Farm by name and nature, Cape Kidnappers harvests much of its own produce from its onsite vegetable garden.

Close to the lodge and abundant in every season, the garden enables Head Chef James Honore to create daily menus based on what is freshest.

What can’t be sourced from the farm’s vegetable garden is sourced from elsewhere in the Hawke’s Bay, which is known for its bountiful fruit, vegetables and boutique delicatessen products.

Honore says he and his brigade of chefs pride themselves on using freshest, seasonal cuisine available to them.

"Our kitchen is constantly evolving with new dishes and experiences for our guests, which is exciting. It is important not to combine too many flavours or to confuse the palate. I enjoy sourcing ingredients from the very best suppliers in Hawkes Bay, along with our daily picked fruit and vegetables from our own garden."

Cape Kidnappers offers exquisite dining options including in the Snug, Library, Small Dining Room, Main Dining Room and Loggia, with private dining arranged upon request.

You are invited to relax and rejuvenate your body, mind and spirit at The Spa at Cape Kidnappers.

Located at the top of the path leading from the main lodge to the Hilltop suites, the spa’s incredible views of Hawke’s Bay will calm and relax you before your treatment even begins.

With 3 treatment rooms (including a couple’s suite, perfect for honeymooners), the spa offers a collection of massage styles, facials, pedicures, manicures and hair care.

All spa treatments are 60-90 minutes in length and packages can be customised to suit your individual needs.

Every day, The Farm at Cape Kidnappers welcomes families of all sizes and ages. Jet-setting families have chosen Cape Kidnappers for the generations with the educational, interactive and destination inspired activities a firm favourite. Once on property, families delight in the convenience of having attentive, family-friendly staff to curate their stay from experiences, day trips and dining to all the little details in between. 

Accommodation for Families
There is a number of options available for accommodating children, including in-room, adjoining rooms and neighbouring suites.

Children can sleep in the same room as their parents, with additional bedding or cribs added on request to our Ridge and Lodge Suites.

The Farm at Cape Kidnappers offers family suites, with an adjoining second bedroom with ensuite, while the four-bedroom Owner’s Cottage offers plenty of space to stretch out as a family. The Owner’s Cottage can be booked as either a four-bedroom cottage, two-bedroom cottage or two-bedroom suite. Cape Kidnappers also offers side by side Hilltop Suite and Ridge and Lodge Suite accommodation for independence seeking tweens and teens.

Dining with Children
Cape Kidnappers staff delight in catering for families, offering a children’s menu with classic favourites as well as the chef’s creations sourced from local farms.

The chefs would love to discuss meal preferences for your children during your stay, and will manage dietary requirements and fussy eaters to ensure a well-balanced, delicious meal is devoured by the youngest guests.

Golf
Designed by legendary golf architect Tom Doak, the Cape Kidnappers par 71 golf course measures 7,119 yards (6,510 meters) and will challenge golfers of all skill levels. Completed in 2004, this spectacular New Zealand golf course has been hailed as one of the great modern marvels in golf. Built on a ridge-and-valley landscape and with stunning sea views, Cape Kidnappers Golf Course plays high above the ocean atop dramatic cliffs.

With cliff-edge fairways perched 140 metres above sea level and with surface that remains firm and fast, this course offers holes unlike anything you find elsewhere in the world. While every hole has a spectacular view of the Bay, some play cautiously alongside deep ravines as others intimidate golfers with deep cliff top bunkers and sheer drops off the very edge of the earth.

The golf complex includes a world-class practice range, putting and chipping greens, a well-stocked golf shop, club house and ladies’ and mens’ locker rooms. Premium ladies’ and mens’ rental clubs are available. 

Can-Am
Largely inaccessible to regular vehicles, Cape Kidnappers is best explored by Can-Am. Discover this rugged terrain with a personal guide as you travel to the very edges of this vast coastal property. Breathe in the southward views towards Ocean Beach and Bare Island before turning back to unrivalled vistas across the entire farm towards Napier and the surrounding ranges; venture through an old creek bed, across expansive farmland and down to historic Rangaika Beach. Ideal for all age groups and fitness levels, this tour is an absolute highlight.

