Nestled among the grove in a secluded hideaway sits the ultimate luxury tree houses for grown-ups.
The Hapuku Lodge and Tree Houses offers five wooden properties on stilts – each come complete with a master bedroom, fireplace, balcony, hot tub and sweeping views of the Kaikoura mountains.
Tucked away in the rugged coastline of the South Island of New Zealand, the spacious sun-drenched rooms are nested 10 metres above the ground, surrounded by the tree canopies and overlooking a deer farm.
Nestled among the grove in a secluded hideaway sits the ultimate luxury tree houses in New Zealand for grownups
The Hapuku Lodge and Tree Houses offers five wooden properties on stilts overlooking tree canopies and mountains
The canopy-level retreats are proving popular with couples looking to branch out when it comes to a secluded romantic getaway – and it will set you back from $1,492 per night.
The lodge’s five properties are unique, offering three one-bedroom tree houses, and two ‘family’ retreats, which both have a master bedroom in the upper branches and a somewhat smaller bedroom in the lower branches.
The eco-friendly houses, which were designed to complement the natural surroundings of the farm’s deer grazing in paddocks, are located in the perfect spot to explore the picturesque landscape of Kaikoura.
Described as ‘your bedroom in the sky’, the custom designed beds and mattresses have left a very good impression among guests, with many dubbing it as ‘the most comfortable beds in the South Island’.
Guests are guaranteed to see the majestic Kaikoura mountains from the front of the house and uninterrupted views out to the Pacific Ocean from the back of the property.
There are five tree houses – each come complete with a fire place and large windows offering views of natural surroundings
The spacious bathrooms feature everything you need for a getaway, including a hot tub with stunning views of Pacific Ocean
The lodge’s five properties are unique, offering three one-bedroom tree houses, and two ‘family’ retreats, which both have a master bedroom in the upper branches and a somewhat smaller bedroom in the lower branches
The lodge is run by the Wilson family who are full of architects and builders – and they split their time between the US and New Zealand.
The five siblings – Michael, Tony, Peter, Marilyn and Sara – who grew up in Wellington, purchased 35 acres of deer fenced land above the surf break in Mangamaunu Bay and began to farm deer in the mid-1990s.
With the farm on its feet, Tony thought Kaikoura’s unique landscape presented the opportunity to weave something special out of the threads that run through the family.
They set out to develop what they initially thought would be a roadside cafe and pub with six beds. But after attracting many overseas travellers to the area, they realised the ‘lodge could be so much more’.
The canopy-level retreats are popular with couples looking to branch out when it comes to a secluded romantic getaway
The stunning tree houses now sits on 500 acres of farmland with deer roaming around the spectacular Kaikoura property
‘To position people in the tree tops would put them closer to birds, to the mountains, to the ocean and the sky’, owners said
And so the tree houses ‘grew out of the thought that if one could but be a bird one could more fully appreciate the beauty that is Kaikoura’.
‘To position people in the tree tops would put them closer to the birds, to the mountains, to the ocean and the sky. The tree houses allow our guests to nest in the tree tops in a beautiful version of a child’s tree house, among the birds,’ the family said.
Each house has been named after the native bird that showed the most affinity for the house then under construction – Kereru (the NZ native pigeon); Piwakawaka (the Fantail) for the second; Kotare (the Kingfisher) for the third; Tui for the fourth; and Korimako (the Bellbird) for the fifth.
For more details or booking, please visit Hapuku Lodge and Tree Houses website.
