A little over year ago, the destruction wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle turned Esk Valley into a disaster zone that looked too intense to come back from. But now, the valley is experiencing a new example of Kiwi resilience. Kiwiesque, a property dedicated to luxury accommodation has risen from the floods and is ready to start again.
The Esk Valley is the gateway to Hawke’s Bay from the north. The valley is well known for its many vineyards, wineries, orchards, fishing spots, parks and recreational activities. In February 2023, Esk Valley also became well known as the valley that was hugely affected by immense mass flooding. The floods caused significant damage in the settlement, destroying houses and property, and sections of State Highway 5 and the Gisborne Railway Line.
Over one year on from the devastating Cyclone Gabrielle, the Esk Valley is breathing in new life with former orchards, vineyards and housing transforming into green open spaces and agricultural land. While there is still plenty of evidence of personal and property losses, some operations have created a new normal and remain open for business. The landscape is changing, probably forever as residential properties remain vacant and the reformation of the land lends itself more to pastural and cropping sectors.
Kiwiesque is a luxury accommodation property that has bounced back into business post-cyclone. Set in a vineyard in the heart of Esk Valley, the property was elevated enough to avoid being totally damaged by the cyclone.
The Lodge takes in views looking out over the remaining vineyards in the area and across the valley to the hills on the other side. You can make out the zigzagged tracks of the rebuilt Hawke’s Bay Mountain Bike Park as it meanders down the hillside between new plantings of replacement trees.
The vineyard is still recovering from the effects of Cyclone Gabrielle. Having replanted at the new level, comprising up to one metre of silt, and reposted the entire block, there is still work to be done as the vines struggle to adapt.
The beautiful Lodge and views
The vineyard grows pinot gris, cabernet sauvignon and albariño, and was one of the first to plant the latter cultivar in New Zealand. Originally from Galicia (Spain), albariño wine is a refreshing combination of high acidity and citrus flavour with a long finish.
Guests of Kiwiesque are offered complimentary, and creatively named, wine from their own grapes, including ‘Farting Kiwi’ Cabernet Sauvignon, ‘Flying Fish’ Albariño, ‘Flying Sheep’ Pinot Gris and ‘Woolly Fish’ Albariño Gris.
Kiwiesque is the brainchild of Justine and Bayden who are both from sheep farming backgrounds – Justine from the Wairarapa and Bayden farming at nearby Tutira. They first met not far up the Esk Valley at the Eskdale War Memorial Church. Bayden hasn’t ventured too far from the pioneering family nest, as he is descended from William Morris ‘Morete’, the earliest European settler in Hawke’s Bay. In 1841 William established a shore whaling station at Tangoio, just ten kilometres from Kiwiesque.
Bayden says, “We originally built the Lodge as a business Justine could run from home, while I still had the sheep business in the UK and Australia. We built Kiwiesque as a home base central to all we love about Hawke’s Bay, for our family to enjoy and to offer guests the same experiences. With Justine’s flair for décor, we wanted it to be homely yet luxurious at the same time.”
“Having five kids of school age, we built one side of the Lodge to accommodate the family. On the other side we had four self-contained vineyard suites that could be rented individually. Once the kids had left home, we were able to offer the whole Lodge as group accommodation, for which there was a growing demand,” Justine says. “We always loved being hosts and so we thought hosting visitors and sharing our slice of paradise here amongst the vines in Eskdale would be a fun business.”
Over the past decade, they have welcomed families, friends, yoga retreat goers, corporate events and wedding parties, and made many new friends over a glass of wine or two. They have discovered a passion for giving people a space to reconnect with each other whether they have travelled from the other side of the world or just down the road.
The Lodge, built in 2012, replaced an iconic red corrugated woolshed, which was eventually surrounded by grapevines as farming made way for vineyards and horticulture. It is situated at the base of a hill, with the terraced vineyards behind creating a picturesque backdrop. The Esk Valley has a unique microclimate, drawing from its north-eastern aspect and elevated position that lends itself to many horticultural advantages.
The house was designed to make the most of the views with wide open spaces. Lots of glass opens up for many options to enjoy indoor-outdoor living, which features a large central open living area. The front opens on to a large louvred deck and lap pool, and the rear to a courtyard with BBQs and spa. Either side, on multi levels, are the bedrooms, kitchen/lounge and conference room. The Lodge sleeps up to 20 guests.
The Kiwiesque Villa was built later, situated further back in the vineyard, with an open-plan design to encourage connection and a large deck accessing a swim spa. Combined, the Lodge and Villa are unique in their ability to accommodate larger groups in a luxury vineyard setting.
The Lodge has been the starting place for many a marriage. Justine says the location and feel of the place resonates with those searching for a venue for a small wedding, and they like the fact that it would be a fun place to return to, to celebrate anniversaries. Hawke’s Bay in general has become a destination for weddings given the attractive summers for outdoor venues and inspiring backdrops – or is it merely because we have the best wine? It’s a little unclear.
In 2022, there were 18,858 marriages and civil unions registered by New Zealand couples, with Hawke’s Bay attracting a fair number of them, from around the country and overseas.
The new Pan Pac Mountain Bike Park is right across the road from Kiwiesque. Once you are at the park, you have an exhaustive range of trails to get your knobby tyres rolling over. There’s something for everyone in the 78 km network, with purpose-built downhill, cross-country, free-ride tracks and gentle rolling trails connected by a backbone of wide, smooth forestry roads. The variety of trails ranging from grade one to five ensures there is riding for all abilities here.
With trail names such as Kamikaze, Cannonball Lector, Hi-Roller, Wish U Were Here and Grand Traverse, you know you’re in for an action-packed, bum-numbing time. For most of the year the clay/dirt trails are combed with pine needles giving you hard, dry and fast-flowing single tracks.
The park is broken into four blocks over about 1200 hectares of park. At the top of the park are some of the most stunning views of the Bay, providing views across to Mahia Peninsula, Napier Hill, Cape Kidnappers and Te Mata Peak.
For those who prefer less thrill and potentially less time at A&E, there are more leisurely rides to be found on the choice of 160 km of the Hawke’s Bay limestone trails.
Eskdale has changed. However, it will always be the gateway from the north, will always have its own unique microclimate and will always be a place of food production of some sort. While Mother Earth shows the power of her hand from time to time, this valley will always be a place of beauty and worthy of a visit to relax and unwind or to fill your boots with adrenaline.
