I stayed at New Zealand’s luxury Huka Lodge after a $23m makeover

New Zealand’s pioneering luxury lodge has reopened after a meticulous makeover that retains all its original appeal.

My only slight twinge of regret at the reborn Huka Lodge is not being serenaded to evening drinks by a bagpiper.

Don Ryder, who played bagpipes for the queen and countless other guests during his 25-year reign at Huka, passed away in 2018 but his memory lives on in the upstairs Piper Room, a lovely spot for board games and reading where a framed photo of Don oversees proceedings.

It’s just one of many nods to the traditions of the 101-year-old Huka, which reopened in March after a 10-month, $23 million makeover that’s refreshed and polished every inch of the property while adding new luxuries for its second century.

We’ll get to those in a moment but first, a bit of context. For its first 60 years, from 1924 to 1984, Huka was a tented camp on the banks of the Waikato River that captivated anglers – from royals to rogues – keen to test their skills against plucky rainbow trout. When the Dutch-South African businessman Alex van Heeren bought it in 1984 he built a two-storey lodge and 10 suites, seeking to capture some of the vibe of the African safari camps he’d stayed at.

“He brought the idea of something that was sporting – that was a lodge rather than a hotel,” explains Virginia Fisher, the then-novice designer van Heeren chose to shape the character of the country’s first luxury lodge. “It became something very special to New Zealand… these quiet lodges in spectacular sites.”

The two owners’ cottages at Huka Lodge have prime positions beside the Waikato River. Picture: George Apostolidis.

It also became the prototype for Australian lodges, including the world-famous Southern Ocean Lodge. Owners Hayley and James Baillie stayed at Huka in the early 2000s to get inspiration for their ground-breaking Kangaroo Island resort; in a full-circle moment, Baillie Lodges bought Huka in 2021 and oversaw this latest restoration.

Located near Lake Taupo in the North Island, Huka sits in 7ha of magnificent parklands and gardens but it’s the river, New Zealand’s longest, that steals the scene. All 20 suites and two owners’ cottages (the resort has been expanded gradually since 1984) have prime positions beside the Waikato’s changing colours and moods.

From the 60sqm suites, guests can admire its emerald flow from canopied beds, chaise longues, armchairs and deckchairs, or wander across the lawn to recline on sun lounges at the water’s edge. I would have gladly taken a dip in its gorgeous, see-through waters if it weren’t for the swift current and the prospect of being crushed in Huka Falls a few hundred metres downstream.

From the 60sqm suites at Huka Lodge, guests can admire the Waikato’s emerald flow from canopied beds, chaise longues, armchairs and deckchairs. Picture: Supplied.

Most major changes to the lodge have prioritised these mesmerising water views. The restaurant has doubled in size and spills onto an expansive terrace above the river. Decking elsewhere has also been extended and there’s a brand-new River Room that connects guests more intimately to it. “You really are sitting right on the river there now,” says Fisher.

Given Huka’s devoted clientele – I met one Kiwi couple who were the last ones to leave at the end of April 2024 and the first back this March – she had to tread a fine line between updating everything without erasing the past. So she reupholstered original furnishings such as the green leather lounges in the River Room and designed the new carpets with a subtle grid pattern to reference the tired tartan they replaced. She has fantastic style, peppering the place with talking-point pieces like an antique leather pommel, old French camp chairs and specially commissioned Maori artworks to balance van Heeren’s collection of heavy framed oils.

The revamped Huka comes with such contemporary necessities as a spa, sauna and gym, all set in a tranquil garden behind the suites. Elsewhere in the gardening department, there’s a new ornamental pond with cascade and fernery that sets the mood to serenity as you drive in. The pool and hot tubs are tucked in terraced gardens, and grand hedges enclose the tennis court, croquet lawn and “green rooms” where guests can dine in sight of the river.

Huka Lodge’s grand hedges enclose the tennis court. Picture: George Apostolidis.

The wining and dining are excellent, obviously. Rooms here start from $NZ3,000 a night so guests are served only the finest New Zealand produce, prepared in that unfussy but innovative ANZ way where the ingredients are mostly left to sing for themselves: Cambridge duck with heirloom beetroot, Hawke’s Bay plum and chocolate tart, Mount Cook alpine salmon with Cape seed bread and poached egg for breakfast. And the cellar stocks hundreds of wines, mostly premium local vintages.

After speaking to other guests during Huka’s reopening week I think it’s fair to say the archetypal lodge has managed to modernise without losing any of its original appeal. And that riverside setting is as captivating as ever.

Huka’s cellar stocks hundreds of wines, mostly premium local vintages. Picture: George Apostolidis.

A raft of options

Huka’s Lake Taupo location offers endless activities, from fly fishing to hiking, hot springs, mountain biking and rapids rafting. But there’s also a compelling case to be made for staying put and simply enjoying the magical setting.

Kendall Hill was a guest of Baillie Lodges.

Originally published as I stayed at New Zealand’s luxury Huka Lodge after a $23m makeover