Play golf on one of New Zealand’s most beautiful courses

There are plenty of golf courses all over the world that try to offer something a little unique, but few who manage. Rather than submit to playing on some boring course near a motorway, pack your things, fly to New Zealand and cruise the unbeatable three and a half hour's drive south of Auckland Airport to Taupo. Here you'll find one of the most unique and colourful golf courses in the country – the Wairakei International Golf Course.

The course

Everything about Wairakei was designed with natural beauty in mind. Rather than carve out a section of land and simply plop a golf course upon it, the artisans who created this place ensured that the green would perfectly meld with Taupo's geothermal landscape. With renowned golf course architect Commander John Harris at the helm, the project to build Wairakei used the rolling curves already present in the region to create a unique course, with the roaring sound of the gorgeous Huka Falls just next door.
That's not all the appeal Wairakei has to offer, however.

The sanctuary

With an enormous two-metre Xcluder fence constructed around the course's outer rim, Wairakei has become a nature sanctuary and is virtually pest-free. With no rats, possums and feral cats to invade – alongside over 25,000 new native flora being planted within the boundaries – insect life, animal life and nature in general has flourished and blossomed in this magical place. Deer are being reared on the property, and New Zealand's native tui bird can be seen more and more frequently, gently gliding between trees in search of food. If life stays as positive as it is now in the near future, conservationists may even release some brown kiwi into the sanctuary.
So whether your want a relaxing few rounds with your friends or a challenging competition on a championship course, drive to Wairakei on your next New Zealand golf tour.