From the bright bubbly greeting to the stunningly appointed cottage, we were blown away by the level comfort. Situated in the middle of a citrus orchard the Dolittle cottage with its hardwood floors, full size fridge/freezer, 4 hob gas cooker and gas heated water. You just know you're in a good space when the coffee comes in a jar not a satchet! Highly recommended!!

Absolutely superb - just like home with everything you need provided.
Serene environment where you can come to rest, with an excellent cafe/restaurant less than a km down the road.

I ended up booking at Relax-A-Lodge when the other place that was recommended to me turned out to be full, and THANK GOODNESS for that! The lodge was definitely a much better home base for my visit to Kerikeri. From the moment I walked in I felt like I was walking into a friend's home-- it smelled delicious from people cooking dinner in the well appointed kitchen, it was warm and cozy from the wood fire going in the living room, a very sweet and well behaved dog (Nika) came to greet me, there was a bowl of fresh oranges up for grabs on the table, the other guests were friendly an offered to share their wine and food, and Claus, Inga, and Ilaria were kind and helpful hosts. I ended up extending my stay because I felt so happy and comfortable there! It is also very conveniently located close to town and everything you could need. I highly recommend this cozy lodge for your stay in Kerikeri!

Thank you all so much for the wonderful stay, I hope to return soon 🙂

Beautiful peaceful Lodge. Thank You so much Claus, Emily,and Inga.
My son and myself throughly enjoyed our stay. Highly reccomend this Lodge.

We were stranded in NZ during lockdown and I have to say that Klaus and Inga at Relax a lodge made our whole experience amazing. The accomodation was perfect for us and the pool an additional treat. Can’t recommend Relax a Lodge enough - we hope to return.

This spot couldn’t be more perfect! The cabin is well equipped and private.
The animals were very enjoyable. We had fun walking the dog and feeding the pigs and chickens.
Claus made sure we had a good supply of tasty oranges.
We will be back!

Thank you very much Claes and Inga for our pleasant stay in your cosy house. We felt very comfortable and enjoyed the garden, the deck outside and the tasty oranges. You gave us helpful advice to have nice days in Kerikeri. We recommend this place highly!

You are a perfect host. Wonderful stay and best mandarins ever. Thank you

My boyfriend and I are local. We stayed in a bedroom with access to a large living area (i.e. the main house). The individual cottages outside will be ideal for a large family, however, we highly recommend you to stay in the main house because it is EXTREMELY fun. You will definitely have an unforgettable experience.

- Claes(owner): very considerate, friendly and tidy. He has been running the business for years and knows lots of things about Bay of Islands. He makes really good recommendations to attractions. He provides free organic fruit (from his own orchard) to visitors. He even offered to pick up some people who arrived late at 1am (not many owners would do this - and guys, please, try to arrange your own transport. It is not very good to ask someone who is in his 70s to pick you up at 1am).

- Nika(dog): very well-behaved. My boyfriend knows how to train dogs and he said Nika is well-trained. When we left both doors open every morning, she wouldn't walk straight in. She always waited outside for at least a few minutes and only came in when we "invited" her to do so. She is smart and polite. She never bark at people or jump on people. She gets along with us very well. She wanted us to pet her and play fetch all the time. That's the only time she barks (because of joy and excitement). Please do not throw sticks for Nika to fetch. It is dangerous for her as it might cause cuts to her mouth and tongue. We used the tangelos laying on the ground as Nika seems to enjoy the juice. No sticks please.

- Other animals: free-range chickens provide fresh eggs daily. Kune kune pigs are always keen to eat.

- Twin room: very cosy. Even has a mirrored dressing table and huge wardrobe/storage area with shelves.

- Facilities in the main house: well equipped. The kitchen even has more facilities than our house.

- Facilities outside the main house: very impressed by the orchard. Even have a swimming pool and beach chairs. Claes also has bikes that people can use for free.


It is definitely beyond our expectation. It is the best lodge we have been to so far.

Thank you for everything, Claes.

Another great weekend stay(4th time) at Relax A Lodge in the orchard, with great hosts. Thanks Claes & Inga for your assistance once again for our weekend. See you again soon.