The Land Down Under

New Zealand was not on our horizon. Italy occupied that prime spot. Martha had never been to Italy and my last visit had been twenty-five years previous. It was time for another.

But Italy was to be pre-empted by an unexpected newcomer from out of left field, the South Pacific to be exact. New Zealand was to push aside Italy and to demand our presence three times before Rome was again to appear on the horizon.

As with much of life, the idea of visiting New Zealand came from out of the blue—or more exactly, out of the once-blue, the once-blue skies of the Indian ocean that were now clouded by smoke from the burning forests of Indonesia..

In August 2002, Martha and I were on Pangkor, a small island off the western coast of Malaysia. It was there that we met new friends from New Zealand, emissaries so convincing that we were to visit New Zealand not once, but twice in the next year.

But it was our third visit, in October 2006, that is the subject at hand; a visit so utterly wonderful that we would like others to know that the unexpected can be expected in a place apparently so familiar yet so unlike any other place on the planet.

Our previous visits had acquainted us with the natural beauty of New Zealand—its magnificent lakes, mountains, countryside, etc. But this time, it was our accommodations that were make our visit so special.

On the northern coast of the south island, Nelson is home to artists and artisans and New Zealand’s largest contingent of Americans. Usually warm and sunny, Nelson was to be unusually stormy—absolutely perfect weather to stay cloistered in an extraordinary rented home on Nelson’s waterfront.

Imagine a house designed by an architect for his own use, now available to holiday renters such as we. Aptly named Haven Light by its present owners, it is built into a cliff overlooking the bay. Intimate and yet on three levels, Haven Light is like no other accommodation.

We drove our rented car into its garage. The automatic door opened onto a round-about, a lazy-Susan built into the garage floor. The parked car could then be turned 180 degrees with only a slight push. Our car, now facing the street, could be easily driven into traffic instead of having to be backed out of the garage, an ingenious solution to an otherwise difficult situation.

The master bedroom was on the first floor but we stayed on the more intimate third, where, from the bed, we could see not only Tasman Bay but also our favorite restaurant, The Boathouse, just down the street. We’d discovered The Boathouse, perhaps Nelson’s finest, on a previous visit and that it was closer than almost the next corner was an added bonus.

The jewel of the trip, however, was still yet to come. It was to be in Devonport, across the bay from Auckland that we were to discover the beauty and charm of Earnscliff. Perhaps the most beautiful and unique place I have ever been.

I have stayed at the Hassler in Rome, the Ritz-Carlton in Kuala Lumpur, the Palazzo Palumbo in Ravello, the Palais Jamais in Fez and l’Hotel in Paris; but Earnscliff in Devonport, New Zealand is every bit their equal. At once intimate and grand, it was the high point of our visit and a place that should not be missed

I’m afraid, however, that soon most Americans will not be able to stay at Haven Light and Earnscliff, not unless they protect themselves from the coming collapse of the US economy. Since our visit in 2003, the US dollar has dropped 25% against the NZ dollar.

The situation has now worsened. The US debt and its fiscal and trade deficits have have grown exponentially. The US dollar is going to drop again and much farther and if Americans want to visit Haven Light and Earnscliff, they will first have to find a way to survivethecrisis and protect their assets.