JAG Farms Lodge – Matakana Island
Welcome to JAG Farms Lodge
From Matakana Island, Aotearoa New Zealand — a small farm-based lodge with a big heart.
What You’ll Find Here
- Small guest numbers: Only a handful at a time.
- Slow food: Farm, garden, harbour, and home-style meals.
- Working land: Gardens, paddocks, orchards, sheds, and prep spaces.
- Cultural grounding: Matakana Island, Tauranga Moana, whānau, food, music, stories, and shared work.
- Quiet corners: Space to read, think, write, rest, or watch the sky change.
The Lodge Kitchen
The kitchen brings together rural New Zealand, Māori food values, island produce, and practical farm cooking.
- Fresh milk, cream, beef, pork, poultry, and seasonal produce from JAG Farms where available
- Organic seasonal vegetables such as sweetcorn and pumpkin
- Fish and kaimoana from Tauranga Moana when permitted
- Smokehouse, grill, sashimi knife, and cast-iron cooking traditions
“Simple food, fresh, homegrown, prepared and presented with care and flair.”
Your Stay
The lodge is designed for small groups, families, couples, close friends, and visiting agricultural or cultural delegations.
- Comfortable rooms and practical farm-lodge facilities
- Shared breakfast and dinner at the lodge table
- Access to gardens, outdoor spaces, and quiet places to rest
- Optional time in the kitchen for guests who want to cook, learn, or help
Stay Options
- Bed & Breakfast: Simple short stays with breakfast included.
- Farm & Table: Hosted stays with meals and selected activities.
- Course & Retreat Weeks: Food, learning modules, and structured group programmes.
Experiences & Courses
JAG Farms Lodge is a place to learn, do, rest, and reconnect.
- Farm and garden sessions — soil care, composting, seasonal work
- Fishing and water skills — gear care, safe handling, filleting
- Kitchen workshops — smoking, baking, cream cakes, and home-style cooking
- Story and music evenings — guitars, kōrero, tea, coffee, and reflection
Outdoor Activities
Outdoor experiences are shaped by land, sea, weather, safety, and local relationships.
- Surfcasting, harbour fishing, and family fishing sessions
- Seasonal shellfish gathering where permitted
- Farm-bike, 4WD, horse-riding, or guided walking experiences where available
- Bird watching, wildlife observation, and quiet coastal time
Hunting Experiences
Seasonal hunting experiences may be arranged for properly licensed hunters only, through trusted local operators where appropriate.
- Duck hunting for valid New Zealand game-bird licence holders
- Pheasant hunting where access, season, and operators allow
- Strict safety, licence, permit, and ethical harvest requirements
- Food-focused preparation and respect for land, wildlife, and tikanga
Why JAG Farms Matters
Every plate, visit, and conversation at the lodge carries the fingerprints of real work.
- John and Ave’s decades of Matakana farming
- Māori trust land stewardship and island resilience
- JAG Farms Ltd as the source of food, story, and continuity
- A living connection between guests, local whānau, food, land, and sea
Who This Lodge Is For
- People who value real food more than fancy décor
- Families wanting children to understand where kai comes from
- Agricultural and horticultural professionals
- Musicians, writers, fishers, hunters, gardeners, cooks, and food lovers
- Guests happy to slow down, help with dishes, and embrace communal life
Looking Ahead
JAG Farms Lodge is still in development. Systems, menus, courses, rooms, supply lines, and shared spaces are being prepared carefully.
This page is the first marker. The real work has already begun.
JAG Farms Lodge is being built slowly and carefully — in step with the land, the whānau, the seasons, and the island itself.
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