Kawaha Point Lodge (Rotorua), winner of the 2003/4 New Zealand Tourism Award and member of the prestigious 'Select' group of luxury hotels and Lodge Association of New Zealand, has been awarded the 2005 New Zealand Beef and Lamb Hallmark of Excellence.

The award, which recognises the quality of beef and lamb as well as the preparation and presentation of the dishes, was awarded for two main courses, one lamb and one beef.

Comments Greg Heffernan, Advisory Chef for New Zealand Beef and Lamb Hallmark of Excellence, �a very high, consistent standard is required to win the New Zealand Beef and Lamb Hallmark of Excellence. Kawaha Point Lodge was commended by assessors for the nicely cooked, tender and tasty beef and the perfect degree of cooking of the lovely tasting lamb. The two dishes were well deserving of the Hallmark of Excellence�.

Kawaha Point Lodge owner-hosts, Tony and Margaret Seavill, were once lamb breeders and farmers in the North Island and so are naturally very particular as to what cuts of lamb and beef are served to their guests. They saw a niche in the luxury lodge market for providing guests with the ultimate New Zealand culinary experience, and brought their passion to fruition with the hiring of Head Chef, Silvio Sakrzewski, who has been part of the team at Kawaha Point Lodge for four years. Michelin-restaurant trained in Europe, he won gold and silver medals at the 2003 and 2004 culinary awards. One of his house specialities is traditionally prepared New Zealand lamb.

Kawaha Point Lodge is a beautifully appointed mansion situated right on the edge of Lake Rotorua. Originally built as a luxurious lake-edge villa for several of Auckland�s premier families, today it offers the discerning visitor the opportunity to experience the comforts and hospitality of a hosted retreat, whilst enjoying an exclusive and intimate environment. All the beautifully appointed rooms have modern en-suites with superb lake and garden vistas. Punctuated with old and new varieties of roses, the gardens include a swimming pool with sun-lit terraces.

Kawaha Point is a member of Select Hotels and Resorts International and is 5 star Qualmark rated. Rates start from $800 per couple per night, inclusive of tax. ` For any media enquiries, please contact Kate Russell at Navigate South on +64 9 307 3633 or email: kate@navigatesouth.com