4 Nights at Matahui Lodge – Katikati

Architecturally designed to make the most of stunning harbour views, and elegantly furnished to provide maximum comfort and relaxation, Matahui Lodge offers superior accommodation, whatever the occasion. Experience the personal service and attention to detail in this award winning luxury lodge surrounded by native plantings which are rich in birdlife, both native and introduced.

Day 1 (D)
Arrive at Matahui Lodge. Relax in the luxurious surrounding or wander through the 6 acres of manicured grasslands & vineyards.
Enjoy pre dinner drinks before heading to a local restaurant for dinner.

Day 2 - Kiwi Dundee Tour (B,L,D)
Your Kiwi Dundee Adventure Guide will take you on a delightful day including a great chance to experience the local life way of life in this progressive region of New Zealand.
Your day will include a visit to a genuine working horticultural orchard with kiwifruit, avocados and export flowers - a fascinating glimpse at one of New Zealand’s major export industries. A Stop at the mural town of Katikati, famous for its open-air art painted by top New Zealand artists. Enjoy the variety of little shops including locally made art and crafts.
Jan from Kiwi Dundee Adventures received a medal from Queen Elizabeth for her work here.A delicious lunch at a local winery.
In the northern Bay of Plenty we visit Waihi beach for some wonderful photography from an old Maori Pa site looking out over the whole Bay.
To complete this day of variety, wonderful scenery, a visit to Mt Maunganui to walk on the golden sand beach of this wonderful surfing beach with its volcano and off-shore islands before returning to your luxury accommodation to continue your New Zealand holiday, where your Kiwi Dundee Guide will bid you a sad farewell.

Enjoy pre dinner drinks and a delicious meal at Matahui Lodge.

Day 3 - Dinner Demo (B,D)
Spend the morning exploring the Mural town of Katikati or head to the local vineyard – Moreton Estate Winery for wine tasting. If you fancy a game of golf, Golf Pacifica is only minutes from Matahui Lodge or you may like to try your hand at Clay Bird Shooting.

Dinner Demo
A 1½ hour cooking demo is followed by a leisurely three or four-course dinner with matching wines, coffee and handmade chocolates.
Peter Blakeway has almost twenty years’ experience in the hospitality industry, ten years spent running the multi award-winning and Good Hotel Guide’s Hotel of the Year, Kilcamb Lodge, in the Scottish Highlands.

Join this award-winning chef at one of his favourite places in the Bay, Matahui Lodge, for a cooking demo with a difference! Themes can include Flavours of France or Flavours of Italy, or perhaps Summer Barbeques and Salads is more your style?

Day 4 TuhuaIsland Day Tour (B)
New Zealand’s most unusual Volcano, “TUHUA’ (MayorIsland) Our ½ day guided tramping tour through one of New Zealand’s largest Pohutukawa forests.
Reon, the guide will take you to the Devils Staircase, The stronghold where tribe would defend the island in battle.
Then visit the “Big Tree” this massive pohutukawa specimen has a girth exceeding 11 meters and is regarded as one of New Zealand’s biggest and oldest Pohutukawa trees.
You will see and hear many of our native birds including nectar-feeding bellbirds and tui, wood pigeons, morepork, fantail, kaka (brown parrot), grey warbler, waxeye, kingfisher and, soaring on the thermals, the harrier hawk. The island is also home to the Kiwi bird. A Bird watchers paradise.
The island is considered special by Maori the indigenous people of Aotearoa (New Zealand) partly because of the presence of black obsidian,
A volcanic glass created by the rapid cooling of silica-rich lava, obsidian was prized by early Maori for cutting and scraping tools and weapons and has been found at Maori occupation sites as far afield as Tiwai Pt in the south to the Kermadec islands in the north. The obsidian was called Tuhua by Maori who called the island by the same name.
The name Tuhua has a double significance: it applies to the locality itself and also to its glassy black obsidian. Tuhua was the ancient name for Me'etia Island in the traditional homeland of Hawaiki, which was also a source of obsidian.

The most striking feature of Tuhua’s volcanic history is the diversity of eruption types. Virtually every known style of volcanic eruption is known from this small volcano. These eruptions have included: Hawaiian fire-fountaining, Strombolian explosions, and Plinian falls and ignimbrite.

Day 5 (B)
After a delicious breakfast it is time to bid farewell and continue on your journey.

INCLUSIONS:
* 4 night’s accommodation
* 4 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch, 2 Dinners
* Bottle of complimentary champagne on arrival
* Complimentary dinner for 2 on the second night including wine
* Complimentary wine tasting in Matahui Lodge’s wine cellar
* Day tour with Kiwi Dundee including lunch
* CookSchool with Peter Blakeway. Dinner Demo including three course dinner with matching wines.
* Day tour to TuhuaIsland with Aerius Helicopters including morning or afternoon tea & non alcoholic drinks.

***BLOW THE BUDGET OPTION***
Instead of driving to Mt Maunganui for your Tuhua Island Tour why not have the helicopter pick you up from Matahui Lodge and return you at the end of the day!!