- Lake Karapiro Lodge, a luxury venue hosting stars like Sir Peter Jackson, is for sale at over $5m.
- The lodge, popular with Lord of the Rings fans, offers five guest rooms and stunning lake views.
- Owners Colin and Jan Pauling revitalised the lodge post-Covid, making it a thriving hospitality business.
A luxury lodge that has hosted director Sir Peter Jackson and many of the stars from his Lord of the Rings trilogies is looking for a buyer with more than $5 million to spend.
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Lake Karapiro Lodge is a regular haunt of Sir Peter when he visits nearby Hobbiton, in Matamata. Other guests include British actors Andy Serkis, who memorably played Gollum in the Rings movies, and Brian Cox, who lent his voice to last year’s Rings animation movie but is perhaps better known as the foul-mouthed media tyrant Logan Roy in the award-winning TV show Succession.
The lodge is also a favourite of Rings fans. The owners told OneRoof that a US couple who got engaged in the lodge’s gardens returned with their family when they got married. They had 80 guests with them and while the ceremony was at Hobbiton, the wedding party stayed at the lodge.
The eight-bedroom lodge sits on nearly 1000sqm of waterfront land. Photo / Supplied
The property was developed as a luxury 5-star hotel. Photo / Supplied
Colin and Jan Pauling said that sometimes they didn’t realise how famous, accomplished or wealthy their overseas guests were until after the fact, telling OneRoof they had also welcomed world renowned archaeologists, leading heart and brain surgeons and successful businesspeople.
The couple told OneRoof they had been living on an avocado orchard in the Bay of Plenty when they purchased the seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom lodge three years ago. The previous owners were friends of Jan’s parents, so she knew the house had “heart” well before they bought it.
Like most hospitality businesses, the lodge was hit hard by Covid and when the Paulings took it over they had to spend a lot of time and money bringing the property up to scratch.
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Initially, they hadn’t planned to run it as a lodge, and only kept it going to honour the pre-existing bookings. But after hosting their first guests, they received some glowing reviews and got more bookings.
“It just grew so we decided we would run it as a lodge. It’s fun. We’ve had some lovely people stay here. We’ve had fun meeting the people,” Colin told OneRoof.
Colin said guests loved the impressive and wide views of Lake Karapiro and the character of the home. They also didn’t bat an eyelid about shelling out $680 a night for one of the three ensuite rooms available or $1080 a night for one of the two large suites upstairs.
Actor Brian Cox visited Hobbiton in Matamata in December last year for the red carpet premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Photo / Sonna Studios
Sir Peter Jackson often stays at Lake Karapiro Lodge when visiting Matamata. Photo / Sonna Studios
“These people don’t see it as expensive. They see it as quality. They love it. They all think it’s 100 years old,” he said.
In addition to the five guest rooms and the guest drawing room, there’s another ensuite bedroom currently not rented out to guests and the owner’s living quarters.
The previous owners, hoteliers from England and Germany, built the property in the early 2000s. They imported a lot of high-quality materials including cedar joinery and also opted for fibrous plaster ceilings with intricate detailing, leadlight windows and sparkling chandeliers.
The distinctive blue Versace tiles and Versace vanity purchased from the Italian fashion house are what gave the Versace suite its name. Next door is the Sir Tristram suite, which was inspired by the great thoroughbred stud stallion and includes several pieces of memorabilia including a small horse statue donated by his owner the late Sir Patrick Hogan.
Guests love the stunning views over Lake Karapiro and out to Mount Maungatautari. Photo / Sonna Studios
The barn has been converted into a two-bedroom, two-bathroom self-contained unit, as well as a workshop, small gym and sauna. Photo / Supplied
“People love coming here. It’s not like some of these modern houses that feel like fridges, it’s got a high stud and lovely ceilings and beautiful timber finishes,” Colin said.
Being almost exactly halfway between Matamata and Cambridge also made it a convenient place for tourists to return to after taking day trips out to Hobbiton, Waitomo Caves, Hamilton Gardens, Te Puia in Rotorua or even Lake Taupō.
Bookings also came from horse people attending the nearby Takapoto Estate, VIP customers of Cambridge Raceway and parents of rowers attending events at Lake Karapiro. “We are in the middle of nowhere, but the centre of everything,” Colin said.
Jan said the house had real “heart” and she would miss the stunning ever-changing view and the house itself. “If I could pick it up and take it to Auckland I would.”
And while it’s been a great business for them, Jan said it would equally make a lovely residence because the exclusive fittings and fixtures were better than you would find in any home.
Bayleys listing agent Angela Finnigan said that other high-end properties were dotted around Lake Karapiro, but none offered the business opportunity that Lake Karapiro Lodge did.
She thought the property would suit an overseas investor or buyers looking for a large residence or a home and income.
With a price indication of $5m-plus, the property could end up breaking a record for the area. The current record for the most expensive property in Lake Karapiro and Cambridge is held by a property on Amber Lane, which sold for $4.95m in June 2023, according to OneRoof-Valocity records.
- 1829F Cambridge Road, Karapiro, Waipa, is for sale, deadline closing April 17
