From the Press... 

Frommer’s

The Masters Lodge --  Once owned by tobacco baron Gerhard Husheer (the "Master"), the gracious home has been restored to its original splendor and is now under the new ownership of Larry & Joan Blume.  The two large suites have million-dollar views over the city and bay, and their elegant appointments are faultless.  One has a private bathroom, the other an unbelievably stylish ensuite with an elevated tub.  Vibrant color prevails throughout, and you'll feel very much at home. 

Lonely Planet

The Masters Lodge is the most upmarket place in Napier.  This sumptuous place is the former home of Gerhard Husheer, the founder of the National Tobacco Company. 

Footprint

The Masters Lodge, luxury private suites, solarium, in-house museum and veranda with commanding views. 

Independent Traveller's Guide

If you like the idea of staying at an exclusive and private home at the best address in Napier, you will love The Masters Lodge. 

Fodor’s

Where to Stay:  If its luxury you seek, try The Masters Lodge, which has only two suites and was once owned by a tobacco baron.

Remote Luxury
Top Resorts Down Under
By Sabina Marreiros & Photography by Markus Bachmann
The Images Publishing Group Pty Ltd 2007

The owners of Masters Lodge, who describe it as ‘the smallest luxury hotel’, never intended to be hoteliers. Larry and Joan Blume, a former lawyer and dentist from New York, bought the lodge in April 2003 on impulse while they were holidaying in New Zealand. It was difficult to resist, they say. And it’s easy to see why.

The historic building, which was once home to Gerhard Husheer, a legendary figure in Hawke’s Bay, sits perched on Napier Hill in a direct line of sight with the seafront and Marine Parade. Immensely wealthy by the standards of any provincial city, Husheer was one of New Zealand’s richest men by early 1930s, having made his fortune from the establishment of the tobacco industry in New Zealand. During his life, his house reflected his wealth, with elaborate leadlight windows in Louis Comfort Tiffany designs of fruit and flowers, Art Deco doors, Art Nouveau brass door handles and plates, Arts & Crafts fireplaces, and Charles Rennie Mackintosh leadlights, carvings and appliqués. When she visited many years later, New York Times writer Carol van Grondelle described it as a “Fabergé egg set in the industrial tundra of a working port”.

In addition to the main house, Husheer purchased Cliff House next door as a servants’ quarters before acquiring further land, sloping down the hillside and out to a dramatic point overlooking the Pacific and Cape Kidnappers, in order to construct a gazebo and a retreat house. Another guesthouse was added by acquiring another house to the rear of Cliff House. The combined properties were landscaped and planted with trees, predominantly the New Zealand natives that he so admired and these in time created a unique park over which his house commanded stunning views of Napier’s Marine Parade and the Heretaunga Plains.

When the Blumes bought the grand estate, though, it was in need of some restorative work. So they began lovingly restoring the glamorous interior, decking it out with whimsical and curious accoutrements, such as license plates from Husheer’s chauffeur-driven fleet of cars, and 1930 drawings for the house renovation by New Zealand Architect Louis Hay, while bringing the exterior and grounds up to their former glory.

The result is a destination that has been named one of the Five Best Art Deco Hotels in the World by The Independent News UK, as well as one of New Zealand’s Top 10 Experiences by New Zealand Travel Ltd and one of the Top Ten Gourmet Getaways in the World by Luxury Travel Magazine.

Luxury Travel Magazine, Spring 2008

"GOURMET TOURING"
"New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay Is All About Indulgence"
By Erin O’Dwyer

Hawkes Bay is justly famous for its luxury lodges. They trade on the region’s jaw-droppingly beautiful countryside and a combination of outdoorsy leisure activities such as golfing, tramping and fly-fishing.

But if your singular passion is food and wine, you’ve come to the right place too.

For those seeking a traditional lodge experience, try The Masters Lodge perched on Bluff Hill in Napier. Built in bungalow style in the late 1800s, it was revamped in the 30s. It is now run by a New Yorker expat couple with a passion for modern art. It has two self-contained rooms done out fabulously in art deco style, both with views across the Pacific.

North & South Magazine, May 2006

“MEET THE PEOPLE”
By Amanda Cropp

A lovingly primped, warmly welcoming B&B oozes the sort of chintz and charm a large hotel or even upmarket motel unit can’t even begin to compete with. There’s something especially heart warming about friendly attentive hosts welcoming you through their own front door to be pampered and often even befriended. You have the run of a deliciously maintained home, guest rooms ooze style and character, and no two are the same. And in the morning there’s a breakfast you wouldn’t normally be caught dead eating, prepared by someone else’s hand – so naughtily inviting.

The B&B range on offer in New Zealand now is as varied and exciting as the wine range in your supermarket – from premium pinot to cheap and cheerful quaffers.

At the top end of the market the likes of The Masters Lodge in Napier accommodates just four guests and charges $740 a night for a double room. The historic art deco residence was built for legendary local tobacco magnate Johann Gerhard Husheer and memorabilia from his tenure fill the rooms along with the hosts’ extensive, exquisite modern art collection. The Deco Suite has an elevated orange and green tiled bathtub and guests can order champagne and oysters to sup while they soak up the spectacular sea views. For breakfast there’s courgette blossom frittata and home-smoked salmon with scrambled eggs.
 

The 10 Best of Everything:
An Ultimate Guide for Travelers
Authors:  Nathaniel & Andrew Lande
Published by National Geographic (March 2006)

From Arnold Palmer's ten finest golf courses to Luciano Pavarotti's ten favorite opera houses to the ten poshest train trips, classiest wristwatches, most atmospheric pubs, and much more, this is a blue-chip bible to delight any traveler for whom only the very best will do.

Compiled by veteran travelers Nathaniel and Andrew Lande, this extravagantly entertaining volume collects superlatives galore: top sporting events and tropical island hideaways, glorious gardens and magnificent museums, stylish ski runs, superb cigars, and the top luxury hotels, resorts and restaurants in the World. Here too are a whole host of trips and expeditions for any taste and to every continent, each complete itinerary a unique variation upon the theme of the 21st century Grand Tour.

