Life is all about a journey, the experiences and people you meet along the way. How we ended up owning Tongariro River Estate this vineyard oasis at the Southern end of the Lake Taupo is all parts of life's journey.

In1998 Bob was taking part in an adventure race in the Phillippines and as a result contracted a severe tropical disease which quite literally almost killed him, with a young family it was clear he could not take these risks again. I agreed with him that a more sensible challenge to do would be Ironman Triathlon as this is a lot safer, looking back even this seems a crazy thing to agree but sums up our approach to life.

So on the first Sunday in March 2000 we found ourselves staying in Turangi with fifteen family and friends and Bob ready to race his first Ironman, Ironman New Zealand 2000.

The first encounter with New Zealand left us wanting more and by April that year we bought our holiday home on Herekiekie Street a unique place full of fantastic people and on the banks of the Tongariro River.

Years passed, Bob's work took us to various parts of the world but one thing acted as an anchor for us, our place in New Zealand.

Over a span of ten years we have had some fantastic times in New Zealand our young family has grown up and Bob and I were turning our sites to the future and dare I say our 'retirement'. The challenge for us was what can we do that would keep us connected with the Southern end of Lake Taupo and our fantastic friends and neighbours.... The answer came quite unexpectedly in the form of Tongariro River Estate a small but beautiful vineyard just a stones through from Herekiekie Street.

We saw the real estate advertisements and decided that was for us, it combined all the aspects we felt were right, location, great potential and above all great wine.

Since owning Tongariro River Estate we have met some great people and are extremely excited to have restauranteurs Troy and Rachel Toms join us to run River Restaurant and turn it into a destination for locals and tourists alike, indeed for anyone who loves beautiful scenery, great food and fantastic limited release wine. I started by saying that life is about the journey, experiences and people you meet along the way, this is something Bob and I still firmly believe in, indeed Tongariro River Estate is a direct reflection of our approach to life. Live life to the full, enjoy life to the full.

River Restaurant today announced that it has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award. read more..

BIKES IN THE VINES 19th January The bikes are coming to the Vineyard!
We will have an afternoon of live music, sausage sizzle and plenty of beers.....AND WINE! read more..

GIANT Chess & GIANT Checkers is now available for you to enjoy..... read more..

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