the Sake of Our Children Trust), and what an incredible man he really is.

Florence Court

Mr. Sax is invited each year to a White House breakfast with heads of state from throughout the world. Many U.S. senators and celebrities have stayed at his home in Auckland. Mr. Sax is a very wealthy and powerful man, yet he is so humble and approachable. On the way back from his lodge, I had an overnight layover in Auckland. Mr. Sax surprised me by picking me up at the airport (he was waiting by my gate!). He insisted on carrying my heavy bags and drove me to his house, where his wife made a lovely dinner and I spent the night. In the U.S., most people of his stature would have sent a driver and had a chef whip up supper. This says a lot about Mr. Sax, and about Kiwis (New Zealand natives) in general. I found them all very friendly, and down-to- earth. BTW: The Saxes' home in Auckland is called Florence Court. It's a Category 1 historic 12,000-square foot mansion (there are not a lot of these left in New Zealand, which means this place is an outstanding historical building). The exterior is a fine example of Edwardian architecture, while the inside is filled with Louis XV antiques. Besides the Saxes' bedrooms, there are four rooms and one self-contained cottage (where I stayed) that are sometimes available to the public. The Saxes' occasionally operate their home as an upscale B&B, and rent the house out for parties and weddings. Florence Court, 6 Omana Ave, Auckland; tel. 09-623-9333.

The Good Ol' Days

Traveling to New Zealand is like going back in time. When Mr. Sax picked me up at the airport, he parked his car curbside. Keep in mind this was at the country's busiest airport, Auckland International -- not some Podunk landing strip. How nice is that? He didn't have to worry about tickets, tow trucks or bomb squads. No wonder so many Americans are buying second homes in New Zealand.

About Treetops Lodge

Treetops Lodge is built on 2,500 acres of restored and native virgin forest. Much of the property was bare and bleak, because in the old days it was used for forestry. But in the past 10 years Mr. Sax has nurtered the land back to life by breeding wildlife, creating lakes and planting more than 70,000 trees. They released over 5,000 pheasants, and wildlife has returned in abundance. To build the lodge they cleared only a few trees, and even kept a stream running directly below the main entrance (there are seven trout streams on the property). The lodge, completed in 2003, is made of schist, stone and timber. Everything is from New Zealand -- except the shingles. They were imported from California.

Treetops Lodge

The entrance to the lodge takes guests past a manmade waterfall near a small path over a trout stream, and to a double-door entrance big enough for Sasquatch. This is definitely a guy's place. The lobby -- appropriately called the Great Room -- has 35-foot high ceilings, cozy furniture, hand-carved beams depicting Maori folklore, local artistry, fly fishing poles, and a giant stone fireplace with two stuffed animals on the top. This is where all the guests gather for the 6:30 p.m. cocktail hour. (It's also the room with the strongest wireless internet signal, though most guests use the free computer in the day room). The other rooms in the lodge include a library (with plenty of books and trophy heads), games room (there's a giant antique billiards table), conference room (the lodge is a popular host to small conferences), dayroom, conservatory (a bright, airy space where breakfast is served), open air "interactive" kitchen (guests can watch the chefs make their dishes), and an unforgettable dining room. Most guests dine together at 7:30 at a 22-foot table, with a willow branch chandelier hanging above. Those looking for a more romantic setting can dine in the library, or their own villa.

The Food at Treetops

The food at Treetops is delicious. One chef was quoted as saying: "In keeping with Treetops' eco-friendly ethos, a key focus of the fine cuisine that is prepared for guests with locally-grown produce includes sourcing and utilising native herbs and ingredients found on the property that were traditionally used by Maori." Everything is fresh, and the game is locally grown. Each night a 5 course meal (soup, salad, meat/fish, cheese, dessert) is featured. Before guests head out for the day, the staff -- mostly from Germany and nearby European nations ¿ describes the menu. If there is anything you don't like, they will make something you do. For breakfast guests can order typical dishes, or a New Zealand specialty: salmon and eggs. I really loved the Eggs Benedict and cereal with the most incredible-tasting dried fruit (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries¿) I've ever had. They were addictive! But my favorite meal was a small picnic packed by the kitchen so we could dine on Day Dream hill, overlooking the valley. It is magical at sunrise.

Treetops Rooms

Treetops can accommodate up to 40 guests, and there is a choice of rooms. One option is a 4-bedroom suite (twin share or double) located down the hall from the Great Room. It comes with a kitchen and living room. This is where I stayed. It's perfect for families or friends traveling together, because it felt like a house. For ultimate privacy (two of the four bedroom walls are kind of thin at the suite), choose one of the eight private villas. Some are so far away, they entail either a long walk or a 3-minute golf cart ride. Each guestroom is built with its own unique style and design, but all have a homey feel. Each villa has fireplaces and spas (the bathrooms are really nice). Maids clean the rooms twice a day, and at night they leave handmade chocolates beside the beds. Mmmm! There is no minimum age (some exclusive lodges have one, so double check), so this is a great place to bring the family. When I was there the lodge was filled primarily with couples from North America and Europe (many from the U.K.). However, at dinner one night I sat next to twin 13-year-old girls from Beverly Hills. They said they loved Treetops, and were sad to check out because everyone was so nice and there was so much to do.