The Sanctuary
The Cape Sanctuary is the largest privately owned and funded wildlife restoration project of its kind in New Zealand. Now 10 years in the making and with a predator-proof fence that stretches 10.6km from coast to coast, the sanctuary has a vision to restore the communities of landbirds, seabirds, reptiles and invertebrates that once thrived on the peninsula. Key to these efforts are the relocation and protection of juvenile kiwi bird, the preservation of the gannet colonies and protection of precious flora and fauna that would otherwise be at risk from predators.

Shepherding
Join a shepherd for an introduction to life on a 6,000 acre working sheep and beef farm. A farm by name and nature, Cape Kidnappers is a spectacularly rugged farmland. The sheer expanse of coastal Cape Kidnappers Station is awe-inspiring, and with rolling hills and river flats that serve as paddocks for sheep and cattle, the farm's Shepherding Experience is not to be missed.  A must-do for younger guests, prepare to be amazed as you witness the farm dogs muster sheep. Highly-trained, these dogs are key members of the team at Cape Kidnappers Station and children and adults alike are fascinated by this mustering and shearing display. 

Horse Riding
Horse riding is the best way to soak up the atmosphere of Cape Kidnappers Station. You will take the reins of a gentle, well-trained horse and head out across the vast 6,000 acre station.

See all that Cape Kidnappers has to offer with rolling hills, deep ravines and expansive views both across the Pacific Ocean and out over thousands of acres of working farmland.

Your guide will choose a horse and trail that best matches your size and ability before you head out to explore the countryside or pick your way through rejuvenating native bush. Take a picnic lunch and you will be sure to find a sublime spot where you can dismount and relax before continuing your cross-country trek.

Horseback is a wonderful way to visit the Cape Kidnappers Black Reef gannet colony, and see the life and workings of this rugged coastal sheep and beef station. 

Gannet Colony
Cape Kidnappers is home to the largest, most accessible mainland colony of gannets in the world. A part of the Booby family, these birds have incredibly distinct markings and a fascinating migration pattern. Visit the colony and see gannets nesting in rows, hatchlings learning to fly and adult gannets carrying out their daily routines. The birds are usually in residence from September until early May, when the adult birds depart and their newly hatched chicks take flight to Australia for two years before returning to Cape Kidnappers once more. The Can-Am Tour is a great way to see the colonies or if you are feeling adventurous, take a picnic and venture out toward the colony either on foot or mountain bike.

Kiwi Discovery Walk
An experience like no other and exclusive to guests of Cape Kidnappers, this is your chance to see the rare, endangered kiwi in its own, natural habitat. Venture into the pine forests surrounding the lodge with an experienced guide as they carry out essential monitoring of kiwi chicks.

Assist your guide as they check the kiwi’s radio transmitters, weigh and measure the birds to monitor their wellbeing. Proceeds from this experience go to the Cape Kidnappers’ Sanctuary to ensure the continuation of their work preserving the native species.

Limited to just two groups a day of no more than six guests, this is something many New Zealanders themselves will never have the chance to experience.

Season availability applies for this experience.  

Clay-Bird Shooting
Deep within rugged ravines, glance away from the horizon and bring your focus in for a spot of Clay Bird Shooting. Stand near the mighty cliff edge and fire at targets as they are launched over the Pacific Ocean. Firearms are provided for this experience, all you need to bring is your hand / eye coordination!

Guided Walk
Cape Kidnappers is a unique and fascinating landscape, geologically very young but with a rich history that weaves a compelling story. Join your guide across unmarked areas and trails of the farmland, along cliff edges, over hills and down to beaches as her tales details the naming of the peninsula, the pioneering farmers of the district, the rebirth of the bush and rare birdlife and everything in between. Having lived here most of her life, it is a story that is full of detail and personality. Walks can be tailored to fitness and interest.

