Huka Lodge tops hotel survey

Readers of Conde Nast Traveller magazine have voted Huka Lodge in Taupo the best hotel in Australasia and the South Pacific.

The lodge, owned by businessman Alex van Heeren, was also ranked fourth on the magazine's "best of the best" list of the 100 highest-scoring resorts, travel facilities and countries. It was beaten by Bali's Begawan Giri hotel, then Australia and the Park Hyatt Tokyo.

New Zealand was rated seventh in the best-country list and 35th overall.

The readers also rated Air New Zealand the fifth best long-haul airline, behind Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Thai Airlines and Emirates Air.