About

5.0

#1 of 1 lodge in Taharua

Location

Cleanliness

Service

Value

This 16,000 acres of timeless wilderness is steeped in history and provides world class fly fishing for brown and rainbow trout, deer stalking and an abundance of native flora and wildlife. Outdoor activities include mountain biking, horse trekking and guided walking, while an Olympic standard sporting clays range, archery and target shooting are also available. Or simply relax with a massage, or a good book.

Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing

Property amenities

Free parking

Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)

Fitness Centre with Gym / Workout Room

Bar / lounge

Bicycle rental

Game room

Babysitting

Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)

Parking

Wifi

Sauna

Restaurant

Breakfast available

Hiking

Horseback riding

Darts

Fishing

Airport transportation

Conference facilities

Meeting rooms

Spa

Massage

Steam room

BBQ facilities

Baggage storage

Concierge

Gift shop

Non-smoking hotel

24-hour check-in

Express check-in / check-out

Laundry service

Room features

Air conditioning

Fireplace

Housekeeping

Room service

Minibar

Refrigerator

Room types

Non-smoking rooms

Suites

Family rooms

Smoking rooms available

Good to know

HOTEL CLASS

HOTEL STYLE

Charming

Languages Spoken

English

Location

2229 Taharua Road, Taharua 3379 New Zealand

Getting there

Taupo Airport34 kmSee all flights

Hawkes Bay Airport72 kmSee all flights

Car HireSee all Taharua car hire

See all nearby hotels

88Reviews1Q+A24Room tips

Reviews
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.

When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.

Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.

Learn more about our review moderation.

Write a review

Sort by:

