Hapuku Lodge + Tree Houses

The 16 Best Winter Family Vacations

"Featured as a distinctive, family-friendly hideaway offering tree-house accommodations and immersive outdoor activities — a unique lodging choice for families wanting adventure with comfort." - Travel + Leisure Editors

How to Plan a New Zealand South Island Road Trip

"A lodge in Kaikoura offering luxury accommodations in treetop rooms, combining adult luxury with childhood treehouse charm." - Brad Japhe Brad Japhe Brad Japhe is a journalist specializing in food, beverage, and travel. He also hosts online video content as an expert in those fields. He’s reported from all 50 states and has visited all seven

"Hapuku Lodge & Tree Houses This architectural, horticultural, and culinary masterpiece in the eastern New Zealand town of Kaikoura consists of a main lodge as well as five modern wood cabins stilted above the treetops. It’s no surprise that Hapuku’s owners, the Wilson family, have five generations of architecture experience. Not only did they realize their goal of helping guests stay among the birds, they placed the tree houses, each one named after a different local bird species, just right so the folds of the Kaikoura Mountain Range look almost superimposed in the background. On the same property, they also run a deer farm, an olive-oil producing orchard, and an ever-expanding collection of gardens that burst with native plants and trees. The attention to detail seen in the architecture and design extends to every aspect of the guest experience. Windows are double-glazed to block out the sound of deer in mating season; the scratch kitchen cooks everything, including ice cream and peanut butter; and all the shrubbery around the main lodge mimics the natural landscape. The lodge also sets strict environmental standards, including the commitment to plant one native plant or tree for every night a guest stays on the property. A certificate is mailed to guests so they’ll know the name of the species planted and be able to track its growth on Google Earth."

Hapuku Lodge & Tree Houses | Best places to stay in New Zealand

"Occupying a narrow coastal strip between the Southern Alps and the Pacific Ocean, this luxury lodge provides an unrivalled base from which to explore the Kaikoura region, famous for its ecotours. The five treehouses – quirky, rustic but brilliantly furnished – are mounted 30 feet above the ground, all come with jaw-dropping ocean and alpine views, open fires and deep baths. Three have one bedroom, 2 family ones with separate bedrooms for kids. The treehouses perfectly capture the spirit of the place; indeed, the whole property (which includes four lodge suites, a lap pool and sauna) seems at one with the landscape. There’s a great in-house restaurant too, serving local specialities, notably seafood, accompanied by locally sourced and even home-grown ingredients. Kaikoura town is a 20-minute drive away, so as well as a quirky, memorable place to stay, it is sufficiently close for access to Kaikoura’s whale-watching, dolphin swimming and other eco-adventures. " - Mark Chipperfield