CLIFF EDGE - OPUA, BAY OF ISLANDS

Situated in the tranquillity of a scenic bush reserve with no immediate neighbours, house guests are assured total privacy. Paihia, the hub of the bay, is only 5 minutes by car, and romantic Russell 10 minutes via the car ferry.

Cliff Edge is a very special place, offering a harmonious combination of relaxed, elegant accommodation, professional, personable, from the heart service, unsurpassed water views and simply the best cooking.

The brief to Bob Traviss, one of Northland's foremost architects, was to get as close to the water as possible and make the most of the views.

The result is a beautiful, contemporary four-level structure set on a promontory with little visible land below, giving the appearance that the building (an architectural, engineering and construction triumph) is sitting on the water. The uninterrupted 220° views from the lodge are spectacular, looking across to Opua harbour, Waikare, Okiato and further out accross the bay towards Russell, Paihia and Waitangi.

The design of Cliff Edge is contemporary, with a huge guest lounge, dining room and state-of-the-art open-plan kitchen.

Each of the four tastefully furnished bedrooms has it's own bathroom and private balcony, and all the creature comforts one would expect from a 5-star establishment.

Three of the bedrooms have extensive, in-your-face, sea views. The other still with good water views and has a beach view and looks down lemons bay and across to the tranquil Waikare inlet.

For the guests' enjoyment there is an extensive library, a wide selection of videos and CDs for in room viewing/listening, games, a piano, internet access, a complimentary open bar, and an open wood fire for the cooler seasons.

The use of native timbers throughout the building, as well as the many beautiful antiques, persian rugs and comfortable soft furnishings add warmth, elegance and a rich cosy homely ambience.

The Bay of Islands is world-famous for the natural, unspoilt beauty of its island-studded waterways. It is renowned as a fisherman's paradise, as so vividly immortalised by the famous American author Zane Grey in his books "The Tales Of an Anglers Eldorado". The Bay offers a wide array of activities from gamefishing to recreational fishing, to a gambit of other water associated pleasures like sailing, power-boating, kayaking, snorkelling, scuba-diving, dolphin watching and parasailing.

Off the water there are a multitude of things to do, like a walk through a nearby rainforest, or, energy levels permitting, on to Paihia along the scenic foreshore. Play a round of golf at Waitangi, Kerikeri or Kauri Cliffs.

Re-discover New Zealand's past by visiting the Stone Store, and NZ oldest Missionary Church in Kerikeri, or the Treaty House in Waitangi; savour romantic Russell, which started out as a whaling station and became known as the "Hell hole of the South Pacific".

Take a scenic flight to Cape Reinga at the top of NZ. Take a drive to Mangonui, where you get the world's best fish and chips, visiting the spectacular Kauri Forest on the way or take the famous Cream Trip around the islands.

Or you may just want to chill out back at Cliff Edge, playing a game of boules, unwind in the Jacuzzi, take a rejuvenating sauna, explore the waters in the dinghy, fish off the rocks just below the lodge, or simply relax on the deck with a good book, a glass of sauvignon blanc and take in the glorious views.

A guest once wrote in the visitors book: "There is a joy in knowing the moment you step across the threshold you are going to have a wonderful time".