Most Recent

Darryl L wrote a review Nov 2023

Geelong, Australia3 contributions

+1

A brilliant, pristine experience…

“Poronui” a complete wilderness experience… Wednesday, and an easy drive of about a half hour, and a hard right on the Napier road takes you to Poronui in the North Island New Zealand high country. A private gated, secure property, and a quick call to Lisa or Claire get you in, and on your way, to a most wonderful, pristine wilderness experience. Met by Lisa, we arrived early afternoon, and immediately took in the ambience of the scenery, the Lodge, fantastic guest rooms, the mountains, the roaming deer and Ring Necked abundant Pheasant’s…..wow! To say it is very pretty is an understatement, but it gave us a feel for what was ahead over the next few days of high country, dry fly fishing, in gin clear mountain headwaters. Some tasty nibbles were rustled up” by Darren and Kay, who are part of The Poronui Experience” chef’s team. Really nice people, great food, nothing too hard to please, and a couple of drinks set the scene for an experience that is “to die for.” A bit of a rest, a familiarisation walk around the Lodge gardens, a check of the local stream for cruising Trout, and a run in with a Pheasant cock bird was all good. Lisa, a great lady, and asset to Poronui, picked us up in a Prado and took us for an educational overview 4 wheel drive around some of the property. Poronui is expansive, private, majestic in scenery, and the confluence of the rivers, told me this couple of days fly fishing would be something we would never forget. It was confirmed, in those next couple of days, and we’d go back there any time. No TV’s, just a book, a glass of wine, some more rest, then canape’s with new guests from Nebraska around the Lodge open fireplace…..a very nice start to our stay. Dinner at 7 was introductions all round, relaxed, informal, and our initial experiences, why we were here, and a few glasses of local wines and yummy food prepared by Chef Adrian, as “mein host” set the scene for a hard to beat experience. New, and I think enduring friendships were forged with our Nebraska cohorts, and during the next two days, we would several times discuss “the one that got away!” Thursday morning, after a great night’s sleep, we fronted the Lodge for breakfast at 7; clear sky’s, very frosty, an open fire in the lodge, a very leisurely experience, nice breakfast from Darren and Kaye, and a day of pristine river dry fly fishing was ahead. Some coffee, further introductions to our guides Kunio, the fly fishing ninja, and Mark, into the Simms waders, and we were on our ways into the bush, into the rivers, and trekking upstream. For quite a while, we found spotting the fish difficult and our darker lensed shades weren’t as good as yellow shades in detecting the fish, unless they moved, or spooked as they frequently were in the gin clear waters. A floating Geehi Peacock hurl beetle with small trailing bead head nymph was the go to weapon of choice by our guide Kunio, who also acted as chief spotter, lead river forder, and “chief haranguer” due to my poor casting. Several fish, browns, and rainbows were taken, several lost, a couple “spat it” on the take, and a hell of a lot of fun was had in tough conditions, that got quite hot. We should have layered up better! We finished early for the day, due to the heat, and retired back to the Lodge for some chilled Asahi beers, gin and tonics, some more wine tasting, and canapes prepared by Adrian, a world class, world travelled chef. Discussion of the day, good natured banter, and the fact that we all caught fish, helped. My partner caught Brown and Rainbow Trout, on the fly, dry fly at that, and was very, very excited! A bit of a rest, then dinner at 7; like us, our new Nebraska friends had had a great day, trying, tough fish clear waters, a very good guide in Mark, some laughs, some bruises, and the Poronui experience. That night, over dinner, discussion moved from the day, to our new friends, and back to the fish and pristine Poronui. A lot of laughs, a few jokes around “how big it was,” the biggest “clanger”of the day, with a few more drinks, more great food from Adrian, stories from Mark and Lisa, and off to bed for a good nights sleep. Tomorrow, we would be “chopper fish-in” in the mountains….. Friday arrived, and another clear blue sky day and frosty morning; not ideal for Trout fishing on the fly in shallow clear waters…Breakfast at 7, some muesli, coffee, eggs on toast, into the waders, and we were ready to go. Met by our guide, Kunio, we were strictly OH&S instructed on how to board the helicopter, to keep our heads down, and Hi Deb, Below is my 2nd part and review of Poronui for ❤️Taupo and Poronui use, where of value. “Poronui” a complete wilderness experience… Wednesday, and an easy drive of about a half hour, and a hard right on the Napier road takes you to Poronui in the North Island New Zealand high country. A private gated, secure property, and a quick call to Lisa or Claire get you in, and on your way, to a most wonderful, pristine wilderness experience. Met by Lisa, we arrived early afternoon, and immediately took in the ambience of the scenery, the Lodge, fantastic guest rooms, the mountains, the roaming deer and Ring Necked abundant Pheasant’s…..wow! To say it is very pretty is an understatement, but it gave us a feel for what was ahead over the next few days of high country, dry fly fishing, in gin clear mountain headwaters. Some tasty nibbles were rustled up” by Darren and Kay, who are part of The Poronui Experience” chef’s team. Really nice people, great food, nothing too hard to please, and a couple of drinks set the scene for an experience that is “to die for.” A bit of a rest, a familiarisation walk around the Lodge gardens, a check of the local stream for cruising Trout, and a run in with a Pheasant cock bird was all good. Lisa, a great lady, and asset to Poronui, picked us up in a Prado and took us for an educational overview 4 wheel drive around some of the property. Poronui is expansive, private, majestic in scenery, and the confluence of the rivers, told me this couple of days fly fishing would be something we would never forget. It was confirmed, in those next couple of days, and we’d go back there any time. No TV’s, just a book, a glass of wine, some more rest, then canape’s with new guests from Nebraska around the Lodge open fireplace…..a very nice start to our stay. Dinner at 7 was