As featured in a previous blog 88 Lodge has been awarded the Trip Advisor ‘Hall of Fame’.  To achieve this, it was necessary to be awarded a Trip Advisor ‘Certificate of Excellence’ for the 5 consecutive previous years. Of course, we were so chuffed to receive our Trip Advisor ‘Hall of Fame’ award as recognition…

The New Zealand Kaka is a native parrot that is on the endangered list, and a special visitor to 88 Lodge.  Yesterday we were graced and honoured to see one in our garden.  Please excuse the poor quality photos but we were trying to not disturb the bird and getting to a position where we…

Geoff & Chris are proud to bring to your attention their new holiday home accommodation option.  Admiralty Rise is an award winning 3 bedroom holiday home located in the Bay of Islands near Haruru Falls/Paihia/Waitangi.  Up to 6 persons in self catering luxury.  The home is fitted out to the highest standards and top quality…

We are so lucky to live on a section of land with beautiful soil and a warm sheltered environment.  The benefit of this is the wonderful selection of fruit and vegetables we can grow.  Not to mention the flowers, shrubs and trees. We are presently at the peak of the Strawberry picking season and the…

Waitangi is steeped in the history of New Zealand.  Not only that but it is located in a most beautiful area and has evolved into a ‘must do’ for any tourist visiting New Zealand.  Now allocated the accolade of Top Tourist attraction.   The recently added museum is interactive, impressive and informative. It has proven…

Waitangi is the birthplace of New Zealand.  It was here that the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the British Crown and the Maori Chiefs. The Treaty grounds are magnificent, encompassing the Treaty House, Marae (carved meeting house), Waka (world’s largest cermonial war canoe), Guided tour, Maori show and Parade Ground,  The Gardens and panoramic…

   Air New Zealand has not only won the ‘Airline of the year’ award for the last 4 years it has become renowned for its unique, entertaining and enjoyable safety videos.  Usually a boring but essential part of any flight but now people travel Air New Zealand just to see what safety video will be…

Rocco is a chocolate coloured Labrador cross who joined us here at 88 in August 2016. He was a rescue dog who was found as a puppy abandoned by the side of the road with his 2 brothers and taken to the local shelter.  He was cold, wet and starving.  He started to revive well…

It is always an honour to be recognised for your endeavors and when that recognisation comes as high praise from your customers that is even more special.  It is only those accommodations that reach high standards that get awarded a Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence and we at 88 Lodge are so chuffed to receive…

There is a ‘new kid on the block’ when it comes to great walking tracks in New Zealand. Sure to soon be spoken in the same reverential tones along with:- The Milford Track. The Tongariro Crossing. Abel Tasman Track. Kepler Track to name but a few will be added the Te Paki Coastal Track. New…

When checking out our website you will find choices unavailable anywhere else on the net. More choices of rooms and suites (Our New Kentia Suite is currently only available via our own website, photos attached to this article). Special offers and packages not available elsewhere. Our room rates are competativly priced against other local accommodations…

Northland is just full of stunning, wonderful and unusual places. Over the years we have been here we have developed a selection on Day Trips for our guests to enjoy getting the broadest view of this beautiful place in God’s own country.   For us it is always a joy to get out and about…

At 88 Lodge we have enjoyed the visits of guests from Hong Kong, Shanghai and even Beijing but until very recently we have not had any guests from the vast hinterland of China.   Taiyuan is a large city in the Shanxi Province approximately 4 hours (high speed motorway) driving from Beijing and it is from…

The Kerikeri Street Party is hugely popular. In just 6 years it has grown to become Northlands premier social event of the year. 88 Lodge is proud to be one of the sponsors of this wonderful evening.  This means we get a VIP table and seating right in the middle of all the activity.  We…

Kauri Cliffs Golf Course is one of the top courses attracting golfers from around the world. Less than 15 minutes drive from 88 Lodge we are probably the closest quality Bed and Breakfast to this stunning course.   In addition there are 7 other courses within easy travelling.  Check out our interactive map to see how…

There are just so many walking tracks around us here at 88 Lodge however it’s always a real pleasure to ‘find’ one we have not ‘done’ before. Our latest ‘find’ is the trail from The Waitangi Treaty Grounds to Haruru Falls. Basically following the Waitangi River the clear and well-maintained path leads you through native…

Within the grounds of 88 Lodge we have an array of stunning trees.  But as we all know some trees delight in dropping their leaves at this time of the year. This brings two huge advantages to us.  Firstly before the leaves drop they turn into magnificent colours giving the gardens yet another beautiful aspect…

To swim with the dolphins when visiting the Bay of Islands is a ‘must-do’ activity.  However from these recent pictures perhaps that should be ‘Fly with the Dolphins’! Maybe this is what water wings were invented for. Check out our ‘Things to do’ page for so many other local activities.  There is always something else…

Orca (more commonly known as The Killer Whale) is a regular visitor to The Bay of Islands and a tall dorsal fin is often spotted gliding through the beautiful blue seas but rarely do these stunning animals give photo opportunities like this.   This picture was taken this week by a crewmember aboard a Fullers…

There are four five star gardens in Northland, and all of them are within the beautiful Bay of Islands.  But only one of these has received its rating without a connection to the Bay’s history as birth place of the nation. The Palmco display garden (which is located just a few minutes drive from 88…

 It’s not often we have bad weather but every now and then we do get a bit of a blow.  Just recently Cyclone Lusi took a side swipe at New Zealand and whilst there was no major damage anywhere we did loose a couple of boughs from our beautiful Liquid Amber Trees. The weather here…

Even though we have lived here for many years and thought we had a pretty good knowledge of the area, there is always something new to discover.  Northland is blessed with such a verity of places, geography, geology, activities, unusual and unexpected things that for sure there is always something just around the corner. We…

Living in Kerikeri is such a social friendly experience.  Today was the annual FREE Family Fun Day with Helicopter rides, bouncy castles/climbing towers/soft play.  Fancy dress, lolly scrambles plus all kinds of stalls, events, and opportunities to experience all manner of sports and activities. Our lovely local Police put the speed camera to another use…

Being Bed and Breakfast owners in the Bay of Islands there is one little perk we love to enjoy.  Every now and then we get treated to a ‘Famil’.  This is where we are treated to one of the many activities available to our guests locally. We have just been treated to experience ‘The Cream…