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The School House - Historic building with tranquil views, sunsets, and privacy.

School House - Riverside Luxury welcomes travelers to the banks of the Tuki-Tuki River where cycling adventures, quiet reading time, and fresh air await

Choose dates to view prices

This accessible retreat on the Tuki-Tuki River features wheelchair-friendly ramps and king-size bedrooms. Enjoy river views from the spacious veranda, borrow bikes to explore the countryside, or relax indoors with movies and music after a day of adventure.

Reviews

9.8 out of 10
Exceptional

Popular amenities

  • Free WiFi
  • Air conditioning
  • Parking available
  • Laundry
  • Kitchen

About the neighborhood

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. Traveling 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. Visit our Kahuranaki travel guide
View more Agritourism in Kahuranaki
Map
Havelock North, Hawkes Bay

What's nearby

  • Craggy Range
    Craggy Range
    14 min drive - 17.0 km
  • Ocean Beach
    Ocean Beach
    18 min drive - 24.7 km
  • Te Mata Peak
    Te Mata Peak
    21 min drive - 26.2 km
  • Te Mata Estate
    16 min drive - 20.9 km
  • Black Barn Vineyards
    17 min drive - 21.6 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.

  • Family-friendly farm stay in a rural location
  • The School House - Historic building with tranquil views, sunsets, and privacy. provides laundry facilities and more. Guests can connect to free in-room WiFi.
  • Additional perks include:
    • Books, games, and a video library
    • Smoke-free premises, outdoor furniture, and barbecue grills
  • Room features
  • All guestrooms at The School House - Historic building with tranquil views, sunsets, and privacy. offer thoughtful touches such as air conditioning, in addition to amenities like free WiFi and dining tables.
  • More conveniences in all rooms include:
    • Highchairs and travel cribs
    • Recycling and eco-friendly cleaning products
    • Bathrooms with showers and hair dryers
    • Smart TVs with cable channels and DVD players
    • Porches or lanais, outdoor lighting, and kitchens

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Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Internet access

Things to do

  • Books
  • Games
  • Music library
  • Stereo
  • Video library

Conveniences

  • Laundry facilities

Outdoors

  • Barbecue grill
  • Outdoor furniture

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Wheelchair accessibility

More

  • Smoking not allowed

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Hair dryer
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • DVD player
  • Smart TV with cable/satellite channels

Food and drink

  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Dining table
  • Dishwasher
  • Electric kettle
  • Kitchen
  • Lobster/crab pot
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Paper towels
  • Refrigerator
  • Stovetop
  • Toaster

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Cleaning products are eco-friendly
  • Desk
  • Heating
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Living room
  • Recycling
  • Washing machine

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 2:00 PM

Contactless check-in available

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

You will receive an email from the host with check-in and check-out instructions

Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Events

No events allowed

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
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, and a smoke detector
This property is managed through our partner, Vrbo. You will receive an email from Vrbo with a link to a Vrbo account, where you can change or cancel your reservation

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 is parking?

Onsite 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.?

Check-out 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 mi (20 km).

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Reviews

The School House - Historic building with tranquil views, sunsets, and privacy. Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

9.6

Cleanliness

9.6

Location

8.0

Staff & service

7.0

Property conditions & facilities
Rating 10 - Excellent. 62 out of 72 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 8 out of 72 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 72 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 72 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 72 reviews

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

John B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The host was very friendly and the house is remarkable. Extraordinary. The best I've ever stayed in.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Yii P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great retreat for the family!

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!
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

beverley s.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

High Class comfortable well appointed property

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.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Ian T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The house is wonderful with everything you need to enjoy a great stay. Huge bedrooms, both with ensuites. Fully equipped kitchen and lovely surroundings.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Mandy H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Fantastic place to stay , super clean , had everything we needed . Loved the lemon and orange trees . Perfect setting
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Carey M.

Fabulous location, quiet, lots of birds, lovely house, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay

Fabulous location, quiet, lots of birds, lovely house, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Edmond W.

Great location, facilities and amenities

Great location, facilities and amenities
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Idyllic peaceful haven

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.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2020
Verified

2/10 Terrible

John

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
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.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jo S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Peaceful rural property

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.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Marie B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Christmas 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.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kathryn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
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 😊
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2021
Verified

6/10 Okay

Erika V.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Communication

Not the best value

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.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Georgina A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful getaway

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.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Sarah P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Brilliant relaxed holiday

The process of booking was very easy, property is absolutely beautiful and we enjoyed our lovely relaxed stay there
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Adam H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely stay

Great location and house excellent
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jeff R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic getaway

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.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing Escape

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.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2020
Verified

8/10 Good

u D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Enjoyable stay

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.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Linda H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Magical Christmas

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.
Stayed 6 nights in Dec 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Alexandra S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing house & location!

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.
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

nick b.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Gorgeous getaway alongside the river

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.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

glen h.

Hi we really loved this place amazing spot paradise

Loved this place would come back again
Stayed 4 nights in May 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Vanessa Z.

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
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2019
Verified

10/10 Excellent

KARL D.

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.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019