Bird Tours
Guided by an experienced ornithologist, Cape Kidnappers and Ocean Beach Wildlife Preserve offer a fantastic opportunity to discover the curious and beautiful birdlife of New Zealand. See native pigeons, commonly known as keruru, tui, bellbirds, fantails and grey warblers in a coastal and native forest habitat. If you’re lucky you might also come across oystercatchers and the infamous Australasian gannets.

Heli Fishing
A true wilderness fly fishing experience using a helicopter to fly you to remote back country rivers and streams which are otherwise inaccessible. Discover untouched New Zealand with astounding beauty and unspoiled wilderness, all while chasing wily back country fish.

Hanging Rock Gorge Walk
One for the true nature lover, this bespoke experience gives you a deeper look at the natural beauty of the Sanctuary. This bespoke tour begins with a visit to the aviary to see the ancient tuatara and endangered birdlife, before taking a 4WD drive into the heart of the Sanctuary and up a dry river bed for 30 minutes.

From here, continue on foot to the head of the river and a stunning, hidden gorge. During this 2km round trip, your guide will point out native plants, their role in this unique ecosystem, the geology of the area and how Maori people first used the forest.

As native bird call surrounds you, join your guide in bird call, reptile and invertebrate counts, all which play a crucial role in the Sanctuary’s monitoring programme. Enjoy native kawakawa tea refreshments before returning to the lodge.

Central Plateau and Lake Taupo Scenic Flight
The experience of a life time. Fly through the heart of Hawke’s Bay before travelling over the Kaweka and Kaimanawa Forest Park ranges for amazing views of the expansive Lake Taupo and Tongariro National Park. Fly over the active volcanoes of the central plateau and peer into Mt Ruapehu’s crater lake before turning back to Hawke’s Bay and drinking in the magnificent views of the alpine back country.

Craggy Range Scenic Flight
Lift off from The Farm and experience the east coast or vineyards of Bridge Pa before passing over Te Mata Peak to land at the world famous Craggy Range Winery. A stunning spot to enjoy lunch with a backdrop of dramatic scenery. Decide on either a vehicle pick-up after lunch or another helicopter ride.

Sanctuary Wildlife Experience
Discover the Cape Sanctuary; how it operates, why it is necessary and its incredible success stories—the kakariki, kaka and tuatara.

New Zealand’s endangered kakariki and kaka are native New Zealand birds that have been reintroduced to the peninsula. Be there when these stunning birds are fed and witness how their wild population now flourishes here.

Meet the ancient tuatara; a "living fossil" that has remained unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs. One of the world’s oldest living species, the tuatara has been reintroduced in to the Cape Sanctuary, which is now one of the only places on the New Zealand mainland where breeding has occurred in the wild for over 200 years.

The Sanctuary tuatara will come out of their burrow to be fed, allowing guests to see and assist with routine health checks.

Heli Hiking
Fly in over a spectacular landscape of bush, tussock and mountain rivers to the isolated heart of the Central North Island. Normally only accessible by a three-day hike, your pilot will drop you at the summit to soak up the view before you head off downhill surrounded by the sheer beauty of the Tongariro National Park. The mountain trail is 10km with a vertical drop of 2,500 feet and ends on the bank of a beautiful backcountry stream where your helicopter will pick you up.

Mountain Biking at Cape Kidnappers
Hit the tracks and explore the 6,000 acre property by mountain bike. Cape Kidnappers has men’s, women’s and children’s bikes available for use.

Walking Trails at Cape Kidnappers
Whether it is a twenty-minute stroll, an early morning jog or a two-hour walk, Cape Kidnappers delivers. Jog or walk along Trigg Road with its truly amazing views of Ocean Beach and Bare Island; head back to the Rough Block and down into an old creek bed to discover rejuvenating native bush; or capture inspirational images of the coastline by walking down and through the pines towards a historic Maori Pa site for views right out across the Pacific.

Picnics at Cape Kidnappers
With an abundance of secluded and picturesque locations on property, you could spend a lifetime picnicking at Cape Kidnappers. So whether you wish to walk or be delivered, why not experience the station with one of the gourmet picnic hampers and a glass of Hawke’s Bay wine in tow?