About the Authors
Nathaniel Lande has logged more than 4 million miles and circled the globe a dozen times as the director of Time World News Service. In addition, he has served as Creative Director for the Time magazine group, a founding director of Time-Life Films, and an executive producer for both the CBS and NBC networks. The author of eight books, he has been a professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and Duke University, as well as a distinguished scholar at Trinity College, Dublin, where he earned his doctorate.

Andrew Lande, an expert in food and wine, holds degrees from the University of California and was educated at Trinity College, Dublin. He is the co-author of The Cigar Connoisseur and the highly acclaimed A&E Biography special, Bob Hope, America's Entertainer.

Winestate Magazine, September 2007

”NEW ZEALAND PALATE -- HAWKE'S BAY REVIEW”
”MASTERING THE ART OF RELAXING”
By Winsor Dobbin

Looking for somewhere special to stay in Hawke’s Bay? Check out The Masters Lodge, a luxury getaway that caters for a maximum of four guests at any one time. Situated on Napier Hill, with spectacular views across Hawke’s Bay, the lodge was once the home of tobacco baron Gerhard Husheer and has been lovingly restored.

There are just two suites, Kidnappers and Deco, both overlooking the city of Napier and the sea. The elevated bathtub in front of the window in the Deco bathroom is a prime spot for soaking away the stresses of a day spent eating and drinking.  A la carte breakfasts on the verandah during summer are all part of the experience and gourmet dinners are available; winemakers regularly host tasting dinners. Should you wish to dine out and enjoy a couple of glasses of wine, transport around Napier is provided.

Rates are $1,050 per suite, including accommodation, breakfast, hors d’oeuvres, four-course gourmet dinner for two and use of all facilities, including the spa and swimming pools. The Masters Lodge is at 10 Elizabeth Rd, Bluff Hill, Napier.  
 

Rettie Magazine, Spring 2007

A NEW BEGINNING - DECO DELIGHTS IN AOTEAROA
By Karen Wilson

A Fabergé Jewel Set In The Industrial Tundra Of A Working Port
Hay's iconic heritage-listed National Tobacco Company building lies on reclaimed land, minutes from both the central business district and the inner harbour foreshore of Ahuriri. This admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright offset the simple form of the building against elaborate ornamentation. It is said the carved wooden doors cost £600, an unthinkable sum during the Depression. The arch portrays an Art Deco sunburst with Art Nouveau stemmed roses. A New York Times journalist described the building as a "Fabergé jewel set in the industrial tundra of a working port". However, the port area is now becoming more residential with substantial apartment development supported by cafes, bars and retail.

Hay also had a part in the design of The Masters Lodge, originally the home of the director of the National Tobacco Company. Today you can stay here and admire the many original furnishings, which have been retained including ornate leadlight windows. With only two suites, it is an exclusive five-star haven for that private getaway offering gourmet dinners, spa options, and wedding and honeymoon packages.

Life & Leisure Magazine, March 2006

“HAWKE’S BAY HIATUS”
By Amy Kelley

The Masters Lodge is boutique accommodation at its best, featuring just two beautifully furnished suites. An array of lodge packages includes the "Art Deco Experience": guests are taken to a dress shop to be outfitted in 1920s attire and then driven in a vintage auto through the historic Deco districts before cocktails and a gourmet dinner.

Links Magazine, September/October 2005

"NEW ZEALAND:  REMOTE, RUGGED AND BECONING"
A Mid-Life Ramble Through New Zealand
By Jeff Neuman

This adventure started with an email from my former dentist.  I had come to know Joan Blume during one of those extended dental rehabs we check-up-skippers occasionally endure.  In 2002 Joan gave up her practice in New York to move with her new husband, Larry, to the distant port of Napier, New Zealand to operate a bed-and-breakfast.  Joan sent me a birthday email the next year, with a link to the B&B website….I was intrigued.

I began investigating the golf scene in New Zealand and found that fairly little had been written about it – a condition that changed in early 2004 with the opening of the Tom Doak-designed course at Cape Kidnappers, on one of the most remarkable pieces of land ever to suffer a divot.  Cape Kidnappers, it turns out, is a short drive from Napier, where Joan and Larry run their B&B.  Clearly, the golf gods were pointing me southward.

I ultimately spent a solid month traveling through New Zealand...Cape Kidnappers is a must-stop on any visitor’s itinerary.  The scenery is breathtaking, and it is near the unusual and photogenic port town of Napier...If you’re looking for a great spot to stay and eat there, I can heartily recommend Joan and Larry’s place, The Masters Lodge.

XtraMSN, January 2005

"TOP TEN ROMANTIC LODGES OF NEW ZEALAND"

Go on, treat yourself. There's nothing like a weekend break to recharge the body and soul, and where better to be than a blissful bed and breakfast or boutique hotel in some gorgeous corner of Godzone.
Whether it's romance you're after, or a well-earned rest from the daily grind, here's our pick of some of the country's most indulgent spots for simply spoiling yourself rotten.
The Masters Lodge, Napier
Relive the roaring twenties at The Masters Lodge in Napier, named one of the "Five Best Art Deco Hotels" In the World by The Independent News UK in 2004. This small exclusive lodge has only two guest suites, and a restaurant offering a 'Deco Experience' evening that begins with a tour of Napier by vintage car and ends with a four course gourmet dinner in the Lodge's elegant dining room.  

The Golf Insider, 2005

"AN ADVENTURE WITH THE LORDS OF THE CAPE –
 TOM DOAK AND JULIAN ROBERTSON"
Cape Kidnappers And Napier – Hawke's Bay, New Zealand
By Nancy Berkley

New Zealand not only has more sheep per person than any other country in the world, but also with over 400 golf courses, it has more courses per person than any country in the world. There are golf courses all over and not surprisingly, most of them are carved out of sheep-grazing pastures. That said -- the newest of New Zealand’s golf courses Cape Kidnappers, which is also built on a former sheep station, is simply extraordinary.

