Police say a man is in a serious condition in Waikato Hospital after being stabbed with a bottle in the Coromandel town of Whitianga.
The 23-year-old was found by police on a grass verge outside the Beach Backpackers lodge just after 5am on Saturday.
Detective Senior Sergeant Nigel Keall says it appears the victim and his friend got involved in a dispute with a man and a woman.
He will be taken to Auckland hospital for surgery on Saturday, but the police say his injuries are not life threatening.
Mr Keall says the investigation into the incident is difficult, as the victim and his friend are being extremely uncooperative.
He says the other people involved have yet to be identified, and the police would like to hear from anyone who was at the scene.