Tuscany of the South Pacific: The Lodge, Mudbirck, Waiheke Island. Photo / Tim Roxborogh
Tuscany of the South Pacific: The Lodge, Mudbirck, Waiheke Island. Photo / Tim Roxborogh
Location: High on a ridge, surrounded by vineyards and with 360-degree views across Waiheke Island, the islands of the Hauraki Gulf and the Auckland skyline beyond. Or more specifically, a two-minute walk up from the famed Mudbrick Restaurant and less than five-minutes by car from Matiatia Wharf and the main Waiheke township of Oneroa.
I didn't know Mudbrick had accommodation? Well, now you do. Not just any accommodation either, but a stunning three-bedroom, four-bathroom luxury lodge as well as two additional, two-bedroom cottages. And if those are booked out, Mudbrick boasts seven further off-site options with everything from remote island mansions and beach houses, to a refurbished old army hut nestled in the hills.
Style: The self-styled "most romantic place on Earth", Mudbrick is like a taste of Tuscany in the South Pacific with its cobblestones, archways, terraces, immaculate hedges and gardens, and a setting amid rolling, vineyard-draped hills.
The enormous wooden dining table and hall: The Lodge, Mudbirck. Photo / Tim Roxborogh
History: 2022 marks 30 years since owners Robyn and Nick Jones planted their first vines on what was then a mostly bare patch of land. Taken by the notion that the internal temperature of mudbricks doesn't change more than a solitary degree over any 24-hour period - ideal for winemaking - Robyn's eye for interior design also had her loving just how good the mudbricks looked. In time a cafe was created and ultimately evolved into not one, but two acclaimed restaurants. Along the way, Mudbrick also developed a reputation as one the most iconic wedding venues in the greater Auckland region, before finally adding accommodation with the opening of The Lodge in 2017.
What about the wine though? The 92sq km Waiheke Island is home to more than two dozen wineries and for good reason: that mild, maritime climate, combined with the right mixture of soils, is a wine-growing paradise. And be it critically acclaimed chardonnays or trophy-winning viogniers; be it smooth syrahs or what is hands-down the silkiest New Zealand pinot gris I can remember having, Mudbrick's wines are worth every sip of the not-inconsiderable hype.
Over-sized tropical plants and splashes of colour: The Lodge, Mudbirck. Photo / Tim Roxborogh
Okay, tell us more about this luxury lodge: Merely saying "three bedrooms, four bathrooms," undersells a home that comes complete with a restaurant-standard kitchen (breakfast foods and ingredients are delivered to you the evening before), an enormous wooden dining table and hall, a covered-in courtyard, a private spa pool and a living room with fireplace. Virtually everywhere you are in The Lodge, you'll have views, including from the bedrooms.
How's the decor? Think over-sized tropical plants, similarly huge chandeliers, bright splashes of colour, marble bathrooms with standalone tubs, exposed woods, and a defiant approach to be anything but, in the words of Robyn Jones, "another boring lodge, with hunting and fishing themes".
The Lodge, Mudbirck, Waiheke Island. Photo / Tim Roxborogh
Can I really bring my toddler to The Lodge? You sure can. Not only that, it's encouraged, it's child-proof and it's about as stress-free as staying somewhere with a little one can get.
Accessibility: The Lodge is all on the one level with easy wheelchair access to and from Mudbrick's restaurants and tasting shed.
Sustainability: Mudbrick's beautiful gardens aren't just for show, with the property growing much of its own produce. An extensive on-site composting programme is also in place, involving the organic waste of the vineyard as well as the restaurants.