Opened January 2004, the unique geography of Cape Kidnappers has been blessed by gifted golf course architect, Tom Doak, (of Bandon Dunes fame) , and further blessed by the resources of its owner-developer, Julian Robertson (of hedge fund fame), and his wife Josie Robertson. "Lord of the Rings" was filmed in exotic and beautiful locations in New Zealand, but, after playing Cape Kidnappers, golfers will agree that Doak and Robertson have earned the title "Lords of the Cape"…

Our favorite accommodation is The Masters Lodge -- an easy forty-five minute drive from the course but also an easy walk from beautiful Napier. The Masters Lodge is owned by Larry and Joan Blume, formerly of New York. The Lodge, which was built in the early 1900's by the founder of the National Tobacco Company, is tucked away high on the bluff with panoramic views of Hawke Bay. The Blumes have painstakingly furnished the home in authentic art deco and modernized all the facilities. Dinner is prepared by the Blume's private chef and served with wine from their premier New Zealand collection.

After two days of wine tasting, it’s time to relax at the boutique hotel, The Masters Lodge. Our private chef serves four courses of exquisite food, including a crayfish caught off the rocks at nearby Cape Kidnappers (visible from our bedroom) with a tomato capsicum coulis. “Food is like a good story,”: says the Chef. “There is build-up, a climax, and then you come out and find balance.” Much like the history of winemaking in this rich and diverse region.

Golf Odyssey, July 2004

"THE SOPHISTICATED GUIDE TO GOLF TRAVEL"
Cape Kidnappers Golf Club, New Zealand

Cape Kidnapppers delivers one of the most unique experiences in golf...

For an even more private retreat, consider The Masters Lodge, located exactly thirty minutes from the golf course.  Built in the 1930s by Louis Hay, the architect most responsible for Napier’s Art Deco look, The Master’s Lodge was the long-time home of a New Zealand tobacco baron.  Now the Lodge offers visitors the chance to stay in a private home:  Owners Larry and Joan Blume left New York less than two years ago to run this romantic bed-and-breakfast. With just two suites, The Master’s Lodge hosts a maximum of four guests; two couples travelling together can have the run of the house.  Located on the second floor, the suites showcase Art Deco and Art Nouveau details.  Intricate leadlight (stained-glass) windows, rich artwork, and wonderfully selected antiques provide the finishing touches to the beautifully conceived interiors.

Both the Kidnappers Suite and the Deco Suite are done in period style, although they are quite different.  The Deco Suite features a slightly smaller bedroom but a larger bathroom with a raised cast-iron bathtub that overlooks the ocean.  The Kidnappers Suite has a larger bedroom with a bay window overlooking the ocean and Cape Kidnappers.  The bathroom features a cast-iron bathtub and a separate shower.  All the tiling is original.  Preference between the two suites, which are appointed with damask cotton bed linens and goose-down pillow and duvets, boils down to personal taste.  The verandah offers glorious vistas.  Breakfast at The Masters Lodge highlights New Zealand fruits, made-to-order eggs, venison sausage, whole grain breads, granola, cheeses, yoghurts, and great coffee.  Dinner, described below, is a special experience.  Larry and Joan Blume are gracious, pampering, and engaging hosts.  They are also fonts of local information who will happily help you plan a wine tour itinerary, make reservations, and do all the little things necessary to ensure that your stay at their stylish oasis is unforgettable.

Guests at The Masters Lodge should strongly consider having dinner in-house.  Dinner at The Master's Lodge is a personalized experience apropos of a special occasion.  Larry and Joan Blume have retained the services of one of the finest chefs in New Zealand to prepare a memorable, custom-designed feast.  Entrées range from juicy steaks to traditional tenderloins, venison, crayfish and other seafood, as well as heron, pheasant, and succulent black swan.  Using the freshest local ingredients, the chef’s creations highlight intriguing combinations of flavors.  The Blumes consult with the chef to recommend the perfect Hawke’s Bay wines to accompany the meal.  Larry, who waited tables to pay his way through law school, provides exquisite service.  Dinner is served in the dining room or, on especially lovely evenings, outside on the verandah.

The Independent News UK, May 2004

"FIVE BEST: ART DECO HOTELS"
Check In And Check Out These Rooms For A Taste Of Old-Fashioned Style
By Tania Alexander

 •Burgh Island Hotel, Devon  •Claridge's, London  •La Mamounia, Morocco  •The Tides, Miami Beach and  •The Masters Lodge, New Zealand

Much of the town of Napier, on North Island, was destroyed by a major earthquake and fire in 1931. It was rebuilt in the Art Deco and Spanish Mission styles of that time. The Master's Lodge is a small luxury guesthouse with just two suites, located on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean and town centre. Originally the home of Baron Gerhard Husheer, director of the National Tobacco Company, it was designed by the architect Louis Hay in the early 1930s. (It was also Hay who designed Napier's most famous Art Deco building - the National Tobacco Company Building.) The Masters Lodge has original Art Deco and Art Nouveau furnishings, a servant bell system and exquisitely ornate leadlight (stained-glass) windows.

Homes & Living Magazine, February 2004

"BAY WATCH"
New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay Region Has It All
By Tina Altieri

It’s a smug summer’s day in Hawke’s Bay Wine Country – the sky curves down like fine blue china to cup the heat rising off the vineyards on the Heretaunga Plains…

Back on a Napier hilltop, the word ‘elegance’ is sadly inadequate to describe The Master’s Lodge.  From the early 1920s to the mid 1960s, The Masters Lodge was home to the family of Baron Gerhard Husheer, Director of the National Tobacco Company Ltd.  Owners Larry and Joan Blume haven’t stinted in upholding the Baron’s standard. 

In the Kidnappers Suite – one of only two suites at the Lodge –it’s hard not to curl up on a cool autumn afternoon for a pre-dinner nap under a fine damask duvet.

Autumn sees the start of many activities on the culinary calendar including Napier’s Edible Art Festivals.  National renowned artists showcase their designs from classic art pieces to fashionable items – everything made from edible substances.

Back at the Lodge, dinner is about to be served – a showpiece in itself.  The menu, individualised with each guest’s name, heralds the evening’s feast of New Zealand produce, including manuka smoked salmon and beef fillet.  Matched with local, hard-to-find wines especially selected by Larry, the long, luscious dinner puts the icing on a perfect Hawke’s Bay stay. 

