Custom Travel Itineraries to
New Zealand since 1990
Custom Travel Itineraries to
New Zealand since 1990
If you are driving south from Marlborough toward Kaikoura, build in time for one stop: Nin’s Bin. You will spot it before you can explain it, a plain white caravan pulled up on the shoulder of State Highway One, with the Pacific Ocean close enough behind it that the spray reaches the road on a rough day. There is no real sign and no printed menu. There does not need to be. Everybody already knows why they are pulling over.
Ronald Clark opened Nin’s Bin in 1977, selling freshly cooked crayfish out of that same roadside caravan, and the business is coming up on fifty years in the family. His grandson Johnny runs it today. Johnny became the youngest boat skipper in New Zealand at eighteen, and he still keeps to the same routine: he goes out, catches the crayfish himself, comes back, and cooks it on site. Whatever lands on your table was in the water that morning.
The approach has never changed, and it fits on a napkin. Fresh, local, sustainably caught, cooked in nothing but mineral water. Add a wedge of lemon, or a little garlic butter if you want it, and that is the entire menu. Fifty years of restaurant trends have come and gone, and Nin’s Bin has outlasted all of them by refusing to complicate a good thing.
The setting is half the reason to stop. South of Marlborough, the highway threads a narrow shelf where the Seaward Kaikoura mountains rise almost straight up on one side and the ocean drops away almost straight down on the other. You are driving along the exact line where the South Island stops being mountains and starts being sea, on the same fault system that shapes the wine country you just drove through and the coastline you are about to enter.
That geology explains more than the view. The gravel soils that produce the region’s crisp Sauvignon Blanc sit on the same fault line as the water this crayfish comes from, which is why a cold glass of it pairs so naturally with lunch at the picnic tables. Nobody needs a sommelier to point that out. The crayfish and the wine simply grew up together.
Treat Nin’s Bin the way the Clark family treats the cooking: do not overthink it. Pull over, order at the window, and eat at the picnic tables looking straight out at the water. Go with an appetite, bring cash, and give yourself twenty unhurried minutes rather than a quick drive-by.
Once you are back on the road, the coastline keeps delivering. Seals haul out on the rocks at Ohau Point by the dozen, entirely unbothered by passing cars. In the late afternoon, the light turns the water to hard silver and the hills to black silhouette as the highway ducks through a tunnel or two and bends around headland after headland. By the time Kaikoura comes into view, most travelers have gone quiet, which is usually the sign of a good stretch of driving.
The Best of New Zealand
Our team has been designing New Zealand trips since 1990.
We know which operators deliver the real thing, and which experiences reward being in the right place at the right time.
New Zealand`s grande dame of luxury lodges just got a $25 million refresh. Huka Lodge has reopened with an expanded River Room, brand new wellness grounds, and doubled guest spaces, all while keeping the intimate character that made it iconic in the first place. See what changed and what stayed exactly the same.
Read the full story, link in bio.
📸 Huka Lodge
#hukalodge #newzealandluxury #luxurylodges #nztravel #bestofnztravel
https://thebestofnewzealand.com/news/huka-lodge-reopens-after-25m-renovation/
Air New Zealand’s New Business Premier Suite
Big news for your next trip to New Zealand. Air New Zealand is unveiling a brand new Business Premier suite for its Boeing 777 fleet, complete with lie-flat beds, sliding privacy doors, and a sleek 18-inch entertainment screen at every seat.
Read more through link in our bio.
#airnewzealand #newzealandtravel #luxurytravel #travelnz #bestofnztravel
Hawke’s Bay sits on the eastern coast of New Zealand’s North Island, and most visitors pass through without stopping long enough to see what the region offers. That is a mistake worth correcting. From ancient geological formations to one of the world’s most accessible wildlife colonies, Hawke’s Bay rewards travelers who take the time to go beyond the obvious.
These 5 experiences are worth building your itinerary around!
Read more through link in bio.
#hawkesbay #newzealandguide #napiernz #luxurytravel #bestofnztravel
At 399 meters, Te Mata Peak gives you views across farmland, coastline, and the ranges beyond. Drive, walk, or cycle to the top. Either way, the view is worth it. This is the one stop in Hawke’s Bay that puts the whole region in perspective.
