Meet The People - 7

Another in the series Meet The People - Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders doing Interesting Things - As if the loveliness of Waiheke Island’s Te Whau Lodge wasn’t enough, owners Gene O’Neill and Liz Eglinton have given in to their passion for things French. For the last four years they’ve taken time out from Te Whau Lodge and taken small groups of like-minded travellers to the Vaucluse region of southern France. It’s a bonus that Liz speaks fluent French, that Gene is a superb cook and that together they’re sublime hosts. Their annual jaunt to their favourite village, St Didier is not a tour so much as a group of six people having a holiday together – visiting local markets and wineries, drinking coffee, walking through nearby villages and soaking up the pretty Provence scenery. And when it’s all over, they return to take up the reigns at Te Whau Lodge on gorgeous Waiheke Island, just a ferry ride from central Auckland that pretty much has all of the above except Provence’s depth of history. It is without doubt the very best of both worlds. www.tewhaulodge.co.nz