New Zealand Herald, December 2003

"IN AN ART DECO DREAM"
Karen Goa Samples the Luxury at a Historic Hawkes Bay Lodge

Not to be confused with the light switch, the servants’ bell pull in my suite is just one clue that personal service at The Masters Lodge is many notches above the ordinary.

Owners Larry & Joan Blume, who gave up law, dentistry and general hustle and bustle in New York for adventure and “a simpler lifestyle” in Hawkes Bay, took over the historic lodge from the previous Swiss owners in May.

The gracious and affable Blumes kindly offer to come running should I feel the need to pull the bell and, believe me, it’s tempting.

From the early-20s to the mid-60s The Masters Lodge was home to the family of Baron Gerhard Husheer, managing director of the National Tobacco Company, whose art deco/art nouveau headquarters in Ahuriri is the region’s most beautiful building.

Husheer, working with local architect Louis Hay, had a hand in the fruit-and-flower themed leadlight designs in the solarium-cum-TV and reading room across the hall from the lodge’s two suites, the Deco Suite and my quarters, the Kidnappers Suite.

Rose leadlights winding across the bay window in my suite are based on the designs of Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Looking out I can count the Norfolk pines lining Marine Parade down below and see far-away Cape Kidnappers, where not an hour earlier I’d visited the world’s largest mainland colony of the gannets.

Next door, the Deco Suite – once Husheer’s wife’s private quarters – has views across the gardens in one direction and the sea in another.  The erstwhile maid’s chambers are now a funky green-and-yellow tiled deco ensuite with the best view from a bathtub you’re likely to get anywhere.

My own suite includes a period-style bath room in gannet-eye blue, all aglow with more leadlights.  The cast iron bathtub, I soon discover is perfect for a pre-dinner soak.

Husheer used the lodge as a testing ground for art deco and art nouveau designs.  The entrance hall screen is a replica of the one used in the 1925 art deco exhibition in Paris, while art nouveau influences are obvious in the beautiful pink lounge where Larry serves complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

After a decent interval, post-canapés, I’m ushered into the dining room across the hall.  The dinner menu – with my name at the top – proclaims the evening’s feast:  manuka-smoked salmon on a cucumber nest, mixed greens, mint and nasturtium salad, grilled Verry Ranch beef filet, and chilled strawberry-rhubarb soup. 

While Joan works alongside chef Karen Goldwater in the kitchen, Larry matches the courses with local, hard-to-find wines.

When I finally climb the stairs to my room, I find one perfect camellia and chocolates on the bedside table. Do I give in to my delusions of grandeur and pull the servants’ bell?  No.  I can’t think of a thing I could possibly want.

The Daily Telegraph, March 1998

"HILLSIDE RETREAT"
Hideaway for the Rich and Famous
By Chris Mole

When Spanish singer Julio Iglesias was in Napier last month he stayed at The Masters Lodge, an exclusive hillside hideaway with spectacular views over the city and Hawke’s Bay to Cape Kidnappers. International stars such as Iglesias can afford the best, so the fact that he chose The Master’s Lodge speaks volumes for the calibre of its accommodation.

But it’s quite unpretentious from the outside. That’s part of its appeal to the rich and famous who want to stay incognito in the city. Tucked away in a quiet cul-de-sac on Napier Hill, it looks like many of the other well-maintained weatherboard homes on the hill. But when you step inside The Masters Lodge you recognise immediately it’s a cut above the ordinary. And so it should be when you consider its history.

It was built in the 1920s for Gerhard Husheer, founder of the National Tobacco Company and one of the city’s wealthiest men in his day. Husheer spared no expense, with lavish rimu panelling on many ceilings and masses more polished timber throughout the house. And some of the leadlight windows are breathtaking, particularly a huge window above the staircase.

All the furniture is Art Deco and both guest bathrooms are about as authentic Art Deco as you will find anywhere, with the original tiles still intact. From one bathroom, you get the most amazing view over the city. In fact, you can lie in the bath and look out the low window (it doesn’t have a curtain - it doesn’t need one because it’s not overlooked) and admire the view while soaking in the tub.

From the master bedroom, where Iglesias stayed, the views are equally magnificent. The beds in both guest rooms have top-quality mattresses. The bed linen is pure cotton - an example of the little details to which the couple have paid so much attention to ensure guests feel special. Iglesias rented the entire house, which is not unusual, as people like to feel they have the run of the house. The lodge accommodates a maximum of four people, in two rooms.

Hawkes’ Bay Today, March 2007

"IN FULL BLUME"
By Kay Bazzard

The Masters Lodge, described by its owners as ‘the smallest luxury hotel’ and listed as an historic building sits perched on Napier hill in a direct line with the seafront and Marine Parade, looking across to the iconic form of Cape Kidnappers.  The sea is calm, the sky, clear and the views are breathtaking.

Larry and Joan Blume bought the lodge in April 2003, almost on impulse whilst they were holidaying in New Zealand from their home city of New York, and, as a result, their lives are transformed as they play host to visitors from around the world. 

Larry is astounded at this aberrant behaviour, describing it as a matter of the heart.  “We didn’t research any other properties or compare Australia with New Zealand or New Guinea or other overseas investment opportunities,” he says, still looking slightly shocked.  “I would normally analyse everything to the nth degree, with everything documented very carefully, and yet, within three days we had shaken hands on the deal.”
Larry and Joan had not long married and were seeking a change of lifestyle of some sort, maybe it was a mid-life issue, whatever, this was not what they had envisaged.

Joan says softly, “We loved the house, we loved the town and we knew the region was an emerging wine and food centre, and that was important to us.  In the two days we were here the weather was perfect, and of course, we were reassured that it would stay like this the rest of the year,” she smiles tolerantly.

The Masters Lodge has just two guest suites with the most amazing views to the Cape, two dining rooms to allow guests an intimate eating environment and a chef prepares guests’ meals each evening, but it is the house with its interesting features and history that is intriguing to the visitor. 