Treetops Service

Treetops' service starts the moment you book your trip. Prior to your arrival an e-mail is sent with questions like: Are there any particular foods (New Zealand lamb, seafood, Treetops venison, pheasant, trout, New Zealand beef, vegetarian, other) you would like to experience at Treetops? Are there any particular health issues we should be aware of? How can we help organize the ultimate setting for a special or romantic experience? Please indicate any activities you would like more information on, or ones you would like us to pre-arrange for you. Choices are: 4WD experience, 4WD motorbikes, abseiling (a dangerous climbing technique), archery, bird watching, black tie pheasant, clay target shooting, eco-tours, fishing at Treetops, fly fishing, fly fishing tutorial, hiking, hunting, horse riding, kayaking, Maori Indigenous Food Trail, mountain biking, photographic safari, sailing, waterfall walk, wild animal spotting, wilderness fly fishing, yoga, and zorbing (I will explain this next week).

Activities Treetops

As you can see, when it comes to activities Treetops has it all. To begin with, there are over 47 miles of hiking trails. Some lead to incredible vantage points. My two favorite tours were the Maori Indigenous Food Trail and horseback riding with Didi.

The Maori Indigenous Food Trail

The Maori Indigenous Food Trail takes about 2 1/2 hours. It's a very easy, mellow walk through the woods where Charles P.T. Royal, a Maori and New Zealand's 2003 Innovative Chef of the Year, teaches guests which plants can and cannot be eaten. New Zealand has the greatest variety of ferns in the world -- over 200 -- but only 7 are edible. Charles taught us all about the indigenous herbs and plants. He said the only things in the New Zealand forest that will hurt you are bees and needles. Phew! I was so relieved there are no snakes in this country, and only one poisonous spider (it's not found in this region). Another interesting tidbit is that newborn fern fronds are called "the koru." This Maori name symbolizes new life, growth, strength and peace. It is a major symbol in Maori carving and tattoos, and is also the symbol on Air New Zealand's tail.

Bridal Veil Falls

The highlight came when we reached the Bridal Vail waterfall. This 80-foot cascade was one of -- if not the most -- beautiful acts of nature I have ever seen. It really can't be described, only experienced. It was absolutely amazing! There we set up camp for lunch. I knew it would be an interesting meal when Ian, a Treetops staff member, started chopping logs in half for the appetizer, and pulling huhu grubs (worm larva) from the wood. I passed on eating these high- protein worms raw. But as you can see in the video below, after Charles sautéed them up and presented them so deliciously with pikopiko (New Zealand fiddlehead fern) and on rewana (bread), it was too difficult to say no. We washed them down with Taakawa beer. The main course was salmon smoked in horopito with manuka honey and kararengo (seaweed). Maori Indigenous Food Trail starts at $185 NZ ($115 USD) an hour.

Horseback Riding with Didi

Now for one of my Top 10 travel experiences of all time. Treetops employs a man named Didi Rice. Didi is half Maori, with European blood, and is a real character. He's also a horse whisperer. When I signed up for this 2-hour ride I had no idea what I was in store for. Didi took me on an exciting, jaw-dropping tour of the Treetops property. Although my sister Carol has always had horses I've never felt entirely comfortable, especially going down steep hills and over rivers as Didi took me on. But the combination of Didi's knowledge and the sheer beauty of this property made the ride truly unforgettable. To make it even more exciting, we were riding during "elk in heat season." These guys were monsters, and would not stop howling! Didi explained how these elk were busy rounding up as many hinds (female red deer) as possible. It was like watching something out of National Geographic as they lined all their girls up, and chased all the horny loser stags away. If these elk could write a book it would be an instant bestseller. On the way back to the lodge a huge elk was blocking our trail home. Fortunately we were on horseback so they didn't charge us -- otherwise I would have became an instant cowboy. Yee haw! Along the way we rode by water buffalo, pheasants, peacocks, wild pigs, even trout.

Treetops Lodge

Treetops, 351 Kearoa Road, RD1, Horohoro, Rotorua, New Zealand; tel. 64-7-333-2066; e-mail: info@treetops.co.nz. Rates begin at $490NZD ($308 USD) per person and include breakfast, dinner and cocktail hour.

VIDEO

Here's a 2-minute Johnny Jet Video of my trip down to Treetops. The activities at the end of the video will be explained in detail in next week's newsletter. BTW: With high-speed the video takes about one minute to load; with dial-up, please allow up to three weeks.

NEXT WEEK

Next week we finish up with some incredible activities, including a helicopter landing on a volcano and zorbing! Find out what the heck zorbing is, and the country where I am now. Hint: I've been here many times before, but never to this particular place (it's the country's second largest city).

Happy Travels,

Johnny Jet

Please tell us what you think of this week's newsletter!

Web Resources

• Auckland Map
• Auckland Online
• Florence Court
• For the Sake of Our Children Trust
• Frommer's New Zealand
• Frommer's Auckland
• Frommer's Rotorua
• Rotorua Weather
• Maori Food Trail
• Mills Reef Winery
• Nature Connection Hikes
• New Zealand Online
• New Zealand Time
• Rotorua Map
• Rotorua Online
• Taheke Gallery
• Treetops

John E. DiScala (aka Johnny Jet), is the founder of www.johnnyjet.com, the ultimate travel website and weekly newsletter. He logs over 150,000 miles a year, has been featured in over 800 articles (including Frommers.com, USA Today, Time, Fortune, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post), and has appeared on ABC, CBS, CNBC, MSNBC, NBC, FOX News Channel, and PBS. Sign up for Johnny Jet's Travel News, Tips and Stories at www.johnnyjet.com.

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