Whare Kea is a beautiful 6 room lodge, designed with flawless taste. The location is to die for, on the shores of Lake Wanaka with beautiful water and mountain vistas. The rooms are very stylish and comfortable with a most enjoyable balcony, a very generous walk in closet and a large bathroom. The social areas are beautifully appointed in a style I'd dare describe as rural contemporary spiced with more than a hint of Denmark. Our hosts were very friendly and polite, and went out of their way to make our stay the most enjoyable possible.
We booked a helicopter tour to the fjords complete with lunch at the lodge's mountain chalet, the highlight of our stay.
The most impressive feature of the hotel is however the food. James Stapley is a brilliant chef, of whom we'll most certainly hear a lot about in the future. Every single dish coming out of his blessed hands was delicious, creative and impeccably presented. It was breathtakingly good food.
Excellent and exclusive as it is, Whare Kea feels, however, overpriced, that being the only less positive aspect.

After looking far and wide for that special place to celebrate my 50th Birthday, we booked the lodge and brought over from australia a group of family and friends. It is too hard to describe the amazing experience of location, food, wine, activities ( including a birthday cake and champagne celebration in the chalet courtesy of the the helicopters, a white water canoeing experience and a breathtaking walk through the alps).

The nightly five course meal was like having a different melbourne three hat restaurant come to dinner each night. We matched each couse with different wines with a focus on the amazing central ortago region. If the perfect matching wine was not in the extensive cellar, then the sommlier just procured it.

The service was out of the ordinary. we were a diverse group ranging from eleven years old to sixty years old. we had walkers and non walkers, fly fishermen, shoppers, helicopter enthusaists and those with a fear of flying. All needs were brilliantly catered for including the masseuse for those who needed to release a bit of muscle tension.

Whare Kea has a relaxed and sophisticated ambience. The chef is a magician and the food is exquisite. The hotel is nestled on a hill overlooking a beautiful volcanic lake with the rugged snow-capped mountain vista in the distance. It is an annual pilgrimage for me; necessary to purge the soul of modernity. There is a plethora of activities at your doorstep from heli-skiing, jet boating, rock climbing fishing et al; otherwise read a book in the Zen Chair overlooking the lake. There is an activity and tempo of play to suit anyone. I think you could say I like it a lot.

What a way to do it! Heli ski heaven staying at the most beautiful place ,Whare Kea lodge.
Six stars for accommodation ,Perfect surrounds ,impeccable service and food that defies description .....Yum!!!!!!
Can't wait to do it all again next year.