It was one of several houses built in the Australasian bungalow style on the hillside in the 1890s’, during the arts and crafts era.  Mr. Gerhard Husheer, tobacco magnate, purchased No.10 Elizabeth Road in 1920 along with two adjacent houses; one as the servants’ quarters, another as guest accommodation.  Working with Mr. Husheer, Louis Hay, the well known architect of the period, designed an extra floor for each of the three houses.  A solarium, which now serves as an upstairs sitting room-cum-office faces the road at street level, is graced with a series of leadlight windows with a rose motif.  The rose leadlight windows appear elsewhere in the house, whilst the rose motif appears again and again in wooden inlays.

Experiments with the flowing art nouveau and more angular art deco motifs were tried, this being the transition period when both styles were popular.  The door knobs, hand plates and key covers were designed and executed by local craftsmen.  These reappeared in the American Tobacco building in Ahuriri that was built shortly afterward.

When the renovations had been finished just one month, the 1931 earthquake struck.  The house survived slightly damaged and it was at this point that Mr. Husheer purchased Duart House in Havelock North to live in during repairs and which remained his weekend house for many years.  Larry tells the story of how Mr. Husheer, seated aloofly in the back seat with his two German shepherd dogs would travel in his stretch limousine, its German air horns blasting melodies to announce his arrival home from his weekend at Duart.  He lived here until his death in 1957.

The original site was planted with roses for which Mr. Husheer had a passion and below the house a dell of native trees he planted still exists providing a damp, shady garden walk. The roses have gone and where they were is now planted with an informal selection of plants.  The original gate, concrete steps and walls remain a feature of the garden, whilst a recently installed Italian gazebo provides a romantic centrepiece to the garden.

The Blumes, like other United States nationals now living permanently in New Zealand, love the climate and marvel at being able to grow anything, “On the American east coast the growing season lasts only two months, we celebrate the fact that everything you put in the ground grows here.”

 Hawkes’ Bay Today, October 2005

HISTORIC HOMES CATCH TRUST'S EYE
By Chris Gardner

The Masters Lodge is the former home of what was the National Tobacco Company’s director, Gerhard Husheer, and was recognised as a place of historical or cultural heritage. Started in 1890, and completed six years later, it was bought by Mr. Husheer in 1924. In 1930 the director employed Napier-based architect Louis Hay to expand the residence. A lavish budget enabled Hay, who was born in Akaroa, to make the residence a stunner with trademark leadlight windows, Art Deco and Art Nouveau features. Hay later designed what became the British American Tobacco building at Ahuriri. The house was restored in 1996, operating as a luxury lodge since 1997.

Heritage New Zealand, Summer 2005

The Masters Lodge…dates back to the 1890s and was once the home of the tobacco pioneer and industrialist Johann Gerhard Husheer. In 1930 Husheer commissioned architect James Augustus Louis Hay to undertake significant alterations to the house. The renovations to the Husheer home involved the addition of a second storey and revamping the interior. Hay incorporated his trademark leadlight windows in elaborate designs of fruit and flowers as well as Art Deco doors and Arts & Crafts fireplaces…In recent years the house has been restored and now operates as a luxury lodge known as The Masters Lodge.

Homes & Living Magazine, January 1998

"AN ARTFUL DESIGN"
The Finest Art Deco in Napier, New Zealand
By Susan Storm

If I had one last night on earth, I’d stay at Masters Lodge, in Elizabeth Street. It’s an Art Deco masterpiece that once belonged to the man who brought tobacco to New Zealand. It’s perched on the tallest hill and faces Cape Kidnappers, Marine Parade and all the night lights of Napier.

Air New Zealand Magazine, July 1997

By Jenny Wheeler

New York Times writer Carole van Grondelle described reclusive Napier businessman Gerhard Husheer’s art-deco 1932 National Tobacco Company building as a "Fabergé egg set in the industrial tundra of a working port.” The man responsible for commissioning this internationally acclaimed building now has a more personal monument, in his recently restored home on Bluff Hill…The Masters Lodge.

Napier Life Magazine, January 1997

By Rick Hopkinson

The Masters Lodge is a true testament to 9 months careful restoration and attention to detail in bringing back the Louis Hay designed homestead to its original former glory. Stunning leadlights (designed by Douglas Pirie) adorn most of the rooms and perhaps the most spectacular of them all looks down onto a magnificent rimu staircase that is the very heart of the lodge itself.

Each room has been individually designed and decorated to compliment the overall ambience of the lodge, whether it’s the Kidnappers Suite with those commanding views over the bay, or the Deco Suite’s picturesque garden verandah.

Art Deco antiques have been painstakingly collected from throughout New Zealand and are featured throughout the lodge, while in the beautifully landscaped gardens native trees have been carefully labeled and identified.

The Masters Lodge now must rank as one of the premier accommodation houses in New Zealand for the connoisseur, discerning traveler and corporate alike.

 
Foreign Affairs Magazine, June 2003
Neuseeland
Schlaraffia liegt down under
Anneli Dierks
Das “Land der groβen weiβen Wolke”, wie es Neuseelands Maori-Ureinwohner nennen, hat mehr zu bieten als Bungee-Jumping und atemberaubende Strände. Am anderen Ende der Welt reifen hochkarätige Weine, und auf den Tisch kommt längst etwas anderes als Steak und Kidney Pie.

…Napier, der nächste Halt, ist ein bezaubern des Art-déco-Städtchen. Organisierte Touren zeigen die reizvollsten Gebäude. Das wohl schönste Hotel ist die Masters Lodge mit allerlei Nippes aus den 30er Jahren, bunten Fenstern und stilvollen Möbeln – bei einem Schweizer. Blum heiβt er, beherbergt maximal vier Gäste und engagiert zum privaten “Winemaker Dinner” die besten Winzer der Region. Unter ihnen sind die Deutsche Anna Barbara und ihr Mannn Bruce Helliwell von der Kellerei Unison im nahen Hawkes Bay. Sie produzieren ausschlieβlich Rotwein aus Merlot-, Cabernet-Sauvignon- und Syrah-Trauben, einen typischen “Blend” also. Wer mehr wissen möchte: Besonders in Hawkes Bay lohnt sich eine geführte Tour durch die Weinfelder.
 