#tematapeaknz #newzealandwalks
At 399 meters, Te Mata Peak gives you views across farmland, coastline, and the ranges beyond. Drive, walk, or cycle to the top. Either way, the view is worth it. This is the one stop in Hawke’s Bay that puts the whole region in perspective.
#tematapeaknz #newzealandwalks
Napier is one of the most complete Art Deco cities in the world. Once a year, the whole city commits to it. Music, vintage cars, exhibitions, and architecture that stops you mid-stride. If you time your visit right, this is an experience unlike anything else in New Zealand.
#napierartdeco #visitnapiernz #napiernz #nztouring
Napier is one of the most complete Art Deco cities in the world. Once a year, the whole city commits to it. Music, vintage cars, exhibitions, and architecture that stops you mid-stride. If you time your visit right, this is an experience unlike anything else in New Zealand.
#napierartdeco #visitnapiernz #napiernz #nztouring
Nearly two meters of wingspan, up close, with no fence between you and them. The gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers is the largest accessible mainland colony in the world. Tours run September through April, so the timing of your trip matters. Worth planning around.
#gannetcolonynz #birdtour
Green hills, open coastline, and enough space to feel like you have the beach to yourself. Waimarama is about 40 minutes south of Napier and one of the most scenic stretche
Top 10 Honeymoon Experiences in New Zealand
New Zealand is one of the world`s great honeymoon destinations, and not because anyone designed it that way. It just is. The scale of it gets you first. Those sudden views at the top of a ridge, a fiord opening up around a bend, a sky so full of stars it feels impossible.
From glowworm caves to glacier overnights, here are the top 10 experiences worth travelling for. Link in bio to read more!
#honeymoonexperiences #newzealandtravel #luxurytravelnz #newzealanditinerary #thebestofnz
https://thebestofnewzealand.com/activities/wine-cuisine/new-zealand-honeymoon-10-most-romantic-experiences/
Air New Zealand to Launch Sleep Pods in Economy Cabins
If you have ever dreamed of lying flat on a long-haul flight without paying for a business class ticket, Air New Zealand is about to make that dream a reality. The airline is set to launch the world`s first economy sleep pods, called the Economy Skynest, on select ultra long-haul flights from November 2026.
Read more through our link in bio.
📸 Air New Zealand
#airnewzealand #travelnewzealand #visitnewzealand #explorenewzealand #bestofnztravel
https://thebestofnewzealand.com/activities/wine-cuisine/air-new-zealand-to-launch-sleep-pods-in-economy-cabins/
Craggy Range Signature Gourmet Escape: Hawke`s Bay Luxury
If you`ve been dreaming of a New Zealand escape that goes far beyond a standard hotel stay, Craggy Range in Hawke`s Bay has crafted something truly special. Their Signature Gourmet Escape is a fully all-inclusive, multi-day experience that wraps world-class dining, wine, and luxury lodge living into one seamless package.
Read more through link in bio.
📸 Craggy Range
https://thebestofnewzealand.com/activities/wine-cuisine/craggy-range-signature-gourmet-escape-hawkes-bay-luxury/
Lake Tekapo, New Zealand: What to Do, See, & Experience
Lake Tekapo is one of those rare destinations that genuinely exceeds expectations. Tucked into the heart of New Zealand’s South Island, the lake stuns visitors with its impossibly turquoise waters while the jagged peaks of the Southern Alps rise dramatically behind them. But beyond its picture-perfect looks, Tekapo rewards you at every hour of the day.
Read more through our link in bio.
📸 GoTekapo
#laketekapo #luxurytravelnz #newzealandvacations #nzactivites #bestofnztravel
https://thebestofnewzealand.com/travel-tips/lake-tekapo-new-zealand-what-to-do-see-experience/
Tucked at the foot of Mount Aspiring National Park on New Zealand’s South Island, Wānaka packs paragliding, canyoning, jet boating, skydiving, mountain biking, and so much more into one jaw-droppingly beautiful corner of the world. Whether you’re a first-timer looking to push your limits or a seasoned adrenaline junkie, Wānaka delivers the goods every single time.
Link in bio to read more.
📸 Wanaka Paragliding
#luxurytravelnz #newzealandadventures #wanakaadventures #visitwanaka #bestofnztravel
