Located in Kahuranaki, this farm stay is in a rural area. Birdwoods Gallery and Hawke's Bay Opera House are cultural highlights, and some of the area's attractions include Splash Planet and Hawke's Bay Exhibition Centre. Travelling with kids? Consider Pekapeka Wetlands, or check out an event or a game at Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park. Discover the area's water adventures with fishing and swimming nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with hiking and mountain biking.
Arataki Honey Visitor Centre - 18 min drive - 22.6 km
Te Mata Peak - 21 min drive - 26.2 km
Getting around
Napier (NPE-Hawke's Bay) - 68 min drive
Restaurants
‪Peak House - ‬25 min drive
‪Red Bridge Coffee - ‬10 min drive
‪Plumcity - ‬22 min drive
About this property
The School House - Historic building with tranquil views, sunsets, and privacy.
Nestled on the banks of the beautiful Tuki-Tuki River, this historic Schoolhouse has been relocated and restored to a high standard, in keeping with the period. All doors open out onto a large veranda with beautiful views down the Valley. The Tuki-Tuki River is world-renowned for its trout-fishing.
The large open-plan living area includes an extensive range of DVDs, a book library, and a good selection of magazines. Fully equipped kitchen (dishwasher, fan oven, gas hob, microwave, etc.). Dine in comfort inside or opt for a BBQ on the veranda. Tea and coffee are provided. Two large bedrooms with en-suites, which give you all the space you need. Wheelchair friendly - ramps, showers, etc.
The School House is wheelchair friendly - ramps, showers, etc.
Safe paddocking for horses, i.e., eventing, trekking, etc.
Ample room to park horse floats and boats.
Early check-in or late checkout may be possible on request. Special conditions: The School House is a magical place for weddings.
Extras: Linen (included); Under Kiwi bach tradition, you are expected to: Clean the house and do the dishes before you leave;
House Rules
Check in after 2:00 PM
Check out before 10:00 AM
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Children
Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events
No events allowed
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Pets
No pets allowed
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Smoking
Smoking is not permitted
Important information
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher and a smoke detector
Frequently asked questions
Is The School House - Historic building with tranquil views, sunsets, and privacy. pet-friendly?
No, pets are not allowed at this property.
How much does it cost to stay at The School House - Historic building with tranquil views, sunsets, and privacy.?
As of 8 May 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at The School House - Historic building with tranquil views, sunsets, and privacy. on 1 June 2026 start from NZ$404, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
How much is parking at The School House - Historic building with tranquil views, sunsets, and privacy.?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at The School House - Historic building with tranquil views, sunsets, and privacy.?
Check-in begins at 2:00 PM.
What time is check-out at The School House - Historic building with tranquil views, sunsets, and privacy.?
Checkout is at 10:00 AM.
Where is The School House - Historic building with tranquil views, sunsets, and privacy. located?
Located in a rural location, this family-friendly farm stay is within 12 mi (20 km) of Craggy Range, Te Mata Estate and Black Barn Vineyards. Village Vineyards and Arataki Honey Visitor Centre are also within 12 miles (20 km).
The School House - Historic building with tranquil views, sunsets, and privacy. Reviews
Reviews
9.8
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
The house is wonderful with everything you need to enjoy a great stay. Huge bedrooms, both with ensuites. Fully equipped kitchen and lovely surroundings.
Our family had an absolute ball at the schoolhouse. It is lovely to learn more about the history and explore the area and river. We would love to come back! Thank you so much for a wonderful wind down before the silly season!
The house and grounds were stunning and immaculate. Very peaceful in a beautiful rural area. The furnishings and kitchen utensils plentiful and high quality. Ange was easy to contact and very accommodating of our booking for a group of friends. Perfect for a relaxing vacation or long weekend. Easy to get to amenities in Hawkes Bay.
The School House is a fantastic place to chill out and relax. Set in farmland on the banks of the Tukituki river you feel like you are miles from anywhere but Havelock North with its fantastic wineries and restaurants is only a short drive away. The school house is well set up with everything you could possibly need and is very comfortable. We enjoyed it so much we ended up staying longer than we had planned to. Ange is a great host and made things very easy for us. We’d love to come back one day.
It called Riverside Luxury and you can't see the river at all. The heat pump didn't work and we froze. Paid for two night but had to move out after one.
This was a wonderful rural property with a gorgeous outlook towards the hills. Very comfortable, amazingly well equipped kitchen and a lovely outdoor deck with table and chairs. Very peaceful and relaxing stay.
This was a lovely quiet property, very well appointed and with lovely outdoor space for family games. Beds were very comfortable and the high ceilings are awesome and keep it cool.
A super tranquil property and very unique.
Facilities surpassed my expectations.