ELLÉ Magazine,  November 1998

Nichts ist hier unmöglich
By Michael Hannwacker

Die Natur ist grandioser als anderswo, die Menschen sind einen Tick verrückter. Kein Wunder, dass alle nac Neuseeland wollen.

LOGIEREN IN LUXUS. Mehr als vier Gäste beherbergen Urs und Doris Blum nie in ihrer "Masters Lodge". Aber die bekommen garantiert First-class-Service

Nein, ich bin ängstlicher Typ. Ich fliege gern, ich amüsiere mich bei Gruselfilmen. Aber ich habe Höhenangst, eine Phobie vor Angründen. Meine Freundin (sie ist Psychologin) sagt, sie könne mich von meinen Aengsten befreien. Jetzt kann sie mir nicht mehr helfen. Denn ich hänge, den ganzen Durchmesser des Globus von meiner Freundin entfernt, über einem hundert Meter tiefen Krater, und es kann sich nur noch um Sekunden handeln, bevor ich abstürze. Abseiling heisst diese Methode, Touristen neuseeländischen Nervenkitzel zu lehren. Erst versprechen sie ein einzigartiges Naturerlebnis. Dann klicken sie einen an einen seidenen Faden, an dem man sich in einen nebeldampfenden Höllenschlund abseilen soll. "Schau mal", lacht Brenda und deutet auf die knochenfarbenen Kraterwände, "das sind die Ueberreste deiner Vorgänger."

Ich sterbe gleich, und Brenda lacht. Es ist nicht leicht, dem Tode ins Auge zu sehen und sich einer Frau gegenüber, die sich darüber amüsiert. Brenda macht schon seit zwei Jahren den Guide bei dieser "abseiling experience." Jede Saison verbringt sie in Waitomo, rund 200 Kilometer südlich von Auckland und landesweit berühmt für seine Höhlensysteme.

Hier hänge ich nun also, und mir schiesst durch den Kopf, was ich in den letzten beiden Wochen in Neuseeland erlebt habe. Mehr war es, als andere vielleicht ein ganzes Leben lang auf Reisen erleben. Und das liegt bei weitem nicht nur an der grandiosen, atemberaubenden, unglaublichen Landschaft, wegen der die meisten den Flug ans andere Ende der Welt buchen. Nein, es liegt vorallem an den Menschen, die hier Leben. Kreativer, waghalsiger, ein bisschen verrückter scheinen sie hier zu sein, fast als wäre das Land, auf das niemand so recht guckt, ein guter Nährboden für Ideen und Spinnerreien. Das geht schon mal damit los, dass viele Neuseeländer keinen Job haben. Nein, sie haben zwei. Beispiele?

Bitte sehr. In Whakatane, einem Ort an der Ostküste der Nordinsel, lernte ich Kahu Wana kennen. Die junge Maori moderiert dort eine populäre Morning Show im Radio. Anschliesend holte ich sie ab zu einem Spaziergang. Wir liefen auf einem Pfad der Küste entlang. Unten glitzerte das Meer in der Vormittagssonne, oben wiegten sich die Fächer baumhoher Farne im salzigen Wind. Durstig wollte ich Kaha zu einem Glas Neuseelandsekt einladen. "Geht nicht, ich muss arbeiten", sagte sie. "Wieder zurück zum Radio?" fragte ich. "Nein", sagte sie, "in die Werkstatt. Ich hab' noch einen zweiten Job - ich repariere Geländewagen."

Aehnlich war es mir schon mit Michelle Page ergangen, die als Make-up-Artistin für Jane Campions Filmhit "Das Piano" einigen Ruhm einheimste. Wir trafen uns in einem ziemlich trendigen Café in Aucklands ehemailgen Arbeiterviertel Ponsonby, wo man ausser gutem Kuchen und ordentlichem Espresso Sishimi oder Sushi bestellen kann. Auch Michele Page war in Eile. Sie musste auf See. Denn wenn sie nicht am Set ist, heuert sie auf Hochseeseglern als Schiffsköchin an. Sie mögen also Abwechslung, die Neuseeläder. Aber noch mehr lieben sie das Risiko. Das liegt anscheinend im Blut einer Nation, deren Vorfahren sich vor rund hundert Jahren in Schiffe setzten, um am anderen Ende der Welt ein neues Leben anzufangen. "Wir sind ein seltsames Volk", verkündeten die Shenanigan Brothers bei einem Auftritt in einem Münchner Kabarett. "Unser Steuererklärungsformular hat das Format einer Postkarte, wir haben keine Verfassung, gehören nicht mal zu einem Kontinent - und wir haben das Bungeejumping erfunden." Patrick Duffy und John Hudson, beide Schauspieler, vergöttern ihre zwei Inseln und nennen sie Godzone. Das ist die Kurzform für God's own Country. Geringeres fällt den Neuseeländern nicht ein zu der dramatischen Landschaft ihrer Heimat, die mit fjordartigen zerklüfteten Küsten, alpinesken Bergketten und fassungsloser Weite nach wie vor Freigeister anlockt.

"Jede verrückte Idee kannst du hier verwirklichen", ergänzen Urs und Doris Blum, meine Gastgeber in der Art-déco-Stadt Napier. "Bei nur drei Millionen Einwohnern gibt es nur wenig Wettbewerb - und so gut wie keine Einschränkungen von staatlicher Seite." Vor drei Jahren sassen die beiden Schweizer noch mit gutdotierten Jobs in Zürich. Dann machten sie eine Weltreise, verliebten sich in Neuseeland und brachen alle Zelte ab, um hier etwas völlig neues zu versuchen. Sie entdeckten eine kleine Stadt auf der Nordinsel, die 1931 bei einem Erdbeben zerstört und innerhalb von zwei Jahren im Art-déco-Stil wiederaufgebaut worden war. Dort kauften die Blums die halbverfallene Holzvila eines deutschen Tabakfabrikanten und verwandelten sie in ein Hotel. Dass das Haus nur Platz für zwei Gästezimmer bot, konnte sie nicht erschüttern. "Wir sind ja nur zu zweit", erklärt Urs. "Bei mehr Zimmern würde der Service leiden." Der sorgt für exklusive Kundschaft. Die letzte Eintragung im Gästebuch stammte von Julio Iglesias.

