We decided to complete a portion of the Te Araroa trail from Cape Reinga to Ahipara and planned to spend our third night on the trail staying at Gabi's Hukatere Lodge.

It was our biggest day walking at 30km and we'd pre-booked accommodation and meals (to help lighten our pack load). Gabi made everything about our experience amazing. We let Gabi know our rough eta, and she offered to pick us up from the beach. A little while before we were scheduled to arrive Gabi popped down to the beach to check on us! A couple of texts backwards and forwards and we decided to keep going and meet her at the beach exit. Seeing her car and her thoughtful messages gave us a massive boost after a big day, but as amazing as that was, it didn't give us the insight into how lucky we were to be staying at Hukatere Lodge. Gabi had thought through every possible detail. Our bedroom was beautiful and welcoming and opened right onto the veranda, the living areas were expansive but cosy and well-appointed. An absolute highlight was the beautiful deep bath accompanied with Epsom salts for our tired muscles, a lovely cheese platter and the most amazing feast we could have hoped for. Gabi is so friendly and knowledgeable about her region, it was great to be able to learn more about the local area. The bed was incredibly comfortable and the next morning we had an absolutely fabulous breakfast before heading off on the next leg of our walk, armed with some of Gabi's fabulous local knowledge. We're already looking forward to heading back to stay with friends and family in the future. Thanks for having us Gabi, your hospitality was outstanding!

Reviewed over 7 years ago