Accommodating just five couples across five villa suites in its shoreside pile, Helena Bay draws upon European influences in early New Zealand for much of its style, realised in locally sourced materials to a plan that seeks to achieve a “timeless legitimacy in the region”. The Main House, in addition to eclectic artworks and objects acquired during the owners’ travels around the globe, also houses guest facilities, including the Russian-style banya bathhouse, library and the 25m heated pool, plus dining areas to enjoy the “estate-to-plate” dishes of Ristorante Don Alfonso 1890 (helmed here by chef Michele Martino). On the doorstep, the rugged natural beauty of Northland beckons to the active, with diving, hiking, fishing and electric mountain biking offered by the property.

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