Mit ähnlicher Unternehmungslust kam Heinz-Philipp Nordt vor 15 Jahren auf die Inseln. Sein Ziel war, Neuseelands Küche zu revolutionieren: "Damals war das hier eine kulinarische Diaspora", erinnert sich der Pfälzer. "Alles, was die Leute mit den Früchten des Meeres anzustellen wussten, war fish'n'chips." Der ehemalige Hotelfachschüler mixte aus lokalem Fisch, Wild und Gemüse, Anleihen aus den Kochtöpfen anderer Pazifikanrainer und der Mittelmeerküche eine eigenständige neuseeländische Fusion-Cuisine. Das passte zur Entwicklung des heimischen Weines, den ein paar besessene Winzer in wenigen Jahren auf Spitzenniveau gebracht hatten. Die Folge: Aus einem Volk eintopfessender Biertrinkere wurden dionysische Geniesser, die überall zwischen Auckland und Queenstown phantastisch schöne Restaurants füllen. Nordt selbst hat nicht einmal ein grosses Lokal, eher einen Stehimbiss mit ein paar schmalen Tischen. Christchurchs Leckermäuler finden sich trotzdem so oft wie möglich hier ein.

Auch Thomas Sebastian Frank ist regelmässiger Gast. Der Wiener Schriftsteller und Drehbuchautor (zur Zeit für Oscar-Preisträger Istvan Szabo) ist noch so ein von Neuselands Spirit angelockter Immigrant und längst nicht mehr zufrieden mit nur einem Job. Vor zwei Jahren hat er mit seiner Frau Valerie "Judith Malcolm", die führende Marke des Landes für Businessmode, aufgekauft. "An eine Firma mit solchem Renomme hätten wir uns in Europa nie herangewagt.", erzählen die beiden in ihrem Atelier. "Aber für die hiesige Mentalität war das typisch: 'OK, let's do it' ist die neuseeländische Devise, und selbst wenn's schiefgeht, erntet man von Freunden und Kollegen nur Anerkenung, dass man's wenigstens versucht hat."

OK, let's do it. Pure Abenteuerlust zeigen die Neuseeländer auch in Sachen Natur. Sie springen in die Bay of Plenty vor Whakatane, in der es vor Killerwalen, Riesenkraken und zugegebenermasse hinreissend verspielten Delphinen nur so wimmelt. Oder gehen auf Exkursion vor der Küste von Kaikoura, wo sich gigantsiche Pottwale tummeln. Nature-Guides wir Julia Ryka schleppen Gäste auf den Mount Tarawera, um ihnen die atemberaubende Aussicht auf Seen, Wälder und Füsse zu zeigen, die allesamt ihrem Maori-Stamm gehören. Mit Gasmasken über hochroten Köpfen spazieren die Neuseeländer auf der Vulkaninsel White Island herum, wo aus einem brodelnden, ungesund grünen See beissende Schwefeldämpfe aufsteigen.

Und sie juchzen trotz Schwindelgefühl und umgedrehten Magen beim Zorning, das David Akers mit seinem Bruder erfunden hat. Als ich ihn in Rotorua kennenlernete und fragte, was er denn so berufliche mache, antwortete er mit Unschuldsmiene: "Ich schubse Leute den Berg hinunter." Kurz darauf fand ich mich festgeschnallt im Innern einer gigantischen, durchsichtigen, aufblasbaren Plastikkugel wieder - vor mir ein Abhag und hinter mir David Akers … Auch das habe ich überlebt. Und so kommt meine Freundin vielleicht doch noch an die rattenscharfe Jacke mit dem verdrehten Kragen, die Karen Walker, Neuseelands abgefahrenste Modeschöpferin, aus Reststücken zusammengeflickt hat. Vielleicht gibt sie mir dafür ein paar Stunden Angsttherapie.

NZZ Magazine, August 2000

Ein geschichtsträchtiges Gästehaus in Napier
Sonnenaufgang an der Datumsgrenze in der Badewanne

In der Stadt Napier im Osten Neuseelands ist man stolz darauf, dank der Lage nahe der Datumsgrenze einer der ersten Plätze der Welt zu sein, wo die Sonne jedes neuen Tages ihren Lauf rund um den Globus beginnt. Der beste Platz in Napier, um die aufgehende Sonne zu betrachten, ist der Aussichtspunkt Bluff Hill, von wo man auf den schwarzen Kiesstrand der Hawke's Bay hinunterschaut, zum «Cape Kidnappers», das der europäische Entdecker James Cook 1769 so ge tauft hat. Und weiter Richtung Osten übers Meer, wo sich die Morgendämmerung ankündigt. Man muss sich aber nicht unbedingt im Freien aufstellen, man kann das Geschehen am Horizont auch von der gemütlichen Sonnen-Lounge der «Kidnappers Suite» oder vom Badezimmer der «Deco Suite» mitverfolgen, während man sich in der Wanne räkelt und durch die mit Blüten- und Weinrankenmustern eingerahmten Panoramafensterscheiben blickt. Beide Suiten zusammen bilden das luxuriöse Gästehaus «The Masters Lodge», das von dem Schweizer Ehepaar Doris und Urs Blum geführt wird.

Ein kleines Luxushotel als neue Existenz
Der 41-jährige Urs Blum und die 38-jährige Doris Blum praktizieren in Neuseeland eine sehr noble Variante des Aussteigertums. Beide arbeiteten in Spitzenpositionen im Schweizer Tourismusgewerbe, lebten getrennt in Zürich und Aarau und hatten wenig Zeit füreinander, ausser während der gemeinsamen Ferien. Als sie 1990 Neuseeland erkundeten, funkte es zwischen den beiden: Sie heirateten am Ferienort, und es funkte auch zwischen dem frischgebackenen Ehepaar und Neuseeland: Sie beschlossen, auszuwandern und sich eine stressfreiere zweite Existenz aufzubauen - als Betreiber eines kleinen Luxushotels. Im Jahre 1995 erhielten die beiden Schweizer die lang ersehnte Approbation der neuseeländischen Immigrationsbehörde. Ein halbes Jahr hatten sie nun Zeit, um ein geeignetes Objekt ausfindig zu machen. In Neuseelands schönster und architektonisch interessantester Stadt, in Napier, wurden sie fündig.

