Rosewood Kauri Cliffs

Arriving along the ridge road above Matauri Bay, guests reach a property that unfolds across 6,000 acres of Northland coastline before the ocean comes into view. High cliffs drop to three private beaches below, each reached by its own track through the grounds. It is a working stretch of coast, not a single stretch of sand. Suites and villas are set back from the cliff edge, each with a spacious bathroom, a minibar and an LCD TV, and most look straight out over the water. You can walk down to any of the three beaches without crossing another guest's path, which says something about how much land separates them. The golf course threads along the cliffs themselves, with several holes running close enough to the edge that the sea is always in view. Inside, the restaurant serves meals built around the day's setting rather than a fixed menu style. A spa, a hot tub, a swimming pool and a fitness centre round out the grounds, useful on the days the wind comes hard off the Pacific. Rooms fill quickly given how few there are relative to the acreage. The overall effect is of a coast given room to stay a coast, with the resort fitted into it rather than the other way round.