Kay and Trevor

Matahi Lodge, Luxury Accommodation in Katikati, Bay of Plenty, NZ

Trevor dug the cellar into the slope himself; the ceiling is fragrant Lawson cypress, insulated with cement and a layer of turf. Trevor proudly opens the double doors to invite you enjoy his treasure.

In their cellar, the vintage from last year matures in barrels. The walls are stacked with bottled wine. Trevor laughs as he tells the story of the early days with their first guests. They hadn’t started bottling, so accessing the vintage involved sucking on a plastic tube to siphon from the barrel to the carafe. The guests loved it; Trevor grins as he tells of performing this ritual several times for photo opportunities.

Kay recalls purchasing the Italian Press and their first little barrel as a milestone. The early vines are individually owned by friends and neighbours. A $10 deposit got you a plastic tag with your name on it. These same friends are engaged in the harvest and the enjoyment of the fruits of their labours.

Full of fun and humor, Trevor’s fire evacuation policy involves ensuring the guests are aware of the location of his collection of vintage wine. Leave your valuables and grab as many bottles as you can on the way out.

Kay and Trevor were given a forward push by Kay’s cousin John. Over a glass or two at The Junction Wines in central Hawkes Bay, John Ashworth, former All Black front row, enthused to his mate that forming a vineyard was the best decision he and Jo had ever made. Trevor came striaght home to draw up plans for a few vines.

Kay is a keen golfer but Trevor loves the camera. They have a driving range to practice for the golf course next door. Trevor demonstrated his prowess with a hole in one for our cameras.

Trevor has developed a landing strip for light planes to accommodate his friends from his air traffic controller days and his Rugby Referee network.


Kay said they had never had a guest they didn’t enjoy, as we leave Trevor tells us to “come again, you don’t need a reason”.

Matahui Lodge, Luxury Accommodation in Katikati, Bay of Plenty, NZ

Pam and Mark

Mark must come from entrepreneurial stock. He slips easily into talking about his brother Kim who made an astonishing movie, Shadowlands, with a camera mounted on a helicopter flying through the fiords. Because there was nowhere to play it, Kim built a cinema.
There was no bar to celebrate in, so he built one of those too. Mark jokes that he is the best patron.

In a remote place like Te Anau, transport by helicopter seems logical. Mark has been based there since he was 15 and has been flying choppers since he was 22.

Mark put the first notches in his belt in the days of venison recovery. 

The culture of that era has been described in the novel Hawks by Andrew Grant: "This was a time when the cowboys rode choppers instead of horses and used semi-automatic weapons, not six guns. They lived, worked and sometimes died in the most rugged and spectacular corner of this country - the vast Fordland wilderness." Hawks, Andrew Grant 1999.
The art of capturing live deer meant honing up new skills and working with a mate who could jump out of the chopper at the fleeing animal. Not a job for the faint hearted: for more stories click here

Mark worked for a helicopter company in Alaska, contracted to the US Government transporting Biologists and Vets in a programme to fit radio collars and track elk, caribou, wolves and grizzly bears.

Visiting Colorado, Mark was intrigued by a Log Cabin. He determined that, when he found the right place in New Zealand, he would have a go building one himself. The 10 acres in Te Anau, remote and framed by the natural landscape certainly fit the bill. Mark and Pam enjoy their own log home and have a log cabin for guests.

When he is not at home in New Zealand Mark works as a chopper pilot, shifting drill rigs in Alaska. 


Pam sometimes travels with Mark as his manager.
At home she is a keen golfer, living next door to the course.
Mark reckons she has her work cut out keeping an eye on him.

Pam and Mark offer a luxury two bedroom log cabin - a King loft and a King bedroom that sleep up to 5 people.
The Cabin is spacious and fully equipped with all modern amenities, telephone and wifi.

Relax and enjoy complimentary New Zealand wine by the fire or enjoy it in the sunshine on the deck. Breakfast supplies are provided to you daily and include fresh farm eggs, bacon and venison sausages, freshly baked bread, croissants, home-made muesli and fresh seasonal fruit.


$400 for 2 people
$50 extra per person

Moonlight bewitched Trevor

Moonlight bewitched Trevor when he met Gail, together they have built a dream: a 9-hole golf course and lodge in the middle of nowhere.

Motivated by Gail's ancestral connection to the land and Trevor's love of the outdoors they have crafted an ecologically sensitive haven for native wildlife and guests alike.

Trevor and Gail now delight in their first grandchild.

Fringed by native forest, the golf course is linked by enchanting bush walks. Wild deer can sometimes be seen grazing the fairways at dusk & dawn. A large wetland is the centrepiece of the course and provides a haven for breeding waterfowl and the secretive fernbird.

The course consists of four par-3, three par-4 and two par-5 holes. Complimentary club use for guests.

Trevor is a Department of Conservation Ranger.

He and Gail have an active pest control strategy on the golf course and have planed their wetland garden to welcome other native wildlife.

Trev is an accomplished photographer and author. He celebrates the rugged environment of the Paparoa Range, on the West Coast, in his expedition journal "Touch the Wilderness"and his photos of native birds have been published in magazines.

Trev collects oral histories from the area and is always on for a yarn.

Trevor and Gail have sold a forested portion of their 120 acre property for the establishment of a Kiwi Crèche to be run by the Paparoa Wildlife Trust. Predator-proof fencing is currently being erected.

The Trust will collect eggs from the Paparoa ranges for incubation in a special facility in Canterbury. When the chicks hatch from the eggs they will be released into the safety of the Kiwi crèche until they are big enough to defend themselves against stoats and rats. Chicks are fitted with transmitters and monitored until they are 1.2kg.

You will be able to hear them calling and feeding at night from the lodge.

Bev and Peter

Peter and I have returned home from another travel adventure. Europe, Jordan and Egypt this time. I enjoy the art, colour and texture I find in markets and bazaars around the world.








Peter and I are farmers, having farmed sheep, cattle and crop in Canterbury for 36 years. I have spent many wonderful years weaving, mostly natural wool wall hangings depicting our beautiful NZ landscapes. Innumerable hangings are in public buildings and private collections around the world. I have tried my hand at many other crafts and had loads of fun over the years.

Peter gets up in the morning planning his game of golf and ends the day dreaming of the next.

Peter has been a keen golfer for more than 20 years.
He is a warm, generous, understated Canterbury Bloke, you won't find a better golfing guide.
Peters passion for golf can take to you any one of several nearby country courses, nestled amongst beautiful scenery, stunning mountain backdrops and clean fresh air.


We offer a country homestay about 7km from Ashburton. Dinner, Bed and Breakfast