Celebrity-beloved harbour retreat for sale

Northland's multi-million dollar luxurious Kingfish Lodge - which has played host to a string of Hollywood A-listers - is on the market. Photo / Supplied

Northland's multi-million dollar luxurious Kingfish Lodge - which has played host to a string of Hollywood A-listers - is on the market.

Tucked away in a private cove in the Far North's Whangaroa Harbour, Kingfish Lodge - which has hosted Robin Williams, Michael Douglas, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman - is a 12-suite retreat with a restaurant, an events space and a bar.

It sits on almost 12ha of waterfront land and was built in the 1930s.

It was last sold in 2011 for $2.9 million, and was once owned by "Mr Asia" lawyer, the late Eb Leary.

The getaway, only accessible by air or water, charges between $325 and $900 per night in the high season.

The property is being sold by Bayleys through a receivership tender process.

Current owners Jeremy and Jacqui Elvidge bought the lodge after moving north from Christchurch "to escape the earthquakes". But the retreat was placed in receivership on January 27.

Bayleys estate agent Chester Rendell said in its heyday, it was one of New Zealand's premier leisure destinations - alongside the likes of Huka Lodge near Taupo and Solitaire Lodge at Lake Tarawera.

Kingfish started life as the Northland Fishing Lodge in the late 1930s but was requisitioned by the Crown after the invasion of Pearl Harbour by the Japanese. During World War II it ran as a defence installation before returning to private ownership in 1953. "It's got some great history, and you can only get to it by boat so it has that retreat-type privacy that many people are looking for," Mr Rendell said.

"The character is the first thing that strikes you about the place.

"It's been a great base for the fishing community - people out there game fishing or cruising up and down the coast."

Kingfish Lodge in the Whangaroa Harbour Northland is for sale. Photo / Supplied

Celebrity escape

• Kingfish Lodge is reached by water or air. It is a 10-minute boat ride from Whangaroa.

• Accommodation consists of 11 "super king" suites.

• The property has a "Commanding Officer's Suite" - a self-contained building billed as the premium accommodation option that was formerly the owner/manager's private residence.

• The lodge has a 32-seat restaurant, a separate dining deck for 17, bar and guest lounge.

• There are 11 rooms for staff accommodation.

• The property also has a sauna.