Beyond the international success of jewelry magnate Sir Michael Hill’s entrepreneurship lies an earthy Kiwi fuelled by a passion for philanthropic art.

South Island

"The main street of Arrowtown hasn’t changed too much, except they used to have horses down the street. But it has become a funky place to eat and hang out. There's a lovely Indian restaurant called Mantra Restaurant as well as the Blue Door Bar. It's a fun and lovely place to go."

Arrowtown

"Arrowtown has some lovely restaurants including Aosta and Little Aosta by Ben Bayley, which we love eating at. Aosta is in Northern Italy and it's the same temperature and climate as Arrowtown, with the same wines and Ben’s brought the menus here. It's a really interesting mix."

Aosta

"My favorite spot in the Wakatipu Basin is where I live, on the Hills Golf Course. It was a rundown deer farm and we created an 18-hole golf course with a great clubhouse which won the gold medal for the best architectural feature in New Zealand. It's a beautiful piece of land, all rolling and undulated and we've surrounded it with contemporary sculptures from great artists. If you're down here and you get a chance, we allow a few non-members on each day."

The Hills

"It's probably one of the very few places in the world where you can ski in the morning and play golf in the afternoon. It's pretty remarkable. And The Remarkable ski fields are remarkable. It is scenery that moves you and makes a lasting impression. It’s totally unique, and an experience that must not be missed."

The Remarkables Ski Area

"Lake Hayes is a best kept secret. I try to go kayaking every second day from one end to the other and back, which takes 40 minutes if you go quickly. There's rarely anyone else there, you might see another paddle boarder or some rare scaup ducks, and other beautiful wildlife. It’s quite unspoiled. You can also walk around the lake in an hour and a half or run it in just under an hour. It's a beautiful, beautiful walk, with mind boggling vistas all the way around."

Lake Hayes

"My favorite beach is Te Waewae Bay. Te Waewae means water-water and it's an enormous bay that goes in a ring around to almost the Southern Alps. It's extraordinary, so different and quite diverse. There’s lots of huge muscles on the beach and you can net for flounder — it's wild and really different. That’s a beautiful walk if the tide’s out."

Te Waewae Bay