Auch Napier blickt auf zwei Existenzen zurück: Die alte Stadt, gegründet zur Kolonialzeit im 19. Jahrhundert, war am 3. Februar 1931 in Schutt und Asche gelegt worden - durch ein Erdbeben und einen darauf folgenden Stadtbrand, die 256 Menschen das Leben kosteten. Doch obwohl damals auch Neuseeland unter der Weltwirtschaftskrise litt, waren Tatendrang und Optimismus in dem jungen Staat ungebremst, und so beschloss man, die Stadt im für die Zeit modernsten, zukunftsweisenden Baustil wieder zu errichten. Das war der Art déco mit seinen Stromlinien- und Zackenblitzformen, seinen Fontänen und aufgehenden Sonnen, den zikkuratartig abgestuften Gebäudesilhouetten und den griechisch-römischen Säulenfassaden - seit der Pariser Industriedesign-Weltausstellung 1925 der letzte Schrei in der Architektur.

Schlüsselfigur des Wiederaufbaus
«The newest city on the globe» nannte man Napier nach vollendetem Werk in den dreissiger Jahren, und auch heute ist die Stadt dank der Geschlossenheit seines Art-déco-Stadtkerns und dank der Originalität seiner Architektur weit eindrucksvoller als etwa Miami Beach oder Santa Monica. Der «Master» der «Master's Lodge», der von 1930 bis zu seinem Tod 1954 dort wohnte, wo heute die Blums ihre Gäste empfangen, war Johann Gerhard Husheer, ein Bremer Grossindustrieller und der Eigentümer der National Tobacco Company. Er liess sich sein Haus auf dem Bluff Hill Art-déco-gemäss vom berühmten Architekten Louis Hay aufmöbeln, baukünstlerische Schlüsselfigur des Wiederaufbaus von Napier. Zeitlebens verliess Hay zwar sein Heimatland nicht ein einziges Mal, aber die Einflüsse der Wiener Secession und von Frank Lloyd Wright prägten den Neuseeländer trotzdem stark. Quasi als Verschmelzung dieser Wurzeln schuf Louis Hay das architektonische Wahrzeichen Napiers, wenn nicht sogar ganz Neuseelands: die «Rothmans of Pall Mall», ein Bürohaus für Husheers Tabakfabrik.

Husheer und Hay, zwei legendäre Namen in Napier. Als die Blums hörten, dass das Haus auf dem Bluff Hill samt grossflächigem Garten zum Verkauf stand, zögerten sie nicht lange und investierten all ihre Ersparnisse in Kauf und Renovierung. Dazu sagt Urs Blum: «Umgerechnet unge fähr 500 000 Franken kosteten Haus und Grund, was für neuseeländische Verhältnisse ziemlich viel ist - aber als Newcomer waren wir halt mit den Immobilienpreisen nicht vertraut. Und noch einmal so viel steckten wir in die Sanierung des vernachlässigten Hauses und in die Neumöblierung. Neun Monate dauerte es, bis wir Ende des Jahres 1996 eröffnen konnten.» Die beschriebenen Anstrengungen sind einer gastfreundlichen Gelassenheit gewichen, in die man bei der Ankunft sogleich eintaucht. Die beiden Suiten liegen im Obergeschoss, in das man über eine prächtige Treppe aus einheimischem Rimu-Holz gelangt, im Parterre wohnen die Blums, wo auch Lobby, Salon, Esszimmer und Veranda jederzeit für die Gäste offen stehen.

Privatmuseum im Haus
In den Suiten finden sich noch die Klingelschnüre, mit denen die Husheers nach dem Personal läuteten, und sie funktionieren sogar - der Werbeprospekt der «Master's Lodge» fordert dazu auf, sie ungeniert zu benutzen. Ausserdem haben die Blums sichtbar Freude daran, wenn sie Gäste durch das Haus und das kleine Privatmuseum führen können, eingerichtet für die beim Entrümpeln gemachten Funde, und wenn sie die Geschichte dieser Objekte erzählen oder all die Edelhölzer benennen, aus denen die Vertäfelungen, Fussböden und Treppenhäuser gefertigt sind. Bäume stehen in grosser Zahl im dschungelartigen Garten, und beim Frühstück auf der Veranda dringt aus dem Blätterwerk und den Wedeln der Baumfarne ein Konzert fremdartiger Vogelstimmen in die Ohren.
Das Frühstück ist mit Käse-Kräuter-Omelette und Rösti schweizerisch-währschaft. Ein schweizerisches Nachtessen kann man bei Doris Blum auch bestellen, mit Geschnetzeltem, Chnöpfli, Capuns und Ramquin. Spätestens beim Wein geht es dann aber nur noch neuseeländisch zu, schliesslich ist die Hawke's Bay eine der grössten Weinbauregionen des Landes. Dank dem mediterranen Klima und den recht geringen Niederschlägen gedeihen hier rote, weisse und süsse Weine gleichermassen gut, und bei Touren zu den Weingütern kann man ausgiebig die Chardonnays, Syrahs, Merlots, Cabernets und Gewürz traminer kosten. Solche Weintouren vermitteln die Blums ebenso wie alle anderen Arten von Ausflügen, z. B. den Art-déco-Walk im fünf Fahrminuten entfernten Stadtzentrum oder eine vogelkundliche Wanderung zur Tölpelkolonie am Cape Kidnappers.

Prominente Gäste
Es verwundert nicht, dass sich «The Master's Lodge» in nur drei Jahren schon einen Kreis an Stammkunden erworben hat. Und auch Prominente steigen mitunter ab, z. B. Julio Iglesias während einer Konzertreise. Wer jedoch für die kommende Silvesternacht buchen möchte, um das neue Jahr elf Stunden früher als in der Schweiz zu begrüssen, ist möglicherweise schon zu spät dran: Dieser Termin ist von Sonnenaufgang-Fans schon vor Monaten reserviert worden.

 
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