The Full Story
Haere Mai Ki Tahapuke
Long before stone walls or timber beams, this stretch of shoreline was a turangawaewae — a standing place — for Māori Chief Te Keemua and his people. Two Pā sites still rest at the property's highest point, looking north and south across the bay, casting their gaze over Pompallier House towards Russell and across the Veronica Channel to Paihia. The land has held people for centuries. It holds you now.
The Tahapuke Experience
Pass through the gate and Tahapuke becomes entirely yours. A private beach. A mooring at your doorstep. A dinghy ready for the island. A gas BBQ, outdoor furniture, and a beachfront lounging deck made for long afternoons and longer sunsets.
And when you're ready for the world again, the heart of Russell — its wharf, its restaurants, its history — is just a five-minute stroll away.
A Family Legacy
The house itself was built in the early 1900s and has remained in the Fladgate family ever since. Today it is cared for by two brothers, Pierre and Pat Fladgate, who, in a happy coincidence the family still smiles about, married two sisters — Bobbie and Bubbles.
Their dream has always been a simple one: to share this rare corner of the Bay of Islands — its history, its quietness, its beauty — with guests from near and far.
A Private Island, A Living Story
Just offshore lies Kaiaraara — known locally as Mill Island — a small island that has always been part of Tahapuke's title. In its earliest days, the island's summit was levelled to house a windmill, though storms eventually claimed it. The island also served as a sanctuary for the karoro (black-backed gull), and to this day it remains a favoured fishing ground for those who know the bay.
Guests at Tahapuke enjoy exclusive access to the island by dinghy — a quiet adventure only a few will ever know.