The thoughtfullness and kindness from Ange was breathtaking as she kindly helped my daughter in England, who requested flowers, wine and a hand written card for my 70th birthday! Thank you so much. It really made my day very special.
The area is sublimely quiet and beautiful and the deck and marvelous lawn were very well used!
Superb, Kath and Steve 😊
Had to come for nationals - booked 2 nights, a Lock down caused a scramble for new dates - had little to no feedback from Ange causing much anxiety - she did not confirm we could get half refund when we only needed 1 night instead of 2, and instead seemed to book the whole $800 for one night - ended up taking 2 nights just to make use of it. Not very reasonable in my opinion. Struggled to get any communication, even through Bookabach.
At the house the BBQ regulator knob does not work and is a safety hazard. House itself very clean and good finishes, but be aware it's still a converted hall so feels utilitarian. Towels in only one bathroom - not the other. Good spot (about the same as any lifestyle block in NZ) but not sure about value. Booked in the Auckland Hilton in a suit for the next night for the same money per night.
Apparently there is what I assume to be hard wired internet but no wifi, so no internet for most. A sign encourages you to load up on mobile data at your own cost - but with 1 bar of 3G that won’t really mean much either. Rest of the tech also pre-digital so not really usable.
Mention is made of ‘kiwi tradition’ to ask you to clean the place, while also agreeing to do a full Covid pre check-in clean, and charging a cleaning fee - for a Luxury unit - not sure you can have it both ways.
About 3 and a half stars over all.
We wanted to stay in Hastings but wanted to try something different from the usual motel. This was beautiful right by the river which has lots of trout and eels in it. Peaceful away from the hustle and bustle. Be sure to punch into GPS the school house 242 Rochfort Road because there is another Rochfort Road which is 25mins away.
Spring was the perfect time to visit. Horses with their foals, sheep, blossom trees and green pastures. Stunning scenery and location. Enjoyed biking the riverside trail from Craggy Range to the beach. The house was fantastic and tastefully transformed from historic school hall into comfortable accommodation. We can’t say enough positive things, the whole family loved it.
The Schoolhouse is a wonderful place for a break. It is located in a idyllic spot on the banks of the river and is large comfortable and well equipped.
We enjoyed six nights stay in the peaceful valley where the The School House is located. The positives for us as two couples staying was the space inside and outside, the well appointed kitchen, and the peace and quiet to relax in when we returned from our adventures out each day. The following are not negatives, but information for others looking to book this accommodation. The water view can only be taken advantage of if you stand at the bottom corner of the property, as plantings have grown to restrict the river views, and the lovely old floorboards mean that when one person arises in the morning, everyone is awake. The distance from town means you need to be sure to have all your supplies with you, as it is not a quick dash to pick something up that you have forgotten, and one thing I overlooked when booking was no access to the internet, which meant with a six day stay, we used all of our phone data in a very short time.
The word 'luxury' is used to describe this property, and without a doubt it is lovely, but personally I would not put it in the 'luxury' category.
The School House provided us a wonderful stay for our family christmas. The soaring ceilings and layout of the building were perfect for our family of six and a great location for exploring Hawkes Bay.
The School House is a beautiful historic building, and it was amazing to be able to stay there. The whole family (age range 10 to 80 years) enjoyed the location, and visiting the surrounding area. The kids especially enjoyed visiting Splash Planet and the water hole.
Ange the manager was really helpful during the booking and throughout our stay.
The School House is an outstanding property. The house itself is fanstastic and the setting - in a picturesque location alongside the river with beautiful and expansive views - is amazing.
The School House has plenty of space and privacy but you still feel close to and part of the very lucky community who get to call this idyllic location home.
The house is spacious, light, bright and well equipped. It has been renovated thoughtfully and to a high standard.
We had a great stay, would happily return again and can readily recommend the property - particularly for a small group. Next time around I would also just load up with plenty of provisions before getting to the property so as to be able to just totally kick back and relax once there.
nick b.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019
Verified
10/10 Excellent
glen h.
23 May 2019
Hi we really loved this place amazing spot paradise
Loved this place would come back again
glen h.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2019
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Vanessa Z.
6 May 2019
The School House, Waimarama
Thank you so much for the fabulous 3-day family break. The School House is beautifully presented and the location heavenly. Thank you for the thoughtful milk & bread and we so appreciated the DVD collection in the evenings. We'd love to come back for more wine-tastings,
Vanessa & family
Vanessa Z.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2019
Verified
10/10 Excellent
KARL D.
24 March 2019
Outstanding
Beautifully restored old school house in a stunning location.
Loved sitting on the deck with the sound of the birds and the river, and views over the ranges.
Nice to meet very friendly hosts.
KARL D.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019
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