Lawn Road Retreat

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Lawn Road Retreat

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Large Group Accommodation in Hastings, Hawke's Bay. Perfect for Multi-Gen Families, Corporate and Golf Groups.

Multiple living areas, 9 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, large hot tub, pool, pizza oven, tennis and pickleball courts, putting green, meeting room...

30/10/2026

If you've just joined us, welcome! 🌿

Thank you so much for the response to my last post. I've been blown away by the number of new followers, the kind messages and the ideas you've shared, and I'm definitely going to put them into action.

Since so many of you are new here, I thought I'd share how Lawn Road Retreat came to be.

It started as our home, long before there was any thought of turning it into a business.

Back then, the property was a working orchard. The house was tiny, with five garages attached for all the orchard equipment. In 2006 we pushed the house out into the first of the double garages, which you can see in these photos. In front of the house was a huge orchard, planted at the minimum allowable distance from a residential dwelling.

When our children were babies, I started doing make-up work so I could be a stay-at-home mum while still earning an income. Before that, I'd worked in a magazine as the Beauty Editor and in-house make-up artist, and I began doing wedding make-up alongside family life.

Through my wedding work, I was constantly seeing families and friends coming together for special occasions. There weren't many properties that could accommodate a whole group, and I thought it would be wonderful to create somewhere where everyone could stay together.

At the same time, we had started making changes to our own property. We put in a wood-fired pizza oven, followed by a pool, and the orchard came out. To help fund some of the things we wanted to do, we would rent our place out on Airbnb when we went away.

Then I had the opportunity to sell some land. I wanted to put the money into improving our home, but I also wanted that investment to generate some return. So, in 2017, we undertook a major renovation, completely reworking the original house and adding a new wing. We thought we'd make the house available for a few months each year.

Once the building work was finished, we started taking bookings in November 2017. We bought a caravan so we had somewhere to stay whenever guests were booked in.

It got busy. Very busy. Very quickly.

We soon realised there was an opportunity to take things further. We built our own home in 2019, and in 2021 we made further changes to the retreat, including developing the interior to work better for larger groups.

Since then, the bigger transformations have happened outside. The spa became the much larger hot tub. The old piece of land and broken shed became the volleyball area. Part of the old chook area became the croquet lawn. The original playground was replaced with the much larger one we have today. And my enormous vegetable garden, once described by someone as a "market garden", most recently became our pickleball court and putting green.

It's been quite a journey, from our tiny house in the middle of a working orchard, to Airbnb, to a caravan, to building our own home, and eventually to Lawn Road Retreat.

It certainly wasn't all planned. It grew, bit by bit, into what it is today. And we couldn't be prouder of what we've created.

18/10/2026

A little story we haven’t told before 🌿

A few years ago, our page was hacked. Just like that, it was gone: the photos, the followers, and all the lovely guest reviews we’d built up over the years.

I spent six months talking to experts, doing endless research, and even contacting the media, hoping to get it back, because they’d just covered a music group who’d lost their page the same way. In the end, I had to start again from scratch.

Two-plus years later, we’re at just over 350 followers, which is significantly fewer than the 1,000-plus we had when I lost the page.

Up until now, my focus has been on setting up Lawn Road Retreat, and the pickleball court and putting green, completed in May this year, were the last big pieces of the puzzle. Now that the setup is complete, I’d love to put my energy into introducing more people to this place we’ve poured so much of ourselves into. Even right here in Hawke’s Bay, people I chat to still haven’t heard of us!

So if you’ve got ideas on how we could grow our following and let more people know about Lawn Road Retreat, I’d love to hear them. What would make you follow a page like ours? And how do you think we could share our story better?

Every suggestion is much appreciated. 🍇

13/10/2026

So, how did Lawn Road Retreat get its name?

Before it was a business, it was our family home - although it was a very different property to the one you see today.

We started renting it out on Airbnb when we went away each Christmas.

While I was filling out the listing form, I discovered I needed a name, and I needed one quickly!

We live on Lawn Road, so that seemed like a good starting point. And I felt the property was a retreat. We’re set well back from the road, and there’s something about being here that makes you feel as though you’ve escaped somewhere.

So, Lawn Road Retreat it was.

I remember thinking I could always change it later if I came up with something better but I never did.

And now, all these years later, I can’t imagine it being called anything else.

01/10/2026

Some gifts don't come in a box.

A few years ago, a family came to Lawn Road Retreat for a stay in November. The following year, the grandmother, the matriarch of the family, rang to book three nights for Christmas.

There was just one problem. We have a five-night minimum stay over the Christmas period.

I explained this, and she went back to talk it over with her family. A little while later, she called back to say they'd decided they wanted to come for the five nights.

What she said next has stayed with me ever since.

They would rather spend the extra two days together than have the value of those nights come out of their inheritance.

They wanted the time. The conversations around the table. The laughter. The memories their children and grandchildren would carry with them.

I thought that was pretty special.

One of our guests staying with us this week has a similar approach to giving. She gives experiences and time together to her family rather than tangible gifts. This year that includes a five-night stay at Lawn Road Retreat.

It got me thinking about how some of the most precious things we can give each other aren't things at all.

They're time. They're shared experiences. They're memories that stay long after the wrapping paper has gone. ❤️

24/09/2026

In May 2023, Hawke's Bay became the 12th Great W**e Capital in the world, joining regions such as Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Mendoza and Adelaide.

Getting in isn't easy, and it isn't guaranteed. Hawke's Bay actually tried once before, back in 2009, but wasn't selected.

This time, it wasn't just about producing great w**e. Hawke's Bay had to demonstrate that it was a truly world-class w**e destination — from our w**egrowing history and industry to w**e tourism, education, business and travel, and everything that makes the wider region such a special place to visit.

