Wharekauhau Country Estate
Wairarapa, near Martinborough, New Zealand
Location
Above Palliser Bay
Wharekauhau sits on a working sheep-and-cattle station high above Palliser Bay in the Wairarapa, near Martinborough, framed by the Remutaka Range — around ninety minutes from Wellington.
Transfer
From Wellington
Around an hour and a half by road from Wellington International Airport.
Villas
Cottage suites & villa
Around sixteen Cottage Suites set near the main lodge, plus the three-bedroom Foley Villa with its own heated pool and the cliff-top Wharepapa Cottage.
Best For
Who it suits
Families and couples who want a genuine working farm with luxury comforts — kids' menus, babysitting and farm experiences alongside fine dining and a spa.
Board Basis
Lodge-inclusive
A lodge-inclusive basis — breakfast, pre-dinner drinks and canapés and a four-course dinner; meals are not included at the Wharepapa Cottage.
About the Resort
A working-farm country estate
Wharekauhau is a grand Edwardian-style lodge on a working sheep-and-cattle station above Palliser Bay, where farm-to-table means the estate's own Romney lamb, Angus beef and honey. Around sixteen Cottage Suites and the three-bedroom Foley Villa look over the bay and pasture, with gas fireplaces, marble floors and double spa baths. The experiences are the real thing: sheep mustering, quad-bike farm tours, clay-pigeon shooting, horse riding and Martinborough wine tastings, ninety minutes from Wellington.
Accommodation
Cottage Suites & Villa
Around sixteen Cottage Suites near the lodge, plus the three-bedroom Foley Villa with a private heated pool and the cliff-top Wharepapa Cottage.
Suite
Cottage Suite
Sleeps two, super-king. A gas fireplace, walk-in wardrobe, underfloor heating, marble floors and a double spa bath, with Palliser Bay and pasture views.
Bay viewFireplace
Villa
Foley Villa
Sleeps up to six across three bedrooms. Around 4,500 square feet with a private heated pool, firepit, full kitchen and living and dining, a short walk from the lodge.
Private poolThree bedrooms
Cottage
Wharepapa Cottage
A three-bedroom family cottage with open-plan living and a large terrace, on a cliff top with Palliser Bay views, around four kilometres from the lodge — self-catered.
Cliff-topSelf-catered
Food & Drink
Farm-to-table dining
Communal grand tables and farm-to-table menus from the estate's own produce.
Main
The dining room
A four-course dinner from estate lamb, beef and honey, at communal grand tables.
Country kitchen
Country kitchen & conservatory
An open kitchen and sunlit conservatory.
Wellbeing
Hauora Spa
The Hauora Spa, plus a 24-metre indoor heated pool.
Hauora Spa
Treatments in a country setting.
24-metre indoor pool
A heated indoor swimming pool.
On the farm
Mustering, quad tours, riding and clay shooting.
Activities & Experiences
Signature Experiences
A real working farm, in luxury.
Join the muster
Sheep mustering, shearing and spring lambing.
Quad-bike the station
4WD and quad-bike farm tours.
Clay-pigeon shooting
Shooting and archery on the estate.
Taste Martinborough
Wairarapa and Martinborough wine tastings.
Walk Palliser Bay
Coast walks and cycling above the bay.
Getting There
Location & Transfers
By road
About 1.5 hours from Wellington
A road transfer from Wellington International Airport.
The setting
Wairarapa, near Martinborough
Above Palliser Bay in the Wellington wine region.
Guest Reviews
What Our Clients Say
★★★★★
“The most extraordinary place I have ever stayed. Nothing prepares you for the depth of the silence, the beauty of the reef, or the sheer generosity of the experience.”
✓ Verified via feefo
★★★★★
“We’ve stayed here three times now. The house reef has no equal. The stargazing was, genuinely, one of the most moving experiences of my adult life.”
✓ Verified via feefo
★★★★★
“I had stayed at Four Seasons, One&Only and Velaa before visiting Wharekauhau Country Estate. They are all magnificent. But this is different in a way that is hard to articulate.”
✓ Verified via feefo
Good to Know
Good to know
Board basis
- Lodge-inclusive — breakfast, drinks and canapés and a four-course dinner; Wharepapa Cottage is self-catered.
Families
- Strongly family-friendly — kids' menus, high chairs, babysitting and interconnecting cottages.
Access
- Mobility access is limited beyond the main-lodge ramp.
Getting there
- Fly to Wellington (WLG), then a road transfer to the estate.
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Tell us about your stay
Dates, party size, villa preference and budget.
Destination
Dates & party
Date flexibility
Adults
2
Children
0
Budget & accommodation
Budget per person (flights + hotel)
£4,500
£500£50,000+
Villa preference
Flights
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