Cambridge, Waikato
A country haven in Cambridge
A private guest house on a quiet Waikato property, with a wood fire, a stocked breakfast pantry, and a lake you have to yourself.
The guest house
Somewhere to stop
You come in through barnyard-red gates, down a woodland drive and over a stone bridge, and park outside your own front door.
The guest house is yours alone. One bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchen, a fire, and a lawn with a table on it. Sheep and horses in the paddocks beyond. Nobody else coming and going.
Kate has hosted here for eight years.
The pantry
Stocked before you arrive
The name is not decoration. There is a pantry, it is stocked, and it is yours to work through however you like. No set breakfast time, no dining room, no waiting for anyone.
Guests mention it more than almost anything else. Twenty eight of the last hundred reviews bring it up.
The lake
A good place to do nothing
The lake is private and it comes with the stay. There is a covered floating dock out on the water with a table and chairs on it, which is a good place to sit and do nothing.
The trees around it turn gold in autumn and the whole thing goes still enough to mirror.
Inside
Warm, quiet, and properly finished
A king bed and a single, so it sleeps three. A modern bathroom with a freestanding bath. A wood burner, and firewood stacked outside the door.
Fast internet if you need it, which nobody ever seems to.
Guest reviews
Eight years, a hundred reviews
“If you’re travelling in the Waikato region then don’t miss the chance to stay at this well-appointed barn set in beautiful grounds. We loved the well-stocked breakfast pantry, modern spacious bathroom, comfortable bed and quiet sitting areas, inside and out.”
“So restful. Well appointed, clean, modern and unbelievably quiet.”
“It was my third time staying there and always great as before. Thanks Kate for your hospitality and flexibility for my family stay.”
“Kate’s place is incredible, super clean and warm with the cold weather outside. The fire was even made ready to light. Such a beautiful part of the country.”
“The breakfast supplies were most appreciated by this busy family.”
The location
Near Cambridge, and not near much else
The property sits in farmland five kilometres from the Waikato River, with Takapoto show-jumping arena just up the road.
Cambridge is close enough for dinner. Beyond that it is quiet, and that is rather the point.
Your host
Kate Findlay
Kate Findlay is a landscape gardener and an amateur beekeeper. The grounds, the lake and the trees are all hers, and they look it.
She lives on the property and answers messages within a day.
Enquiries
Ask about dates
Send a note and Kate will come back to you, usually within a day.
Prefer to book instantly? The listing is on Airbnb.