Deep in the wilderness beyond Glenorchy, ROKI Collection Queenstown has created something genuinely extraordinary — a luxury forest dining experience accessible only by private helicopter.
There are some culinary experiences that entirely transcend the restaurant entirely — ones where the setting is so dramatic, the access so exclusive, and the intention so considered that the meal itself becomes almost secondary to the feeling it produces. Rees Valley by ROKI belongs firmly in that category.
Unveiled by ROKI Collection Queenstown, the new experience transports guests by private helicopter deep into the Rees Valley — a remote and spectacular alpine wilderness beyond Glenorchy, in the shadow of Mount Aspiring National Park in New Zealand’s Southern Alps. What awaits them there is a secluded forest sanctuary where refined design, world-class cuisine, and some of the most arresting mountain scenery on the planet converge in a single, unhurried afternoon.
Into the Wilderness
The journey begins in Queenstown with luxury transfers before a scenic helicopter flight delivers guests to an undisclosed location in the valley — a detail that is not incidental. The sense of not quite knowing where you are going is part of the experience: an arrival that feels genuinely removed from the world rather than simply far from the city.
On landing, guests are welcomed with Champagne before settling into an elegantly appointed forest sanctuary complete with crackling fireplaces and interiors by acclaimed New Zealand designer Virginia Fisher. The space has the quality of somewhere that has been thought about very carefully — warm and intimate, yet entirely in service of the panoramic alpine surroundings rather than competing with them.
“This is not simply lunch in the mountains,” said General Manager Stephen McAteer. “It is a deeply immersive experience where guests arrive by helicopter into an undisclosed alpine location and are completely transported by the landscape, cuisine and atmosphere.”
The Culinary Experience
At the heart of Rees Valley by ROKI is a gourmet New Zealand forest lunch conceived by Culinary Director Paul Froggatt, whose produce-driven approach and refined modern cooking have earned him a considerable reputation. Froggatt’s menus draw their inspiration from New Zealand’s seasons, landscapes and local ingredients — a philosophy that feels especially fitting here, where the boundary between table and wilderness is as thin as it gets.
The Rees Valley transforms dramatically across the calendar year: golden in autumn, snow-draped in winter, luminously green come spring. The menus follow suit, shifting with the landscape and the larder in a way that gives each visit a character entirely its own.
The all-inclusive experience — available for between two and 14 guests — encompasses luxury transfers, private helicopter access, Champagne on arrival, a premium beverage selection, and the full culinary journey. It is, in the most precise sense of the phrase, a complete experience.
ROKI Collection Queenstown
Rees Valley by ROKI is the most dramatic expression yet of the broader ROKI Collection philosophy — a commitment to what the brand calls intentional luxury: experiences designed to help guests truly disconnect from the outside world and reconnect with something more essential.
The experience arrives alongside the opening of ROKI Collection Queenstown (above, below) itself, a new urban retreat on the shores of Lake Wakatipu that opened in September 2025. Combining the intimacy of a luxury lodge with the energy of one of New Zealand’s most dynamic towns, the property offers 15 expansive suites, destination dining, and ROKI Pure, a dedicated wellness sanctuary. Rees Valley by ROKI serves as its most spectacular extension — the moment when the mountains call, and the hotel answers.
Need to know: Rees Valley by ROKI accommodates two to 14 guests. Reservations are available through ROKI Collection Queenstown.
