Travel: Taupō roadtripping with Lexus

With Kinloch Manor & Villas as my chic home base and a stellar selection of vehicles to put through their paces, I couldn’t say no when I was invited by premium mark Lexus to jump on a flight to Taupo for an exhilarating experience with the all-new RZ.
Located above the shores of Lake Taupo, Kinloch Manor & Villas has an imposingly beautiful luxury lodge at its heart, designed by award‑winning architect Andrew Patterson and perfectly positioned to overlook the lake and surrounding golf course.

Built from locally sourced materials and positioned to overlook Lake Taupō and the Jack Nicklaus-designed championship golf course that surrounds it, from the moment you walk into the interior courtyard you know you’re somewhere extraordinary. It’s interior spaces were created by internationally respected designer Virginia Fisher, whose much-celebrated work is known for intuitively combining natural textures, warmth, and understated luxury in one elegant package.
It’s an easy-to-love aesthetic that follows throughout the guest accommodation on site, which includes opulent lodge suites in The Manor, as well as two‑ and three‑bedroom villas located directly on the course. It was in one of the latter that I made myself at home, spending the day reading and exploring the grounds on foot before heading back to the main lodge for the evening’s proceedings.

It was here that we shared in the first of many Lexus-led experiences, including a deep dive into the R7, a vehicle designed from the driver out, and offering an elevated electrical performance at every touch point. From the first curve of the design to the last detail in the interior, each element is expertly crafted to heighten the senses, and with yoke steering with Steer-by-Wire technology available in two key models, I couldn’t wait to hit the track and see what it could do.
Watching the sun set over panoramic lake and mountain views, the evening continued with Kinloch Manor & Villas’ signature culinary experience, with estate-to-plate philosophy a given courtesy of the property’s on-site gardens just a stone’s throw from the lodge. After an expertly mixed ‘Lexus Collins’ was offered crafted using the brand’s very own gin, stargazing was on offer before calling it a night.

The following day was a celebration of the power and precision of the RZ, on the track and on the road. The yoke steering – held at quarter-to-nine - took a little getting used to, but I soon grew to appreciate the difference, its steer-by-wire system reducing the steering angle required for a full turn to just 200 degrees, giving you a more direct and intuitive response in every moment. The result is a drive that feels smoother, sharper and so much more connected to the road than ever before, and I couldn’t get enough. The ratio adjusts so you can complete a U-turn without moving your hand position at low speed, yet gets progressively slower as speed builds for a more natural response on the open road. Surrounded by rolling farmland, native bush and lake views, the RZ roadie wrapped proceedings, a truly superlative drive from the leaders in electrification.

It’s said that guests choose Kinloch Manor for its proven pedigree, its sense of privacy and scale, and its commitment to delivering an experience that is quietly exceptional, consistently refined, and unmistakably Kinloch. You could easily say the same of Lexus, which centres its brand values around four core pillars: Omotenashi (anticipatory Japanese hospitality), Takumi (master craftsmanship), Brave Design, and Imaginative Technology. These principles guide everything from vehicle manufacturing to the luxury guest experience, and I count myself very lucky to have experienced all of the above in one unforgettable trip.