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leavesleaves

Jess Zausmer

&

James Turner

Jess Zausmer

&

James Turner

April 11, 2025

Whangamata, New Zealand

Schedule

We're thrilled to invite you to our very special New Zealand celebration!

Friday, April 11, 2025

Ceremony & Reception

3:00 pm - 11:30 pm

Hillbrook Farm & Estate
162F Whitipirorua Road, Onemana, Waikato 3691, New Zealand

Join us for our wedding festivities starting with the ceremony and reception on Friday, April 11th. Plan to arrive around 3:00 pm for our 3:30 pm ceremony. COCKTAIL ATTIRE SHUTTLE INFORMATION There will be shuttle service to/from Whangamata to help with guest transportation. Buses will depart Surf Club Whangamata at 2:15 pm and Whangamata RFC at 2:30 pm for transport to Hillbrook. Please choose your preferred location. After the reception, return buses will leave Hillbrook between 10:30 and 11:45 pm, stopping at each guest’s accommodation. Surf Club Whangamata: Cnr Lowe St & Esplanade Drive, Whangamatā 3620, NZ Whangamata RFC: Aickin Road, Whangamatā 3620, NZ PARKING There is limited parking at Hillbrook for anyone who wishes to drive themselves. VENUE The ceremony and cocktail hour will be outdoors, with the reception held under a marquee tent. Just FYI for our international travelers, April temperatures in the Coromandel typically range from 60-70°F with cooler evenings.

Saturday, April 12, 2025

'Recovery' Party

12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

If you can, stick around to continue the fun with a "recovery day" event on Saturday! We're planning to be back at Hillbrook with light bites and drinks. CASUAL ATTIRE PARKING Please plan to drive yourselves back to Hillbrook for the recovery party. There is limited parking at Hillbrook, so try to carpool if you can!

Saturday, July 12, 2025

Stateside Celebration

4:00 pm

We understand that New Zealand is quite the trek, so if you can't make it, we’re also hosting a small celebration in Detroit, MI on July 12th. Please indicate via your RSVP if you would like to be kept in the loop with details, and we will follow up with a separate invitation.

Travel

Flight

Auckland Airport

The primary international airport for New Zealand is in Auckland. This is about a 2 hr drive from the wedding venue so is your best spot to touch down. Renting a car from the airport (or Auckland) is likely easiest in terms of transportation to Hillbrook. Remember... keep left!!

Travel Note

Nearby Lodging

The best places to stay are Whangamata (20 minutes + wedding night shuttle service) or Onemana (10 minutes away). As these are small beach towns, airbnb or bookabach.co.nz will likely serve you well.

Travel Note

VISA

For those tourists amongst us, don't forget to apply for your NZeTA visa at least 72 hours before arriving! It's an easy process (https://nzeta.immigration.govt.nz/) and should cost about $15-20.

Things To Do

Kauaeranga Kauri Trail (Pinnacles Walk)

995C Kauaeranga Valley Road, Thames, 3577, New Zealand

For you adventure seekers, the Pinnacles Walk is a popular hike with some stunning coastal views. It's 9ish miles out-and-back to the Pinnacles Hut, or you can backpack in and stay overnight there (reservation required). Check out AllTrails for details: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/new-zealand/waikato/the-pinnacles-track Driving distance from Whangamata: 1 hour 20 minutes

Hot Water Beach

Hot Water Beach, Waikato 3510, New Zealand

A famous New Zealand attraction, head to Hot Water Beach to enjoy the views and dig your own natural hot spring tub right in the sand. The hot springs will be under water if you arrive at high tide, so aim to visit the beach at low-tide or two hours either side of low-tide. You can rent shovels at Hotties Cafe, Hot Water Beach Cafe and the Hot Water Beach Top 10 Holiday Park. Driving distance from Whangamata: 1 hour

Lukes Kitchen

20 Black Jack Road, Kūaotunu, Waikato 3592, New Zealand

Great local spot for fish & chips, wood fired pizza, and casual drinks. Distance from Whangamata: 1 hour 40 minutes

Cathedral Cove Beach

Hahei, Waikato 3591, New Zealand

Another popular spot, Cathedral Cove is a secluded beach and natural archway in the Coromandel Peninsula. You'll take the Cathedral Cove Walking Trail to get there (3.2 miles out-and-back) with coastline views and scenic places to stop along the way (Gemstone Bay, Stingray Bay). If you're up for it and the weather suits, kayaking tours are available. https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/coromandel/places/hahei-area/tracks/mautohe-cathedral-cove-walk/ Cathedral Cove Gateway Walk: For a shorter walk, you can park at the privately-managed Cathedral Cove Gateway carpark at Lees Road. Follow the farm track and walk to Cathedral Cove in 30-40 minutes. Driving distance from Whangamata: 1 hour

Hobbiton™ Movie Set Tours

501 Buckland Road, Matamata, Waikato 3472, New Zealand

Head to Hobbiton to visit Gandalf and Frodo Baggins. For ~$70, you can take a tour of the 12 acre Lord of the Rings movie set (reservations recommended). If you're looking for small talk at the wedding, find Henry Parker and ask him what it was like to star in the movie. Distance from Whangamata: 1 hour 45 minutes

New Chums Beach

Whangapoua, Waikato 3582, New Zealand

If you're itching for a pristine and secluded beach, head to New Chums. It's only accessible by foot via the New Chums Beach Walk, about 3 miles out-and-back. You’ll park your car at the New Chums Beach car park in Whangapoua then make your way from there. Aim for low tide. Check out AllTrails for details: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/new-zealand/waikato/new-chums-beach-trail Distance from Whangamata: 1 hour 45 minutes

Canyonz

995 Kauaeranga Valley Road, Waikato 3592, New Zealand

For you outdoor enthusiasts, Canyonz offers full or half day guided canyoneering trips through Sleeping God Canyon in the Kauaeranga Valley. Think wetsuits and helmets, rappelling down waterfalls, and beautiful scenery. Driving distance from Whangamata: 1 hour 10 minutes

RSVP

Please enter the first and last name of one member of your party below.
If you're responding for you and a guest (or your family), you'll be able to RSVP for your entire group on the next page.

Ex. Sarah Fortune (not The Fortune Family or Dr. & Mr. Fortune)

Registry

Just a note, the $$ entered are in USD. We're not sure how to change that! Thank you thank you x
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