Wharekauhau Country Estate: Where rugged New Zealand meets luxury hospitality and foodie heaven

Just a 90-minute drive from Wellington, the luxurious and sprawling Wharekauhau Country Estate combines rugged New Zealand coastlines, farming and forests with comfort, elegance and of course, some of the best food and wine our country has to offer.

Above the crashing waves of Palliser Bay and below the rolling hills of the Remutaka ranges is Wharekauhau estate; one of the country's oldest sheep stations and a luxury Edwardian lodge in one of the most dramatically rugged locations in New Zealand. 

The 3,000 acre Estate’s grounds encompass ancient forest, rivers and rugged coast with hiking and quad bike trails within the grounds ready to be explored. There's archery, clay bird shooting, a tennis court, a heated pool and a croquet pitch - even a seal colony and the Cape Palliser Lighthouse within a stone's throw.

Those ample grounds also make the lodge a foodie heaven. The Estate's orchard, herb and vegetable gardens supply the open farmhouse kitchen's 'locavorian' menu that showcases the best the region has to offer. The culinary works of art you'll find on the plate have been created with an emphasis on Waiarapa produce and knowledge of the food from 'seed to skillet'.

That 'farm to table' ethos is matched by wines from the well-appointed cellar, with drops from just down the road, all over New Zealand and a few from even further afield. The sommelier is on-hand to guide your selection or host a private tasting. The lodge is local to Martinborough 'wine village' so there is easy access to a tour of the New Zealand's original Pinot Noir region's cellar doors. 

Back at the lodge you'll find oversized fireplaces, a library, games room and a mix of antique and modern furniture that brings out the Edwardian elegance of the original building. Or hideaway in one of the sixteen private cottages. Each has it's own entrance and is plush with deep sofas, fluffy pillows, heated marble floors, homemade shortbread and views of the rugged coastline and Remutaka Ranges.

On 26 June, Wharekauhau Country Estate will reopen its doors, promising unrivalled New Zealand hospitality and celebrating farming history - and there's a special reopening offer on until the end of September. For more information, or to book your next stay, visit www.wharekauhau.co.nz