Wow! Fancy seeing you here! This website should have all the info you need to enjoy this day with us.
Wow! Fancy seeing you here! This website should have all the info you need to enjoy this day with us.
March 14, 2026
Āwhitu Peninsula, Auckland
Ravi & Olivia
The Venue
Connemara Country Lodge
Connemara Country Lodge is a restored 117-year-old villa in Pollok on the Āwhitū Peninsula, set on 7.5 acres of rolling farmland and native bush with sweeping views of the Manukau Harbour. Just 80 km from Auckland, the venue feels more like a family member's country home than a commercial venue.
Originally built in 1907 for an Auckland doctor, the house has lived many lives, including as a women’s refuge. In 2003, it was moved in five pieces to Āwhitū and restored by current owners Grainne and Kevin Strachan. Their handcrafted touches and warm hospitality create a relaxed, welcoming space.
Āwhitu is the ancestral land of Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua and Ngāti Kahukōkā. Its name means “longing” or “regret,” recalling the Tainui waka captain’s farewell to this treasured place. Rich forests, wetlands, and coastal access made it ideal for kai, trade, and settlement. Sites like Paorae, a vast kūmara garden, and historic pā show how prized and cultivated this whenua was.
Drone footage of the venue, showing the marquee, lawns, and vista out over the Manukau Harbour towards Auckland.
Take some time to explore the wild cliffs, black-sand beaches, and windswept hills of Āwhitu Peninsula
In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed at nearby Orua Bay, marking Āwhitu as a key site in Aotearoa’s colonial history and the evolving relationship between Māori and the Crown.
Connemara is named after a wild, Gaelic-speaking region on the West Coast of Ireland. The venue's owners are Irish, so the name is a nod to their roots, which Olivia, 1/4 Irish herself, loved!
The road to the Manukau Heads Lighthouse is unfortunately closed due to damage from Cyclone Gabrielle. :(
For all the days along the way
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