introductions all round, relaxed, informal, and our initial experiences, why we were here, and a few glasses of local wines and yummy food prepared by Chef Adrian, as “mein host” set the scene for a hard to beat experience. New, and I think enduring friendships were forged with our Nebraska cohorts, and during the next two days, we would several times discuss “the one that got away!” Thursday morning, after a great night’s sleep, we fronted the Lodge for breakfast at 7; clear sky’s, very frosty, an open fire in the lodge, a very leisurely experience, nice breakfast from Darren and Kaye, and a day of pristine river dry fly fishing was ahead. Some coffee, further introductions to our guides Kunio, the fly fishing ninja, and Mark, into the Simms waders, and we were on our ways into the bush, into the rivers, and trekking upstream. For quite a while, we found spotting the fish difficult and our darker lensed shades weren’t as good as yellow shades in detecting the fish, unless they moved, or spooked as they frequently were in the gin clear waters. A floating Geehi Peacock hurl beetle with small trailing bead head nymph was the go to weapon of choice by our guide Kunio, who also acted as chief spotter, lead river forder, and “chief haranguer” due to my poor casting. Several fish, browns, and rainbows were taken, several lost, a couple “spat it” on the take, and a hell of a lot of fun was had in tough conditions, that got quite hot. We should have layered up better! We finished early for the day, due to the heat, and retired back to the Lodge for some chilled Asahi beers, gin and tonics, some more wine tasting, and canapes prepared by Adrian, a world class, world travelled chef. Discussion of the day, good natured banter, and the fact that we all caught fish, helped. My partner caught Brown and Rainbow Trout, on the fly, dry fly at that, and was very, very excited! A bit of a rest, then dinner at 7; like us, our new Nebraska friends had had a great day, trying, tough fish clear waters, a very good guide in Mark, some laughs, some bruises, and the Poronui experience. That night, over dinner, discussion moved from the day, to our new friends, and back to the fish and pristine Poronui. A lot of laughs, a few jokes around “how big it was,” the biggest “clanger”of the day, with a few more drinks, more great food from Adrian, stories from Mark and Lisa, and off to bed for a good nights sleep. Tomorrow, we would be “chopper fishin” in the mountains….. Friday arrived, and another clear blue sky day and frosty morning; not ideal for Trout fishing on the fly in shallow clear waters…Breakfast at 7, some muesli, coffee, eggs on toast, into the waders, and we were ready to go. Met by our guide, Kunio, we were strictly OH&S instructed on how to board the helicopter, to keep our heads down, and where we would be going in the mountains. The chopper ride took about fifteen minutes to another river confluence that hadn’t been fished since the Trout season closed in New Zealand. It was going to be another warm to hot day for October, and this time we were layered up, or layered down, and with plenty of water. The hike upstream was eventful with a number of spawning fish spotted, let go, ignored, and the scenery was sensational…..wilderness at its finest. In Australia, I can tell you, walking and wading tussock grasses that are waste high in high country as we experienced at Poronui would be troublesome due to snakes, and hidden rabbit burrows. There was none of that here, and you could walk and wade in shorts, if you wanted to. Despite the weather, we once again all caught good fish. More gin clear shallow waters, the occasional stumble, and some great dry fly fishing happened for both groups. A number of fish were unsighted, but they saw us, and bolted. By mid-afternoon, we’d had enough fishing, and called in the chopper to take us back to the lodge. Canapes, a couple of beers, some rest, and preparation for dinner at 7pm. Discussion revolved around the fish, the company, how good the guides were, new friends, and how much the girls enjoyed their massages. Dinner was precided over by Claire, the Lodge Manager, and a jovial, convivial time was had by all. Apart from being happy tired, I think we may have all been more than a bit sad that we were leaving. Saturday, a bit of a sleep in, and after a good nights sleep, a great breakfast, some fond memories, nice fairwells, thank you’s and it was sadly time to go. I hope we can get back and do it all again at Poronui as it really is an unrivalled complete Wilderness Experience……the fish are an added bonus! PS:the photo’s follow… Darryl Luttrell darryl.luttrell@gmail.com where we would be going in the mountains. The chopper ride took about fifteen minutes to another river confluence that hadn’t been fished since the Trout season closed in New Zealand. It was going to be another warm to hot day for October, and this time we were layered up, or layered down, and with plenty of water. The hike upstream was eventful with a number of spawning fish spotted, let go, ignored, and the scenery was sensational…..wilderness at its finest. In Australia, I can tell you, walking and wading tussock grasses that are waste high in high country as we experienced at Poronui would be troublesome due to snakes, and hidden rabbit burrows. There was none of that here, and you could walk and wade in shorts, if you wanted to. Despite the weather, we once again all caught good fish. More gyn clear shallow waters, the occasional stumble, and some great dry fly fishing happened for both groups. A number of fish were unsighted, but they saw us, and bolted. By mid-afternoon, we’d had enough fishing, and called in the chopper to take us back to the lodge. Canapes, a couple of beers, some rest, and preparation for dinner at 7pm. Discussion revolved around the fish, the company, how good the guides were, new friends, and how much the girls enjoyed their massages. Dinner was precided over by Claire, the Lodge Manager, and a jovial, convivial time was had by all. Apart from being happy tired, I think we may have all been more than a bit sad that we were leaving. Saturday, a bit of a sleep in, and after a good nights sleep, a great breakfast, some fond memories, nice fairwells, thank you’s and it was sadly time to go. I hope we can get back and do it all again at Poronui as it really is an unrivalled complete Wilderness Experience……the fish are an added bonus! darryl.luttrell@gmail.com…

Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple

Room Tip: Just go there, soak it up!

See more room tips

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Helpful

Share

David L wrote a review Sept 2023

3 contributions

A great escape from the rat race

What a beautiful quiet setting for this amazing lodge. The rooms very spacious and thoughtfully decorated. The food was exquisite and the staff couldn't have been more friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend a visit.

Date of stay: September 2023

Value

Location

Service

Trip type: Travelled with friends

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Helpful

Share

drwoof wrote a review Jul 2023

Rotorua, New Zealand13 contributions4 helpful votes

+1

A wonderful way to escape the rush!

We stayed at Poronui Lodge for a family celebration. From our arrival to our departure, the staff treated us like family and couldn't do more to help us throughout our time there. The Lodge organized guided hiking, mountain biking and horse riding along with cooking demonstrations and clay bird shooting. During the day and in the evening we retired to the Lodge to enjoy the log fire lively chat about the days events and excellent cuisine. As a sporting Lodge there is the opportunity to partake in back country fly fishing, deer stalking and pheasant shooting in season. Whatever your reason for travelling to Poronui, you will be made to feel part of their family whilst having the opportunity to pursue your passion on a beautiful estate far away from the rush of everyday life.

Date of stay: July 2023

Value

Location

Service

Trip type: Travelled with family

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Helpful

Share

Christine H wrote a review Mar 2023

3 contributions

Best Vacation Ever!

We had the honor to be guests at Poronui Lodge for 4 nights. My husband and I took part in the hunting that Poronui has to offer. What an amazing experience to be paired with such a wonderful hunting guide like, Mark. He went above and beyond to make our experience the best vacation and hunting experience we have ever had. Not only was the hunting an amazing experience in their beautiful breathtaking countryside, but the whole staff is 5 star in my book. The food was absolutely delicious and the wine overflowed. There were always wonderful baked goods to snack on between beautiful meals. Our room was always fresh and clean. The accommodations were perfect. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for an overall wonderful stay and play vacation!

Date of stay: March 2023

Value

Location

Service

Trip type: Travelled as a couple

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Helpful

Share

Lionel M wrote a review Jan 2023

Above and Beyong

My wife and I stayed in 3 first class lodges during our 2 week stay in NZ and Poronui was our favorite among excellent competition. The physical accommodations are first rate, the food is simple but beautifully prepared using outstanding ingredients and the entire staff is fabulous. They went above and beyond to make our stay as pleasant as possible. If we get the chance to revisit NZ we will definitely return to Poronui.

Date of stay: December 2022

Value

Location

Service

Trip type: Travelled solo

Room Tip: Driving from Auckland airport to Poronui is very pleasant alternative to flying to Taupo and then...

See more room tips

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Helpful

Share

Jacqueline S wrote a review Oct 2022

PORONUI LODGE IS A MUST

Poronui Lodge was one of the most incredible experiences. My husband and I travel extensively and we had the opportunity take a 3 day weekend from our intense working schedule and were looking for rest. I happened upon Poronui Lodge and it had availability. I was in luck. We do not hunt, fish or horse ride but the location and the idea of sharing dinner with others etc., appealed. Off we went and boy we were blown away. The location, the food, and more importantly the staff and the service were as perfect and as excellent as you could ever wish to have. We want to say the biggest biggest thank you to CLAIRE, BEN & LISA who made our stay so exceptional. We will be back. We loved every single moment of our experience, including the Safari Camp night ! 100/100.

Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Helpful

Share

Phil T wrote a review Mar 2022

Auckland, New Zealand22 contributions20 helpful votes

Luxury hospitality at it’s best!

We have lived in New Zealand for 18 years and have never experienced hospitality to the level which Poronui offers. It is so classy but in an understated kiwi way, both in terms of welcome, service, accomodation, food and of course the best trout fishing in the world! Claire, Lisa, Steve and Dave were all so professional, welcoming, relaxed and really made an effort to get to know us in the three nights and two days of our stay.

Date of stay: March 2022

Value

Rooms

Service

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Helpful

Share

Tim N-U wrote a review Mar 2022

Havelock North, New Zealand58 contributions9 helpful votes

Superb fishing in a pristine environment

Staying at the Safari Camp is a luxury experience like no other. The roaring of the Mohaka rapids is magnificent & soporific You're on your own, but you're well looked after, with menus that you cook yourself

Date of stay: March 2022

Location

Cleanliness

Service

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Helpful

Share

Rm1268 wrote a review Nov 2020

Sydney, Australia75 contributions28 helpful votes

+1

Incredible Poronui

Poronui is an outdoors Gem. Spectacular access to great fly fishing, hiking and biking . The service level is personal and delightful with a genuine concern to make sure all your needs are looked after and your experience is world class. The Guides for all activities are knowledgeable and top of their fields. Accommodation is nice and functional , but this is not a place where you want to stay in your room. There is much to do and a haven for the outdoors. The food is as good as you will find in any exclusive foody lodge and it’s plentiful. The staff and management ensure you will have. Wonderful stay. It’s easy to see why many international guests have been returning year after year. We will be back soon.

Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Helpful

Share

sarahredlinger wrote a review Nov 2019

5 contributions1 helpful vote

What an amazing place!

I can’t say enough good things about Poronui. The staff is amazing, the property is fantastic, and the service is exceptional. My husband and I stayed for 3 nights. The food was delicious. We went heli-hiking, fly fishing, and clay shooting. Our fly fishing guide, Craig, was so patient with me. He was a great teacher! We both caught a rainbow trout. Our hiking guide, Lindsey, was so fun. They flew us to the top of a mountain, and we hiked down and had lunch at their Safari Camp. So beautiful!! I can’t say enough good things about this place and these people. Eve and Claire are fantastic hosts!

Date of stay: November 2019Trip type: Travelled as a couple

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Helpful

Share

Response from Poronui_Lodge, Manager at Poronui Lodge

Responded 24 Nov 2019

Delighted you found Poronui to be your happy place. Will pass on your comments to the team.

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

PreviousNext