A country club way above par
We pulled out of the airport, which is surrounded by half a dozen jagged mountain ranges topped with pockets of snow, and headed for Millbrook Resort. Kit%26#39;s used to these December temperatures, perhaps, but I was zipping up my jacket.
The 20-minute trip to Millbrook took us out of Queenstown%26#39;s burgeoning suburbs toward the old goldmining village of Arrowtown, past Lake Hayes, a couple of wineries, Michael Hill%26#39;s place and a few of his million-dollar neighbours.
%26lsquo;%26lsquo;A million dollars%26#39;%26#39; is one of Kit%26#39;s favourite phrases - a lot of things cost that much down here. Millbrook was originally a wheat farm developed by two French brothers, and the resort has become one of New Zealand%26#39;s premier golfing destinations and a luxury getaway in its own right.
The 600-hectare property is apparently a passion for Japanese owner Eiichi Ishii and his entire family. As we pulled into an avenue of towering trees, the beautifully manicured grounds created an airy feel of space and solitude.
It still feels empty when all 400 beds are full, Kit says. A round of golf at Millbrook just after dawn was a fine way to watch the southern lakes scenery wake up. Brian Spicer, the director of golf, appreciated my extremely poor form on the course as it made him look better.
Ever the gentleman opponent, he suggested the time spent and distance covered searching the rough for my ball allowed for an indepth experience of the course, originally designed by golfing legend Bob Charles (whose Millbrook villa was where Bill and Chelsea Clinton stayed).
The course is being redesigned by younger golfing legend Greg Turner. I hit a par on the 16th and managed to avoid the very public water hazard on the 18th. The rest was forgettable. Millbrook is not. Everywhere you look, the old farm buildings have been rebuilt out of the same green-blue iridescent Otago schist from the resort%26#39;s quarry.
Split into a handful of precincts, there is a mix of private properties and guest rooms and villas spread around the 18-hole golf course.
Regardless of Kit%26#39;s reports, one million won%26#39;t buy you much here now, with the private properties stretching into many millions, owned by some of New Zealand%26#39;s elite folk and a southern hemisphere getaway for wealthy foreigners.
A room in the Village Inn side of the resort lands you in a very private semidetached studio that opens out on to the golf course or the river. Deluxe bathrooms with bath and shower, beautiful armchairs and a super-king size bed all add to the plush feeling of a suite, despite this being the standard room at Millbrook.
It is a feeling that extends to most areas of operation, with a beautiful fitness centre above a waterfall, and a luxurious and popular day spa set into the leafy verge of the main resort centre. For dining, the Hole In One bar is great for a sausage roll or panini, and Sala Sala is an authentic Japanese onsite venue owned by a friend of Mr Ishii.
The Clubhouse bistro overlooks the 18th green. My favourite is the Millhouse, the resort%26#39;s fine dining restaurant. Next to a well-populated duckpond, the restaurant is a cosy bunker in what used to be the main grinding house for the wheat farm.
The food was exceptional and the wine delightful, but most memorable was the service. The Millhouse maitre%26#39;d was, like a lot of the staff at Millbrook, a character, with a witty, knowledgeable and snappy repartee.
They treat you as if you are a member of the country club Millbrook claims to be; the smiles, banter and service are warm, humorous and respectful all at once.
The clubish atmosphere of the resort (a golf membership is mandatory for owning property here) is very welcoming.
Guests from around New Zealand and the rest of the world are here for golf, walking, weddings and 50th birthdays or just a weekend away. I relaxed on the balcony of the Clubhouse.
The season had returned to summer and a gentle storm of %26lsquo;%26lsquo;cotton%26#39;%26#39; from the cottonwood trees, or black poplars, floated across as if it was snowing. Perhaps real snow would make Millbrook even more beautiful.
What: Millbrook Resort Where: Malaghans Rd, Arrowtown, tel: 0800 800 604, website: millbrook.co.nz Basics: Resort with studio rooms, suites, apartments and houses, 18-hole golf course, restaurants, spa, fitness centre, indoor swimming pool and tennis courts Cost: Millbrook rooms start from $395 a night for a Village Inn room Getting there: Air New Zealand has daily direct flights between Wellington and Queenstown