Hawke's Bay Tourism led the charge, working alongside Hawke's Bay W**e Growers, Hastings District Council, Napier City Council, Hawke's Bay Airport and EIT, supported by New Zealand W**egrowers. It was a mammoth undertaking, taking more than a year of mahi and commitment to get across the line.

We think that the sheer scale of work that went on behind the scenes makes the accolade even more meaningful.

It recognises not just what's in the bottle, but the destination around it — the vineyards, food, hospitality, experiences, knowledge, landscapes, businesses and communities that together make Hawke's Bay what it is.

And here at Lawn Road Retreat, we're lucky enough to be right in the middle of it. One of only 12 Great W**e Capitals in the world.

Not a bad place to gather a group. 🌿🍷

And this October, the story comes full circle. Hawke's Bay is hosting the Great W**e Capitals Annual Conference from 18–22 October 2026, bringing representatives from the world's other Great W**e Capitals to our region. It's an incredible opportunity to showcase, first-hand, the w**e, food, people, landscapes and experiences that helped Hawke's Bay earn its place among them.

**eCapital **e **eTourism

14/09/2026

It is important to us that Lawn Road Retreat is accessible and can work for guests with different mobility needs. 🏡

Here's a little peek at the property before our guests arrived last weekend. I took a little walk through the house, capturing our accessible features on video, as well as a few spaces along the way because they were, well, on the way.

Along with the permanent ramps we have, you'll see our two portable ramps which we put in place over the step up into the kitchen and the step down to the lawn, leading to the pizza oven and pétanque court. You'll also see our accessible bathroom.

We love that Lawn Road Retreat can be a place for everyone to come together. ❤️

"

07/09/2026

Beautiful properties don't stay beautiful by accident!

One of the things people probably don't see when they look at Lawn Road Retreat is just how much work goes on behind the scenes.

When we have guests staying, our focus is entirely on making sure everything is ready for them to arrive and have the most wonderful time. But when we have a free weekend, it's our opportunity to tackle some of the bigger maintenance jobs that are difficult to do when the property is full.

This weekend, the scaffolding was out and James was back up high painting the fascia boards as well as some of the black cladding — which looks fantastic, but definitely needs regular attention under the Hawke's Bay sun! ☀️

We actually bought our own scaffolding because, with a property of this size, there always seems to be something that needs doing up high!

Running Lawn Road Retreat means there is always a list of jobs — painting, repairs, gardening, maintenance and constantly keeping everything looking as good as it possibly can. It's not always glamorous, but it's all part of looking after a place that means so much to us.

Most weekends, we hope to be welcoming families and groups who are here to celebrate something special — a milestone birthday, wedding anniversary, family reunion or simply precious time together.

But when we do have a free weekend, we roll up our sleeves and make the most of it!

The unseen reality of running Lawn Road Retreat. ❤️

27/08/2026

Yesterday we had a visit from some of the newest members of the Hawke's Bay Tourism team, who are getting out and about meeting members and getting to know the people and places that make up our region's visitor offering. 🌿

It was wonderful to welcome new General Manager Tania Burt, along with Liz Grossman, Partnerships Manager – Tourism Trade & Business Events, and Kirsten Simcox, Membership, Famils and Content Coordinator.

Kirsten was behind the camera, so you'll see me walking around the property with Tania and Liz, from our croquet lawn down towards the new pickleball court and putting green. 🏏🏓⛳

It's easy to forget, when you're busy running your own little corner of Hawke's Bay, just how much goes on behind the scenes to support and grow our tourism industry.

So it was lovely to spend some time with three of the people who put in the hard work to connect our tourism businesses and promote Hawke's Bay.❤️

Thanks for coming to see us, Tania, Liz and Kirsten. It was great to have you here, and to have the chance to share a little of what we've created.😊

21/08/2026

There’s been a definite taste of winter around Hawke’s Bay lately but yesterday was one of those beautiful days that reminds you spring isn’t too far away.

The decks were warm, the pool was sparkling, the lawns were green and the whole place felt like it was waking up again. 🌿

If a little spring escape sounds tempting, we still have the first weekend in September available.

Spring is on its way… and we’re ready for it. ☀️

www.lawnroadretreat.co.nz

17/08/2026

One of the things I hadn't really thought about when I started Lawn Road Retreat was how much of my working life would be spent on my own.

I work from home, live on site, and - other than the wonderful contractors who help me keep everything running - it's largely just me. Which is one of the reasons I really value my monthly Business Belles meetings.

Once a month, I get to step away from the day-to-day, spend time with other women in business, share ideas, talk through challenges, celebrate the wins, and have a good laugh with people who understand what it's like to run your own business.

This month was particularly lovely, as I got to provide the venue here at Lawn Road Retreat and welcome fellow Belle Lesley Leech from Raspberry Beret, who gave us a wonderful talk on finding and embracing our own personal style.

I love that the support within the Belles goes beyond simply getting together once a month. Mel from Pixel Project, also a Belle, generously captured some footage from the morning, and Carol from Thelma & Louise Cakes & Catering provided the delicious food. It's a lovely example of how we support each other's businesses - sometimes simply by choosing to use someone we know, recommending them, sharing their work, or giving them an opportunity.

Running a business can be wonderfully rewarding, but it can also be quite solitary. Having a group of women who understand that, and who genuinely want to see each other do well, makes such a difference.

A little glimpse of our morning below. ❤️

www.lawnroadretreat.co.nz

Address

150 Lawn Road, RD10
Hastings
4180

Telephone

+6421898973

Website

http://www.lawnroadretreat.co.nz/

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