Otago

From rugged sandy beaches to glacial lakes and snowy mountains, New Zealand’s Otago region abounds with wineries, quaint towns, good food and great adventure.

Otago - Places | Exceptional ALIEN

‘The main street of Arrowtown hasn’t changed too much, except they used to have horses down the street. But it has become a funky place to eat and hang out. There's a lovely Indian restaurant called Mantra Restaurant as well as the Blue Door Bar. It's a fun and lovely place to go.’

Neighborhoods

Arrowtown

‘Arrowtown has some lovely restaurants including Aosta and Little Aosta by Ben Bayley, which we love eating at. Aosta is in Northern Italy and it's the same temperature and climate as Arrowtown, with the same wines and Ben’s brought the menus here. It's a really interesting mix.’

Food & Drink

Aosta

‘My favorite spot in the Wakatipu Basin is where I live, on the Hills Golf Course. It was a rundown deer farm and we created an 18-hole golf course with a great clubhouse which won the gold medal for the best architectural feature in New Zealand. It's a beautiful piece of land, all rolling and undulated and we've surrounded it with contemporary sculptures from great artists. If you're down here and you get a chance, we allow a few non-members on each day.’

Design

The Hills

‘It's probably one of the very few places in the world where you can ski in the morning and play golf in the afternoon. It's pretty remarkable. And The Remarkable ski fields are remarkable. It is scenery that moves you and makes a lasting impression. It’s totally unique, and an experience that must not be missed.’

Nature

The Remarkables Ski Area

‘Lake Hayes is a best kept secret. I try to go kayaking every second day from one end to the other and back, which takes 40 minutes if you go quickly. There's rarely anyone else there, you might see another paddle boarder or some rare scaup ducks, and other beautiful wildlife. It’s quite unspoiled. You can also walk around the lake in an hour and a half or run it in just under an hour. It's a beautiful, beautiful walk, with mind boggling vistas all the way around.’

Lake Hayes

‘My favorite beach is Te Waewae Bay. Te Waewae means water-water and it's an enormous bay that goes in a ring around to almost the Southern Alps. It's extraordinary, so different and quite diverse. There’s lots of huge muscles on the beach and you can net for flounder — it's wild and really different. That’s a beautiful walk if the tide’s out.’

Te Waewae Bay

Listen

Sir Michael Hill shares his travel gems on where to visit when in Otago, New Zealand.

Sir Michael Hill - Travel Playbooks | Exceptional ALIEN

Otago with Sir Michael Hill

Beyond the international success of jewelry magnate Sir Michael Hill’s entrepreneurship lies an earthy Kiwi fuelled by a passion for philanthropic art.

Sir Michael Hill - People | Exceptional ALIEN

We chat to Sir Michael Hill about the hypnotic draw of New Zealand, lessons learned as an entrepreneur and supporting the next generation of creatives.

People

Sir Michael HILL

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About Sir Michael HILL

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