Horse Riding Stays: Karapiro (2023)

Kauri Lodge offers pleasant, friendly, farm stay accommodation near the Hobbiton Movie Set, Lake Karapiro and the lovely town of Cambridge, amidst some typically beautifully New Zealand North Island countryside. THE ACCOMMODATION: There is a choice between a very spacious two bedroom cottage which can sleep up to 7 and a smaller, though still large, double studio. They both have very well equipped kitchens, a large lounge area with satellite TV, and plenty of outside space and barbecue facilities. The studio is a little away from the main farmhouse and doesn’t have its own WiFi but guests are welcome to come and use the WiFi at the farmhouse any time the want. Guests are also welcome to explore the farm which keeps horses and cattle. Horse riding can be arranged too, though not horse riding lessons so they would want you to have at least some experience before hopping on. You’ll find the owners super friendly and helpful and though the accommodation is self catering you can also arrange them to prepare you a good breakfast in the morning for a reasonable extra fee. THE LOCATION: As mentioned above Kauri Farm Stay is just outside the town of Cambridge on New Zealand’s North Island. Perhaps the most popular attraction in the area is the Hobbiton Movie Set which, even for non Lord of The Rings fans, is a beautiful, almost other worldly place. The idyllic, deep green, hills that surround the set are very typical of the area and the land around Kauri farmstay very much also has that Hobbiton feel to it. The town of Cambridge is a very pleasant little place, it has become famous for its many trees and for its prowess in the sport of rowing, leading it to be dubbed ‘The town of trees and champions’. It’s not a big town by any means but sees a good number of tourists and so has a few good cafes and restaurants. Within an hour’s drive of the farmstay you can enjoy some of the North Island’s best natural attractions; Raglan Beach or the incredible underground caves at Waitomo to the west for example, or Rotorua town and READ MORE