One of my favourite golf courses is Jack’s Point in the alpine wonderland near Queenstown on the South Island. “Tremendous course,” agrees Steve Williams, Tiger Wood’s long term caddy in an interview with the Southland Press. Having walked some of the greatest courses in the world, this is awesome praise from Williams. And what an awesome setting!

In a recent review of the Jack’s Point website I couldn’t believe the prices…

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Extract from Birdies, Bogeys and Kiwis: Golfing Around New Zealand

Only ninety minutes north of Christchurch…the Hanmer Springs alpine spa village is almost totally encircled by forest, foothills and mountains of the Southern Alps. Although the nearby Waiau Gorge is a great place to bungy-jump, a visit to the Hanmer Springs Golf Club is a better bet for our longevity… Continue Reading »

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Excerpts from Birdies, Bogeys and Kiwis: Golfing around New Zealand

New Zealand’s South Island is noted for a superb eco-tourism area — the Catlins. A 60,000 hectare place of awesome natural beauty, ranging from deserted beaches, dense forests, deep valleys, spectacular waterfalls and great walking tracks. There’s always a chance to view myriad native birds, sea elephants, leopard seals, sealions, New Zealand fur seals, Hector’s dolphins and our favourite – penguins… Continue Reading »

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Excerpts from Birdies, Bogeys and Kiwis: Golfing around New Zealand

Hopeful of a pleasant afternoon, we purchase tickets in Christchurch to ride the Tranz-Alpine Express through the Canterbury Plains and the Southern Alps for an afternoon at Greymouth on the West Coast. A local old-timer at the station tells us the train is a bit of a bone-rattler and he’s not far from wrong. After some jolts and bumps, the train sets out across those pastoral Plains and gradually climbs up into the majestic mountains.

Suddenly the train violently lurches…  Continue Reading »

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Excerpts from Birdies, Bogeys and Kiwis: Golfing around New Zealand

Driving the high country Crown Range Road in Central Otago we soon find ourselves on what was once a Maori trail that later seemed to be paved in gold…Along the way we pass what, at first, looks like Tibetan prayer flags strung out on a wire fence alongside the road. A second look defies belief. Continue Reading »

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Extracts from Birdies, Bogeys and Kiwis: Golfing Around New Zealand

As often happens during an unplanned road trip, we stop at the first accommodation sign we see when we’re ready to call it quits. At Murchison we lay claim to the last available cottage…closely beating out another couple caught in the competition for limited accommodation but perhaps they were the lucky ones… Continue Reading »

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