I love this place.  My time here was way too short.  It is about 10 minutes north of Kaikoura, where I went whale watching.  It is an eco lodge with treehouses.  And who doesn’t want to stay in a treehouse as an adult!!  It has 5 treehouses and 4 suites in the main lodge.  It is right off the main road, so it is easy to get to, yet is very secluded.  On one side the view is mountains while the other is ocean.  It is also a deer farm and when I was visiting, it was “roar” season, which we in the US know as the rut.  Mr Stud was a bit vocal when I was there, but not annoyingly so.

I stayed in a treehouse.  They are roughly 500 square feet of awesomeness.  They have a real wood fireplace, king bed, mini bar (drinks are complimentary), jetted bath tub, little outdoor patio and the best view from taking a shower ever.  You do feel a bit like an exhibitionist as you stand and take a shower with windows on two sides, but how the treehouses are situated makes it so your neighbor can’t see you.

Front and back view of the treehouses.  The second picture (which is the front) was taken in the evening.

The tree house rooms are 30 feet up in the air accessed via stairs.  They are in a grove of Manuka trees with views of both the Pacific Ocean and mountains.

A better view of the shower. There is a curtain if you do not want your room mate watching you.  The tub is lovely with jets.  The floors are heated tile and the towel rod is heated as well.

When in the shower, this is the view of your neighbors you see:

I suppose with a lot of effort someone could watch, but if you were really concerned about it, the door to the outside patio also has a curtain to close for privacy.

They get the details right.  When you enter your room, they have an iPod playing soothing music. They have fresh baked cookies waiting for you.  And with a complimentary mini bar, you can open a bottle of wine or have a beer and just enjoy the view. Pure bliss.

Here is a different view of the room – standing in the shower, looking back towards the fire place:

The main lodge has four rooms for guest, a few common spaces, the check in desk, swimming pool, outside seating area, and the evening dining room.

I didn’t tour of the lodge rooms, but did visit all the common spaces, such as this room.

The food is great too.  If it is in season,  you must try the crayfish.  It is a cross between a lobster and crab, or so I think.  It is delicious!! They have a flexible seating for meals and it is a 3 course dinner.

Since I was dining alone, the above right picture was my dining spot at the bar for the open kitchen.  Guests can sit and watch the chef prepare the meal or be at one of the other tables further out.

Here is what I enjoyed.  It was an incredible meal.  The amuse bouche was a green lipped mussel, followed by a cheese souffle with tomato salad (tomatoes from their garden), crayfish, and a decadent chocolate dessert.

The next morning for breakfast, I ate in the same room.

The property has an olive grove and small vineyard.  You can walk to the ocean, which I did after breakfast.

I loved, loved Hapuku.  It is a property I was curious about for two years and was so happy to finally see it in person.  There is not much to do in this part of the south island – most visitors are staying at Hapuku while visiting Kaikoura, just down the road. A great way to visit would be to take the ferry from Wellington to Picton, get a rental car, then drive down the east coast of the south island and stay in Kaikoura before meandering on down to Christchurch.  I really would recommend staying at least two nights – you would be too sad to leave after just one.