TRAVEL: CAPE KIDNAPPERS
dish editor Sarah Tuck surrenders to the luxury at awardwinning Hawke’s Bay haven The Farm at Cape Kidnappers
dish Editor Sarah Tuck surrenders to the luxury at award-winning Hawke’s Bay haven The Farm at Cape Kidnappers.
The Farm at Cape Kidnappers is the perfect place to relax, unwind and escape the stresses of everyday life. With rolling hills stretching out in front, leading to rugged cliffs and glorious, vast sea views, it’s easy to see why it was named number one in New Zealand and Australia at the 2019 Travel and Leisure ‘World’s Best’ awards.
You can imagine my excitement at having the opportunity recently to visit, to eat, drink, explore and enjoy some luxurious pampering. On arrival it is hard not to be impressed by the stylishly furnished main lodge with its incredible views, and interiors that somehow manage to be both generously proportioned, yet intimate in nature. Having settled into my beautifully appointed suite, I was thrilled to head out to what is the largest, most accessible (via the Cape Kidnappers Farm) mainland colony of gannets in the world. The gannets seem to take the arrival of visitors in their stride, and get on with their business of mating, hatching chicks and parenting in huge numbers between September and May.
In preparation for my gourmet dinner, I chose to run back to the lodge, along picturesque farm tracks, arriving ready to spruce myself up before wandering back to the dining loggia for a stunning feast, masterfully prepared by head chef James Honore. James and his team source much of their produce from the farm’s own vegetable garden and the local, boutique Hawke’s Bay suppliers. Menus change with the season, and meals can be enjoyed in the main or small dining rooms, the loggia, or snuggled up in your suite.
After a restful night’s sleep, I eschewed the golf option in favour of a relaxation massage at the restful spa. The hour disappeared in the blink of an eye and I floated back to my suite feeling peaceful and rejuvenated.
There is a sense of easy-going sophistication that pervades everything about Cape Kidnappers, from the attentive level of service to the delicious biscuits ready by my teapot, the stunning food and wine menu and the pre-dinner cocktails – the time passed much too quickly, and I can’t wait to return. For more info contact contact info@capekidnappers.com 446 Clifton Road, Te Awanga, Hawke’s Bay