Long hours, endless meetings, junior employees with huge egos and demanding partners: oh, the joys of senior management. Fortunately it’s the season to indulge those around us and ourselves, give ourselves pat on the back and remind us why we strive to give our best in our chosen profession.
Just as what motivates us depends on the individual, there’s wide variety of ways to brighten the jaded. Whether it’s cutting-edge techno, traditional or simply gorgeous, the range of luxurious indulgences just gets better. For inspiration take look at some of our favourites.
There are several new flash cars coming out in December. Check out the BMW M6, the ultimate of the ultimate. This is BMW’s most powerful, most advanced sports coupe ever. It has motorsport-bred 507 bhp V10 engine developed by BMW’s Formula One designers, seven-speed sequential manual gearbox, and carbon-fibre roof panel to keep the weight low and maximise the car’s handling and driving dynamics.
This model is proper four seater, has all the luxury interior appointments of any 6 Series including superb sound system, and has an electronically limited top speed (where legal, of course) of 250 kilometres per hour.
From the revolutionary aluminium construction to its exhilarating performance, the new Jaguar XJ is another revelation. While the elegant, sensuous lines are unmistakably Jaguar, the technology is space age.
The first luxury production car to use aerospace-developed rivet-bonding technology, its high-strength lightweight body, precision power steering and self-levelling air suspension combine to give the aluminium XJ unprecedented hand-ling and agility.
The Citroen C4 range has Xenon directional headlamps, ABS braking with electronic brake force distribution and stability control, variable power-assisted steering and tyre pressure monitoring.
Passengers share the security of six airbags along with the knowledge that the C4 range was awarded the Euro NCAP maximum five-star safety rating. The C4 range is also equipped with cruise control and speed limiter operated from the fixed centre of the steering wheel.
If all those long hours at the office have caused domestic heat at home then take trip to The Diamond Shop in Auckland: it’s guaranteed to bring peace and harmony to the noisiest of houses. New Zealand’s largest importer of Tahitian black pearls knows what to look for. Most black pearls are not in fact black but echo the rainbow colours of their home… the breathtaking hues and tones of the lagoons of the South Pacific. Bigger is not always better, but with pearls bigger means more expensive.
Look out for the multi-coloured Tahitian pearl strand with an 18k diamond set clasp. The shop also has some beautiful diamond rings. It offers tax-free service on all items over $2000.
When customers seek creative innovation and certified top quality jewels, visit Karen Scott at The Diamond Boutique in Auckland’s Parnell. Some of her one-off designs using the New Zealand Eyris blue pearl were featured in the L’Oréal Fashion Week.
One of the most luxurious ways to thank clients is to take them with you on the Pacific Eagle www.pacificeagle.co.nz – the only superyacht under charter in New Zealand under the New Zealand flag. Based in Picton during the summer and run by Peter Stewart, the yacht takes three couples (plus crew of three) for cruises that average seven days. Whether cruising the Tasman Bay, the Marlborough Sounds, Tonga or Fiji, passengers want for nothing aboard this 102-foot pilothouse ketch.
Inside is techno’s dream with Sky Digital television, DVD, VCR and an integrated Bose sound system. Telephones with global coverage are in every stateroom and it’s internet friendly. If there is enough demand Stewart is planning on taking Pacific Eagle to Tahiti next year.
Art as an investment continues to flourish with the added bonus that carefully chosen artwork can feed the soul on daily basis. Ferner Galleries in Parnell and Wellington has group show Summer in Paradise to quench the art lover’s summer thirst. It has selected bright summery works by Pat Hanly, Robin White, Eileen Mayo and others to add little extra sunshine to the festive season. Pat Hanly’s The Banana Tree was inspired by William Blake’s statement “the universe in grain of sand and eternity in flower.” Its expressionistic colour bursts with dynamism and vibrancy.
For something more traditional take look at Tim Wilson’s landscapes at Fishers Fine Arts. Demand for his oil paintings of rugged and remote New Zealand locations far exceeds his output.
For those executives that enjoy the buzz of auctions but are short of time, check out this gallery’s award-winning website as it now offers an online auction facility www.fishersfinearts.co.nz. The gallery represents wide selection of quality New Zealand and international artists’ work and handles the re-sale of work by some of our most renowned artists.
Despite fierce competition from mass manufactured imports from Asia, our local Morris & James Pottery & Tileworks continues to draw fans from around the globe. Based in Matakana, company workers harvest the iron-rich clay from nearby paddocks and transform it into vibrant designer ceramic artworks to brighten gardens and corporate reception rooms. Wall panels, pots, sentinels and tiles come in vast array of designs, with new collections released each year.
The modern Ikast collection was inspired by trips made by Anthony Morris to Denmark. With its egg-shell matt black enhanced deep metallic colours, and textured features with splashes of bright red, it is far cry from the classic imagery of native trees and birds.
Both the Ikast and Graffico collections mark bold new direction in New Zealand ceramics. Cool and contemporary, these collections were inspired by European design but have been given subtle Pacific spin.
The company has experimented with over 1000 glazes and offers colour-matching service – ideal for corporate gifts.
No list of indulgences would be complete without mentioning food and wine. New Zealanders have well-earned reputation to maintain when it comes to enjoying both. There is growing raft of companies offering wine tastings, boxed sets and indulgent weekends away set in stunning scenery, while guests sip different wines with each course.
Take look at the wide range of wines to order online from the Fine Wine Delivery Company www.finewineonline.co.nz. For an elegant picnic order bottle of Black Widow – the famous Veuve Clicquot Champagne NV and two champagne flutes presented in stylish travel case and gift box.
If you’re going to be indulgent you want wine that speaks of more than the price you paid for it. For one of the world’s great reds order bottle of Tenuta dell’Ornellaia 2002. Compare Ornellaia to each of the five French first growths over the past five years and it has been rated second only to Chateau Lafitte by the world’s top wine critics.
Keith Stewart, editor of recently launched specialist hospitality industry magazine grill, has some recommendations for the best local reds around: Escarpment Pinot Noir 2004, Te Mata Colerain and Te Mata Bullnose. For sparkling wine he suggests Cloudy Bay Pelorus. Stewart reckons Delmaine Fine Foods assembles some of the best gourmet food baskets. Its Gourmet Delight basket comes packed with gorgeous goodies and Boizel French champagne.
Go on. You know you’re worth it.
Melanie Seligman is an Auckland-based freelance writer. [email protected]
