When money is no object, we can be unbound in our pursuit of ways to enjoy life. Today, not even a flight to outer space is beyond our reach. When this ability is applied to creating a resort, you’ll most likely find it in a beautiful corner of the world, secluded and away from the masses. The next part of the dream resort plan would be to make it exclusive with just a few uber posh accommodations, provide Michelin star level dining, over the top amenities and then add a staff the size of a small army to cater to your guest’s most finicky whims. Well believe it or not and that’s just what awaits the limited few, way down under, in uber posh New Zealand Luxury Lodge, the Helena Bay Lodge.

New Zealand is a place far away from the rest of the world. There are two islands the size of the United Kingdom with only a tenth of the population with wide open spaces farmlands, an abundance of nature reserves, clear blue oceans and a long coastline with flawless beaches.  A few hours north of Auckland, built on an idyllic cove and surrounded by 800 acres of farmlands and mountains is the Helena Bay Lodge.

The Helena Bay Lodge is the epitome of opulence in a New Zealand Luxury Lodge yet in a tasteful way that delights instead of overwhelms. The exclusive resort caters to the few and not the masses with only five rooms for a max of 10 guests or a few more when the entire property is booked.

What is amazing is that the resort is this small yet has the services on the level of a Ritz-Carlton. Helena Bay Lodge offers a stunning design and décor dotted with priceless objects d’art, as well as service from a staff akin to what you would expect on a mega yacht. And finally, Helena Bay Lodge is a member of Relais & Chateaux with Michelin Star level cuisine from one of the top chefs from Italy.

With an estimated price tag of $50 million to construct, the New Zealand Luxury Lodge  is literally “the finest that money can buy” and there’s a reason for this level of grandeur. Helena Bay Lodge was originally built as the vacation home of the Russian steel oligarch Alexander Abramov.  As his family is only there for a few weeks out of the year, he decided to allow a small group of guests to stay and enjoy his beautiful residence. So, if you’ve ever wanted to live like a tycoon worth over 4 billion dollars, with every conceivable creature comfort and a staff of 60 waiting on you hand and foot, a stay at the Helena Bay Lodge is the place for you.

Helena Bay Lodge is deliciously private and in an isolated area 45 minutes from the nearest town. The resort is on a bay with three private bays with a two-mile stretch of beaches surrounded by rolling hills, farmland, dense pine forests and pristine wetlands with rare birds as well as visiting whales and dolphins in the crystalline waters.

As you enter the long driveway through the woodlands, the resort comes into view surrounded by a valley, pine treed mountains and fronted by the bay. Many guests will be startled as they notice within the forest hillside what appears to be a massive twenty-foot growling gorilla. Its lifelike resemblance to King Kong is no accident as the sculpture was a genuine prototype from the actual film and a pricey bauble that any buff would covet for their collection. That is the point guests understand that unlimited extent that the resort has gone to create a spectacular and memorable place. Throughout the property, both inside and out, are mesmerizing artworks to admire and enjoy.

The homestead exudes sophistication and luxury with an opulent interior design on display in the oversized rooms, dining areas, and library. The eclectic artwork, collected by the owners from their extensive travels around the world, ranges from the exotic to whimsical to classic, including masterful paintings, modern sculptures and a few rare pieces by Miro. The design is tasteful with a calming natural color palette of muted colors with ornate contrasts of Swarovski crystal chandeliers and Persian rugs. The refined lodge aesthetic is evident with log burning fireplaces and cozy nooks to relax or enjoy a glass of wine. There’s a formal dining room as well as an open kitchen and a more casual location for breakfast or lunch. Just outside is the spa and fitness area, 80-foot heated pool and an outdoor living space with a deck firepit and couches to take in the view of the manicured grounds, outdoor art and the bay beyond.

The guest villas are a short stroll away from the main homestead and exude Kiwi style with opulent European touches.  The uber spacious Villa Suites offer 20-foot ceilings, log-burning fireplaces, comfortable furnishings, and super king-size beds. Accommodations are literally fitted out with the finest amenities that money can buy including hand-made linens from Europe, hypoallergenic pillows and duvets by Hefel of Austria and the latest technology with 60’ televisions programed with the latest movies. The bathrooms are awash with gorgeous Italian mosaic tiling as well as Molton Brown amenities, Feiler towels sourced from Germany and Swiss-made guest robes by Christian Fischbacher. Glass doors open on to large terraces furnished with a tables and chaise lounges and overlooks the verdant hills surrounding the bay and the far-off islands.

As one would expect in an ultra-luxe lodge that is a member of Relais & Chateaux, the culinary experience would have to the on par with the finest restaurants around the world. To do their bidding, the Helena Bay Lodge brought in the chef and culinary teams from one of the finest restaurant brands in Italy, Don Alfonso, currently voted the 3 best restaurant in the world. The pedigree of the culinary team is from their 2 Michelin Star Ristorante Don Alfonso 1890 of Southern Italy is evidenced in each savory morsel from the gourmet breakfasts, lunches, the canapes served during apertivo or the degustation dinners served in the formal restaurant.

The dining experience combines haute European culinary techniques with locally sourced ingredients. The concept is Estate to Plate and in fact many of the ingredients couldn’t be any fresher as 80% of the vegetables and herbs come from a few yards away from the rows and rows of vegetables, herbs, and fruits grown on the resorts farm.

The dining experience is surreal with only five tables served when the lodge is fully booked so it is essentially dining with a private chef from a 2 Michelin star restaurant. The Formal Lounge is their dining room with the expected crisp white tablecloths, exquisite dinnerware by Villeroy & Boch, crackling fireplace and romantic candlelight setting the mood.  The five course degustation menu changes nightly with a series of exquisite signature dishes such as their carpaccio of black Italian truffles and cauliflower, slipper lobster and scampi or the 40-day air-dried Helena Bay Wagyu beef. The most finicky of gourmands would dine well there.

This calibre of dining demands a strong wine pairing and Helena Bay Lodge complies with their extensive cellar with 240 selections and over 2,100 bottles of international and New Zealand wines curated by their in-house sommelier.

The culinary offerings range from epicurean dining to more casual fare around the poolside for an alfresco lunch. A must have experience is to get lost at a nearby beach with a gourmet picnic basket and copious amounts of sea sand sun and a private cove all to yourself and your loved one.

There’s so much to do around Helena Bay Lodge that one need not worry about getting bored. Guest are offered a range of activities from mountain biking, tennis and volleyball courts, trap shooting, four wheeling, fishing paddle boarding and kayaking. One must-have experience is a tour around the grounds and to the farm to spend some time with their menagerie of miniature donkeys, kunekune pigs, alpaca and rabbits. This is a working farm so guests can also visit and feed the cows, chickens and goats as well.

For relaxation and wellness, the spa wing offers a fully outfitted gym, dry and steam saunas and a chilly plunge pool. It is an eastern European tradition to take a hot sauna and then jump into a pool of almost freezing water to rejuvenate an stimulate blood flow and is sure to shock the system. There’s also a lovely spa treatment area and therapist as well as a relaxation room with refreshments.

To live like a billionaire is an experience that most will never have. However, that lifestyle is available for the select few with a holiday at this New Zealand Luxury Lodge and Kiwi gem down under, the Helena Bay Lodge.