Stay on a working family farm off the South Pacific coast.

Enjoy an unforgettable night in a private luxury campsite with breathtaking views of the Kaikōura mountain ranges. We offer two luxury tents (each sleeps 4), a central farm cottage with kitchen, lounge and a large outdoor hot tub nestled into the hillside.

When you're ready let us know and we'll take you on your choice of either our Farm Tour or River Journey.

Our Farm Tour
Experience a way of life which hasn’t changed for over 100 years.

Tawanui Farm is a 5th generation sheep, beef and deer farm with lots of animals and bird life.

Feed the animals and be part of daily life on a traditional working family farm.

Our River Journey
Let us take you on an exhilarating journey on the Hurunui River down to the Pacific Ocean.

Come explore the endless shallow river braids, beautiful canyons and large boulder fields.

Experience a part of our country rarely seen by visitors on the only commercial boat on the Hurunui river.

Included in your tour

Afternoon tea on arrival and a continental breakfast

Your campsite is equipped with the following: 

• Two lotus belle tents each sleeps four people
• Bedding configuration in each lotus belle tent:1 x queen bed 2 x single beds
• Full linen, towels and bedding are supplied
• Board games, petanque and plenty of space to kick a ball
• A fully equipped kitchen for cooking your own meal

Included in the Single night package is the choice of a Farm Tour or Jet Boat tour:

• For farm tour we supply helmets and first aid kit
• For jet boat tour we supply life jackets and rain jackets

Need to know

The campsite is self-catering. We provide afternoon tea on arrival and continental breakfast for the morning. For dinner just bring your own food and drink, and cook meals using the facilities provided in your camp kitchen. You'll find all the cutlery, crockery, pots and pans that you'll need.

If you want a break from cooking at any stage, Cheviot is just a 15-minute drive away. The Twin Rivers café/gallery with Mt Beautiful Wine Tasting room comes highly recommended. The Paddock bar and restaurant and Cheviot Trust Hotel offer good hearty meals for hungry glampers. If you want to go further afield, the Waipara wine area is 40 minutes South, or  Kaikoura is 1 hour North.

There's swimming and fishing available at the Hurunui River, 10 minutes drive away, and surfing and swimming at Gore Bay, 20 minutes away. The Manuka Bay DOC track from the Hurunui River mouth to Gore Bay is a 10-minute drive away.

The campsite at Tawanui Farm is completely off-the-grid, with solar power providing lighting in the camp kitchen and a USB port for phone charging. Energy for hot water and cooking is supplied via LPG gas bottles. LED lanterns provide lighting for the tents.  

Full linen, towels and bedding are supplied. Queen beds are made up with 100% cotton linen. Linen for the single beds will be provided. All beds have either wool duvets and blankets.

We think the campsite best suits either one to two families, 2 couples or up to 8 adults, depending on your sleeping preferences. Please BYO portacot if bringing infants.

What to bring

• Warm clothes - it can be very chilly in the mornings and at night.
  A warm jersey and long pants are a must
• Shower toiletries
• Sunglasses for tours
• An extra chilly-bin - especially if you're a large group. 
• Walking shoes or boots - so you can explore the property by foot 

Booking information

We are not currently taking bookings due to COVID-19. 

Please feel free to email us with any enquiries at tenakoe@takiwatourism.com

Getting here

We’re located an easy 1 hour 15min drive north of Christchurch or 1-hour drive south of Kaikōura. We can also arrange transport to and from Christchurch and Kaikōura.