210 hong kong tatler. september 2017
LIFE | TRAVEL
low profile, Alexander Abramov. He built the
lodge simply so he might enjoy this remote
corner of the world from time to time in
unashamed luxury.
I’m guided by immaculately uniformed
(and mostly kiwi) staff through the lodge’s
towering doors, intricately carved by local
indigenous artisans, to find that I’m the only
guest. It’s a unique opportunity to experience
Helena Bay as I suspect it was intended.
While I’m assured by Scottish general
manager Neil McFarLane, a no-nonsense
former superyacht captain handpicked by
Abramov, that the billionaire allows other
guests to stay while he’s visiting (anonymously
of course), I’m thinking to myself, rather
selfishly, “Why would you?”
I find it remarkably easy to slip into
billionaire estate-owning character, replacing
the persona of an impoverished travel writer
with that of a well-to-do oligarch retreating
from busy corporate life. Once I’ve settled
into my ocean-facing Junior Suite, with its
super king-size bed, Christian Fischbacher
robes, Hefel of Austria linens and mosaic-lined
bathroom, I strike out to inspect the property,
wondering how a typical billionaire spends his
days off?
Nestled into three kilometres of private
shoreline and backed by its own 215-hectare
farm, Helena Bay took eight years to develop.
The main lodge wraps around a large infinity-
edged swimming pool. A small fitness centre
housing a spa, sauna, steam room and icy
plunge pool is housed in one wing. Lounges,
libraries and snugs with fireplace, plus an
extensive art collection, occupy another. Two
dining rooms open onto tiled terraces and
expansive lawns that double as a helicopter
pad. Beyond, orca are often seen in the
tranquil waters of the bay. On one of the
estate’s five secluded coves, a beach house is
under construction to provide guests with an
additional daytime retreat.
I join resident farm manager John and
his trusty blue heeler to climb a track up
vertiginous slopes, past llama, goats and the
estate’s own wagyu cattle, to a peak with face-
slappingly beautiful views out to the Poor
Knights, home to some of the best diving in
the southern hemisphere. The world below
is a patchwork of greens and blues, and the
lodge looks tiny from this lofty spot. Outside
John’s role at the lodge, the Northland native
works with farmers to train their dogs not to
attack kiwis, and hopes one day the flightless
birds can be reintroduced to Helena Bay. He
points out ancient pa, fortifications the local
Ngatiwai people once used to protect against
marauding tribes of Maori from the south.