Te Mānia: Spectacular new 'Thunderbirds' escape opens in Hawke's Bay

Hawke’s Bay is full of world-class retreats, and a spectacular new one has just opened.

Nestled in the vineyard-lined valley below Te Mata Peak, you’ll find one of New Zealand’s most jaw-dropping properties. If you’re looking for a once-in-a-lifetime escape on home soil, Te Mānia might just be it.

From a distance, Te Mānia looks a little like an ultra-luxury Thunderbirds lair. When you book the night here, you get the entire place to yourself. The bedrooms are tucked underground, with just the front facade visible.

A short walk away is the Te Mānia Room, which serves as your main living area. It’s a dramatic building wrapped in Corten steel, combined with enormous panels of glass. It has an extensive outdoor space, with panoramic views, and a large outdoor fire – perfect for all seasons.

The property sits on the side of a lake, with the final touches being put on another underground set of bedrooms on the other side. This should be finished by March 2024, making it possible to house four couples at the retreat.

The bedrooms are impressive. Each room is separate and only accessed through glass doors from the outside. Inside, you’ll find enormous walk-in wardrobes, a shower with a dizzying array of jets, a toilet with its own set of jets, and an extravagant bathroom overlooking a private hot tub.

The main living area has a state-of-the-art kitchen, a designer couch, a projector that descends magically from the ceiling and sweeping views thanks to floor-to-ceiling glass windows. There is also a butler's quarters that’s the size of a small apartment.

There are too many things to list. But the highlights include each bedroom having a drop-down TV. There’s also a giant 103-inch drop-down projector in the living room. The retreat is fitted with an advanced audio system, including speakers outside and in the bedrooms.

In the kitchen, you’ll find dishwasher draws, large fridges, Gaggenau gas hobs and electric plates, a Wolf oven, Breville Nespresso machine, Kitchen Aid appliances, an LG microwave and a barbecue the size of a small kitchen bench outside. No expense has been spared.

There’s also a fully-equipped laundry, and if you fancy tennis, you can have the court to yourself at the nearby Black Barn Vineyard.

There are lots of great eating options a short drive away, including Craggy Range Winery, and Black Barn Bistro.

If you feel like an excellent lunch or brunch, pop down to Brother – which is less than five minutes away. Or you have lots of options in Havelock North village, which is less than a 10-minutes drive away.

Te Mānia is the kind of place that’s so spectacular, you won’t want to leave.

The design – there’s nothing quite like it.

I didn’t find any low points. Something to be aware of, however: construction is underway on the second underground bedroom until the end of February 2024. Noise is kept to a minimum, and it didn’t bother us in the slightest when we were there.

Te Mānia is set to become an iconic place to stay in New Zealand.

Air New Zealand offers daily direct flights from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, with connections across the domestic network. By car, it’s a little over four hours’ drive from Wellington, or more than five hours’ drive from Auckland. See:

From $2200 per night for two bedrooms. See:

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