New Zealand is becoming a favourite dwelling place for billionaires around the world, the New Zealand Herald reports.

The Herald lists American Facebook billionaire Peter Thiel, Russian steel billionaire Alexander Abramov, and New York Empire State Building's Tony Malkin as among those who have recently been drawn to New Zealand.

The Herald also points out the case of Australia's multibillionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart, who is speculated to be the owner of downtown ferry building in Quay St opposite QEII Square in Auckland proper.

In addition, American billionaire William Foley became the outright owner of Te Kairanga Wines in Martinborough in December after the Overseas Investment Office granted him approval, Herald reports.

Land Information NZ documents showed Foley Family Wines bought the business in 2011 for over $11 million. Mr. Foley and his wife, Carol, own several American wineries.

The billionaires may have developed interest in New Zealand on a purely residential level, considering the country's pristine coastlines and easy lifestyle that fits mansion dwellers. However, since the billionaires' motivations are hardly reaching the media, some groups are choosing to stay alert in case there is something more to this development.

Murray Horton, secretary/organiser of the Christchurch-based Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa, warned against the billionaires' activities slipping under the radar.

"If they're simply buying a house - albeit a far from simple house, as they're billionaires- that's not our issue. That's immigration. If it involves rural land, that is a different story," he told the Herald, noting how the organisation has stood against alien investors.

"Who owns and profits from our banks, supermarkets, media companies, telecommunications companies, airlines, transport companies, insurance companies, etc, etc, etc, is a matter of national significance which affects everyone in the country, one which is rapidly becoming a branch office economy dominated by transnational corporations," Mr. Horton says.