At this point in the trip, we had all started to let our hair down quite a bit and have a whole heck of a lot of fun. Not until I was home and looking at pictures did I realize I really didn’t take many “work” photos at the property. On one of my future trips, I will have to do a much better job and do a new post. But for now, I will show you what I have!

Wharekauhau is a situated on 5,000 acres on the south east of the North Island. It is only 25 miles from the Wellington airport, but this is a location in which distance is very misleading. It really does take 90 minutes to drive into Wellington to the airport. Wharekauhau is about a 45 minute drive to Martinborough, a wine region making some fabulous pinot noir. Wharekauhau is most upscale property near this wine region, but it is important to note visitors will need to have a driver if partaking in some serious tastings. Martinborough is a lovely little town and worth a visit.

The estate is a working cattle and sheep farm. Guests can take a farm tour, which is very popular, extensive, and highly rated. We had an abbreviated tour and still saw the beach, eel pond (they are so tame, you can pet them. I did not, as I am terrified of the creatures and stayed by the range rovers), sheep shearing demonstration, and more. The property is gorgeous – framed by the Rimutaka Ranges to the west and the Palliser Bay to the east. At this point in the trip, this was definitely my favorite scenery, even edging out Cape Kidnappers.

View of the main lodge (on the left) while at a viewpoint on the farm tour:

The lodge is modeled as an Edwardian country mansion and was designed by Queenstown architect Fred van Brandenburg. The rooms are all cottage style, or villas, and are quite private. They all have a 4 poster king bed, gas fireplace, large closet, bathrooms with split dual vanities, soaking tub, shower, patio and more. The patio and views of the bay were my favorite.

My cottage:

Inside my cottage – this was not how it looked upon first entry, it was the next morning after I remembered to take a picture. It is a bit messy:

Part of the closet. It was quite large and I really appreciate the space:

The bathroom was large:

My morning view from the patio. I loved sipping on my coffee and sitting outside.

View walking from the cottage of the estate. Helicopters can land right at the front of the lodge for a grand and convenient entry.

Behind the main lodge is the pool and workout room. There is also a tennis court. They workout equipment is not much beyond the basics.

The rate includes breakfast, pre-dinner drinks, canapes, and multi course meal. Although I do not remember what we had, this was another dinner I really enjoyed. The food and beverage manager, Aaron, is very, very good at his job and Richard, the GM is young, friendly, and very personable. The lodge has a really fantastic wine cellar.

I do have a few issues with Wharekauhau though – they really do need a renovation. Some of the furniture in the room shows signs of wear and I felt the room was just a bit tired. I think these issues were compounded because we had just left CK, which is as close to perfect as they come. I am not sure I would have noticed things as much had the stay been in a different order. But if you do the two lodges back to back, which is popular to do, it is natural to start comparing them. This really isn’t fare to Wharekauhau though as the price differences between the two are quite substantial. If going to Martinborough and staying in a lodge is important, this is a great place to stay. Or if wanting to visit a rural, quiet, estate while staying in luxury, I still think it is a good choice. The price makes it a great value and worth overlooking a few flaws.

Wharekauhau Luxury Lodge is a Virtuoso property and through our partnership, I am proud to offer the following amenities: Upgrade on reservation, based on availability; $100 USD resort credit; and early check in/late check out, based on availability.