Tree Top Spectacular

If as a child you had fantasised about living in a tree house, you can make the childhood dream come true at the splendid Hapuku Lodge and Tree Houses in New Zealand.

The Hapuku Lodge, a contemporary country lodge situated in one of the most beautiful settings in New Zealand, was conceived and thoughtfully designed by a family of architects and designers. Surrounded by a deer farm and a 1,000-tree olive orchard, it features six Lodge rooms, five Tree Houses and a self-contained, stand-alone apartment.

The unique Tree Houses are nested 10m above the ground amidst the luxuriant canopy of a native Manuka grove, giving the illusion that they have been literally built within the forks of the Manuka trees. Each Tree House, with an exterior clad in raw-finished native wood and copper shingles, offers magnificent views of snow-capped mountains and the blue waters of Managamaunu Bay. In keeping with the ecologically rich surroundings, these Tree Houses are all named after native New Zealand birds, such as Kereru (pigeon) and Kotare (kingfisher).

The Hapuku Lodge, a contemporary country lodge situated in one of the most beautiful settings in New Zealand.

Meticulous Details for Best Comfort

Besides breathtaking views, all the rooms in the luxury Hapuku Lodge feature beautiful, handcrafted furniture, technological gadgetry and European style bathrooms with heated floors. The Tree Houses and the apartment also come with large spa baths and fireplaces for winter stays.

To ensure that all guests enjoy a great night’s rest, special attention has been given to the beds and mattresses, which are all specially designed and custom-made to offer the highest level of comfort. So meticulous were the owners that they even imported double paned, tilt-swing, soundproof windows from Germany to reduce the noise of the stags' roars during the mating season.  Extra thick padding is also placed under the carpets to reduce the sound of footfalls from other guests.


Fun in Nature

Guests at Hapuku Lodge can indulge in a myriad of activities in and around Kaikoura.

Renowned for its rich and diverse marine life, Kaikoura (which means ‘to eat crayfish’ in Maori) is the first community in New Zealand and second in the world to achieve the Green Globe Benchmark status (the world’s only global tourism environmental certification). Today, this tranquil town is undoubtedly amongst the world’s top eco-marine tourism destinations.

Guests can look forward to whale watching, swimming with dolphins (which is very popular), kayaking, hiking, visiting the deer farm, fishing, four-wheel drive adventures, and even Maori cultural tours.

Renowned for its rich and diverse marine life, guests can look forward to whale watching or swimming with the dolphins.

Green Efforts and Eco Tours

In its effort towards environmental sustainability, Hapuku Lodge plants one native plant for every guest night spent at the Lodge. Its goal is to reduce the carbon footprints produced by guests’ flights to New Zealand, help replenish depleted local forests and encourage regeneration of the local bird population with plants that support them throughout the year.

Owner Tony Wilson said, “Our tree planting programme is a small step toward lessening our guests’ carbon footprints.” 
Besides tree-planting, Hapuku Lodge has adopted other green practices: solar heating of the Lodge’s water, recycling or composting waste, replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents, using sustainable materials whenever possible, and sourcing food from local organic farmers.

For the ecologically concerned guest, Hapuku Lodge provides a selection of ‘greener’ activities. For instance, the ‘Discover Kaikoura’s Maori Culture and Bush Restoration’ tour allows guests to learn more about the Maori’s culture and participate in a Maori tree-planting ceremony. A Night Sky Tour introduces guests to New Zealand’s magnificent star-filled sky, which has 80% more stars than the sky of the northern hemisphere.

With such diverse and interesting activities, guests are certainly spoilt for choice!

For the ecologically concerned guest, Hapuku Lodge provides a selection of ‘greener’ activities.

About Hapuku Lodge

The Hapuku Lodge is the brainchild of Tony Wilson, who came from a family of architects and designers.

Born in New Zealand, Tony and his siblings followed their mother to Los Angeles, California, after the death of their architect father. Tony graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in history. He later received a law degree from Boalt Law School at Berkeley and practiced law for a number of years.

Though Tony had moved to the United States with his family, he kept New Zealand close to his heart. During a trip to New Zealand in the early 90s, he visited his nephew Paul, who had just acquired a deer farm. When Tony expressed an interest to try his hand at farming, Paul agreed that they become partners in Hapuku Deer Farm.

By the mid-90s, the deer farm had grown and Tony and his nephew decided to purchase more land to expand the farm. Noting the beauty and serenity of the environment, Tony wanted to build a small guesthouse on the farm. However, “the process expanded the idea”, said Tony, and the simple guesthouse became the Hapuku Lodge.

© EcoAsia 2009