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Maori culture
Time with Maori elders and the living culture at the heart of Aotearoa.
Join a collective experience across New Zealand, from the subtropical Bay of Islands in the north to the fjords of Milford Sound in the south, staying at the country’s finest lodges.
Days move between Maori culture and world-class wine, helicopter flights and hidden bays, sanctuary wildlife and some of the most dramatic landscapes on earth.
A grand tour of Aotearoa for the curious and the active, crafted with the access and care of a Satopia collective experience, and shared with a small group of like-minded guests.
"New Zealanders have a word, manaakitanga. It means hospitality, kindness, the lifting up of others. That is what this experience is built on."
This collective experience is hosted by Emma Ponsonby, a New Zealander who knows Aotearoa’s lodges, landscapes and people intimately, and who curates an experience few could assemble alone.
From Maori elders to winemakers, sanctuary rangers to helicopter pilots, the experience is woven from the very best of New Zealand’s hospitality and access.
A Collective Experience by Satopia, this is Aotearoa shared with a small community of guests, and hosted by someone who calls it home.
Time with Maori elders and the living culture at the heart of Aotearoa.
Flights over fjords, glaciers and coastlines, landing where few ever stand.
The finest lodges in the country, from the Lindis to Matakauri and Cape Kidnappers.
Tastings among world-class vineyards, from Hawke’s Bay to Central Otago.
The gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers and the sanctuaries of Aotearoa.
Riding, walking and exploring the vast, dramatic landscapes of both islands.
Arrival in Auckland, an experience north to the Bay of Islands and south through the great lodges to Milford Sound, and a farewell in Queenstown. Your designer tailors timings around your arrivals.
Arrive in Auckland, the City of Sails. Settle in and gather for a welcome dinner as the collective comes together for the experience ahead.
A helicopter flight north to the subtropical Bay of Islands, its coves, islands and turquoise water, staying at a beautiful coastal lodge.
To the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and time with Maori elders, the birthplace of modern New Zealand and its living culture.
A day among the winemakers and the coast of the north, tastings and long lunches over the water.
South to Hawke’s Bay and the clifftop lodge at Cape Kidnappers, its gannet colony and its celebrated wines.
Into the Cape Sanctuary, one of New Zealand’s great conservation stories, and the dramatic coastline of the bay.
Fly south to the Ahūiri Valley and the architectural Lindis lodge, deep in the wild landscapes of the South Island.
To Matakauri Lodge above Lake Wakatipu, the mountains and lakes of Queenstown all around, the adventure capital of the south.
A flight to Milford Sound, the eighth wonder of the world, its fjords, waterfalls and peaks rising sheer from the sea.
A final morning by the lake before your onward travel, or an extension across New Zealand and the South Pacific crafted by our travel designers.
One price, one designer. From your arrival in Auckland, your lodges, meals, flights and all experiences across both islands are held for you, so nothing is left to arrange on the ground.
This experience is hosted in the southern-hemisphere summer, when both islands are warm, green and at their most beautiful. The chart shows the average daytime high by month, with the best months to go marked.
Blossom and lambs across the country, long days and the landscape at its greenest.
The warmest, longest days, perfect for the lakes, the coast and the mountains.
Golden light and the wine harvest, warm days and quieter roads.
The land does not belong to us. We belong to the land. In Aotearoa, that is not a saying. It is how life is lived.
From the Bay of Islands to Milford Sound, this is an immersion in that spirit, across the two wild islands of New Zealand.
This experience stays at the finest lodges in Aotearoa, each a destination in itself, from the clifftops of Cape Kidnappers to the architectural Lindis and lakeside Matakauri, taken in comfort as you travel across both islands.
Words cannot express how grateful we are to have found you and Satopia. Our experience is one we will forever remember and cherish.
Jason • Satopia Community Guest
For up to 8 guests, on a first-booked basis. Complete the form and we’ll email to confirm your place on the collective departure. A refundable $500 deposit per person secures your application.
The experience begins in Auckland (AKL) and ends in Queenstown (ZQN). Your curator arranges the best international connections around the itinerary.
The experience uses scenic and helicopter flights to move between the great lodges and to reach places like Milford Sound, all included and part of the experience.
As gentle or active as you like. Walking, riding, boating and flights are on offer, balanced with the comfort of the lodges and time to take in the views.
At New Zealand’s finest lodges, from Cape Kidnappers to the Lindis and Matakauri, each a destination in its own right.
A group of up to eight guests, priced per person based on two sharing. It suits the curious and active, drawn to landscape, culture and the finest lodges on earth.
New 2027 collective dates are being finalised in the southern summer. Join the guestlist below and we’ll be in touch first, or ask us about a private experience.
Yes. A private version can be arranged and tailored end to end by your Satopia experience designer. Select “Private Experience” in the application below.
Absolutely. Our travel designers can craft an extension across the South Pacific or Australia, before or after New Zealand. Just ask.
Our experiences are designed with sustainable and responsible travel principles in mind, the need for careful planning and management as tourism grows.
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