  Activities
Unique Nature Tours / Sunset Celebration
- Greeting & Feeding the animals
- Farm tours, Bees & Mud volcanoes
- Walk around the lake
- Walnuts & Blackwoods tour
- Hans's Nature Walk & Forest tour
- Maori Pa historic site visit
- Sunset celebration with Wine & Fingerood
Duration is about3.5 to 4 hours.
Price available on application. A certain level of fitness is required.
Personal interaction with the animals
Feed our chooks and deer - yes they do eat out of your hands! Help in moving our cattle to greenpastures or move our "lawn mowers" Geit Twee, Liesje and Geit Drie.
Hear the birds during the dawn chorus when they are not feasting on the specially planted trees.Sit back from a safe distance- and admire the buzziness of the bees in the apiary.
Dining
Because of our location and the nearest restaurant 5 km away we recommend you dine at Knapdale at least for the first night after travelling to Gisborne. Gourmet dinners can be prepared following email or telephone conversations regarding your culinary preferences or dietary requirements. Gourmet dinners are NZ$65 per person. Please book dinners in advance.
Waka Toa; cultural Maori performance group
Visit the remains of an historic Maori pa (defensive earthworks), Whaitiripapa Pa, high in the hills of the Knapdale Forest. Members of the Waka Toa cultural group will welcome you on to the site and explain its history and significance.
For larger visitor groups an unique personalised Maori performance can be organised on the eastern approach to Whaitiripapa Pa with the Gisborne flats and the Pacific Ocean as a stunning background.
Dive Tatapouri
Feeding stingrays in the Pacific Ocean and undertaking a marine eco tour; Dive Tatapouri is undertaking on the sea what Knapdale does in the Gisborne foothills. Book through the Knapdale Eco Lodge or through www.divetatapouri.com.
Excursions to Gisborne Wineries
Sample some of the award winning Chardonnays from the Golden Slopes near Waihirere; TW Wines, Waihohika, Lindauer-Montana.. or Milton and KEW wineries somewhat further away.
Trips to nearby East Coast forests and arboretumns
As a professional forester and practising farm forester Kees is your guide to pristine native forests, small or medium scale farm forests or large scale production forests. Less than 45 minutes from Knapdale Lodge is the internationally famous Eastwoodhill Arboretum which features the largest and finest collection of Northern Hemisphere plants growing in the Southern Hemisphere. Over 3000 taxa have been planted from around the world set in a fantastic forest and garden in 100 acres of hillside, valleys,creeks and ponds. The trip to Eastwoodhill takes you through glorious rural countryside where acres of vineyards slowly give way to orchards, corn and squash plantations before the hill country sheep, beef and deer farms.
Another delightful excursion is a visit to Hackfalls Arboretum near Tiniroto. Set between two natural lakes, Hackfalls is another magnificent forestplanted in the rural hinterland many years ago. This one features alders, cherries, birches, magnolias, maples and rhododendrons. Outstanding is a large collection of very tall Mexican oak trees.
The Gisborne and East Coast region has many forests, lakes and rivers and a spectacular pristine coastline and beaches. Averitable paradise for lovers of trees and gardens, bird life, quality wines and organically grown gourmet food as well as amazing scenery.
Access to Gisborne city, museum, art & cultural centres, local shopping plus fantastic beaches and pristine coastline.
Gisborne is often referred to as the surfing capital of New Zealand because of the many surf breaks on our beaches.
Walk to Waihirere Waterfall
Take a scenic walk through natural bush to the Waihirere waterfall.
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