We are a family and a community. Te Mata Lodge is co-owned between Murray & Dorothy Wakelin alongside their daughter and husband Jovana and Michael Wilkes and their children.
Michael is a youth worker in Thames, passionate about seeing our young people discover connection and belonging across generations and demographics. He also is the youth pastor for Thame Elim in a voluntary capacity and loves mountain biking.
Jovana works remotely from home as a purchasing assistant for a company in Auckland as well as keeping us on the pulse around the property and abroad.
Dorothy is a nurse at the local medical center and has a heart towards supporting expecting mothers.
Murray is a pastor at large, having steeped down from an official role in west Auckland in 2011. He works around the property and serves on multiple boards in a voluntary capacity, St john Area Committee, Thames High School BOT, and the local Tapu Hall committee.

We love the community we have become a part of. We are passionate about seeing grow and thrive and seek to support that in the way we do life.

Te Mata Lodge was built in the 1960s as a church youth camp. Over the years it has changed hands and directions a few times, most recently in March 2013 when it was purchased by the current owners, Murray & Dorothy along with their daughter Jovana and her husband Michael.

Over ten years ago, the owners at the time, had made some major changes, particularly converting the original “lodge” – the meeting room with communal kitchen/pool table/open fireplace and lounge – into their family’s home. This freed up the home for another self-contained unit – the two bedroom cottage.

When the previous owners, the Reeds purchased the property, the tourist accommodation aspect had stalled. So in addition to breathing life into the business, several renovations were made – the building of the indoor/outdoor kitchen, the conversion of cabins into lounge rooms, re-painting and redecorating units, the development of walking tracks, native bird trails, orchards, picnic areas and the building of two chalets.

We see Te Mata Lodge as a “work in progress” and have a heart to develop Te Mata Lodge further by introducing a Not-For-Profit aspect. The cabins on the property will be used to facilitate retreats and youth programmes through a recently established charitable trust called LivingWell Trust.

This is the place to stay for a true kiwi escape. There are not many places in the country where you will find accommodation nestled among native forest only a stones throw from a stunning river with swimming holes.
As we are centrally located this means options abound, go check out all the Coromandel tourist hot spots, go for a bush walk that suits your fitness, check out the local swimming holes along the Thames Coast or kick back, relax and let the kids enjoy the property while you keep watch of them from a hammock with your favourite book.