With a vague idea of heading to the Coromandel area of the North Island of New Zealand I had come across Pipi Dune in my search and thought the place looked lovely and liked the fact they had an open plan kitchen lounge area for guests to use, so along with it being B&B there was a chance to do a little bit of self-catering too. Once we made the decision to head there, we were relieved to find they had a double room available.
Outside the rooms
After a warm and extremely friendly welcome from hosts Joan and Vern, we were shown around the purpose built B&B. Our room was compact but comfortable, spotless and pleasant with a great shower in the en-suite, with ranch slider door to give us access to come and go as we pleased and a small table and chairs outside the room to sit in the evening sun.
Guest Lounge and Patio
Breakfast is served at the kitchen island, or on hot days outside on the patio, offering a wonderful selection of apricots and yoghurt, cereals, croissants and cooked breakfast. The lounge area has a large tv with Sky and comfy sofas and there is wifi access.
Joan and Vern have thought of all their guests’ needs – going to the beach?Have some beach towels! Going to Hot Water Beach? Have spades! Going for a picnic? Here’s a chilly bin and sun umbrella! They have negotiated deals with local restaurants and take an interest in your plans and offer suggestions and help along the way.
En Suite
Located two blocks from Buffalo Beach and within easy reach of the centre of Whitianga we loved our stay at Pipi Dune so much we extended our stay for another night, it was becoming a home from home!
Dinky cafe on Beach Street in Queenstown looked so good we dived in and managed to get the last table for the four of us. We were here for breakfast and the menu was so varied and interesting that it took us some delightful time to settle on a choice!
Banana Bread with fig and apricot preserve
I had the banana bread which came with a chunky orange and fig preserve and it was just wonderful! The Kiwi’s breakfast came a little bit short of the description but all tasted good, with pancakes and poached pears and maple syrup but no yoghurt as promised and the busy staff were not readily available to bring it to their attention. That’s the only downside, it was so busy staff really weren’t reaching the heights of customer service, but since the coffee and food were so good, we let them off with it!
Looking for accommodation for four, I booked the self-contained, self-catering accommodation at Willowbrook B&B in the Barn with Annex. Lovely Willowbrook is set in a quiet country location, about 5 minutes drive from Arrowtown or around 10/15 minutes drive to Queenstown.
We received a kind and warm welcome from Tony, who showed us all the facilities available to us including the Tennis Court, lovely Spa and gardens as well as offering gas for the Barbeque which sat on the front deck of the Barn and offering any other assistance we may require.
I was curious to see the Barn and Annex as the website really didn’t help me understand the layout of the accommodation, which is designed for wheelchair access, and after seeing the clean and well equipped accommodation I was left confused as to why anyone thought that may be a good design, even with wheelchair access in mind!
Everything in the one room!
The Barn and Annex are consists of one building, with a large twin room which also has bunk beds to the left as you enter the building, then the King room is actually one large open plan room which houses the kitchen area, dining, lounge and bedroom all in one large room, with the bathroom just off the bedroom part of the room. Very strange, as there is certainly room to make a separate bedroom in there. We were with two girlfriends from the UK and they felt awkward going to the loo as they effectively had to access the door at the side of our bed!
From the other side, bathroom door on right
The other cottage which was occupied near us looked lovely and possibly had a more conducive layout and I would be happy to return again and try the B&B as it is a lovely place, clean and pleasant and a lovely welcome – just a weird layout which isn’t ideal for a bunch of friends to share in the Barn.
Finally, I made it! I made it to Mount Cook and my goodness it was worth the wait! Aoraki/Mount Cook is New Zealand’s tallest peak at 3754 metres (12,316ft, i.e. very tall!). From our accommodation in Twizel we had the joy of watching the sun set over the glorious peak and then the following day perfect weather to admire the snow capped mountain – Amazing!
This surely is the best location for a cafe in the world! Atop Mount John, over looking Lake Tekapo, you will find the glassed Astro Cafe offering panorama views across Lake Tekapo and surrounding mountains. To be honest, they could be serving pretty average food and who would care with views like this!
As it happens they serve a nice coffee, although I didn’t like the large cups they used for flat whites (in Wellington they are served in a smaller tulip cup, thus the drink is stronger!) and have nice cabinet food and typical Kiwi fare. Service was friendly but a bit hap-hazard, as if they were new to serving coffees.
On my first visit to the South Island a few years ago the Kiwi and I had a memorable lunch at Gibbston Valley and had no hesitation in recommending we visit again for lunch with friends visiting from the UK.
Seated in the vast, sunny courtyard it took a while to decide what we would choose from the atypical lunch menu, and opted to order a number of dishes to share, including a platter.
Good choice! From potato salad to Mediterranean dips with bread, as well as the platter, we all ate well enjoying every delicious bite particularly intrigued by the pickled cherries and pickled walnuts! Along with a pleasant courtyard, friendly staff and, of course, lovely wine this lunch was again a winner.
Excellent directions from Lynne and Colin meant we easily found Cathedral Cliffs B&B situated atop the cliffs in Gore Bay. Our expectations heightened as we drove through the beautiful gardens towards the stunning house, realising that their website really doesn’t do the place justice!
A lovely welcome from Colin led to our being shown our accommodation which benefits from its own entrance. Both rooms were lovely, spacious, immaculate and comfortable.
Super King Rm
We were in the Bedroom which has a super-king bed which can also be configured to a twin bed. The room also had a little kitchen cupboard which housed a sink, kettle, microwave, small fridge and some hot drink supplies which all came in very handy. Ranch sliders opened to a balconette giving lovely views over the gardens. The en-suite bathroom is immaculate, with a large and fabulous shower!
Our friends were in the Queen Suite which is a large en-suite room with a kitchenette providing a microwave, fridge, double electric ring stove and some kitchen cupboards. A dining table for four as well as a small sofa and ranch slider opening out to the large terrace made for an ideal entertainment area for the four of us, not to mention the stunning sea views from the large windows.
Queen Suite
We had the option of breakfast food being provided the night before for us to sort out in the morning, or eating in the dining area of the main house. Colin and Lynne invited us to have a look into their home to see where breakfast could be served and we opted to invade their beautiful home and breakfast enjoying the views out to sea and up the Kaikoura coast. Lynne, a Geography Teacher, and Colin, a former farmer and now keen golfer, have an orchard within their extensive gardens allowing Lynne to make up delicious jams, Colin makes up fresh yoghurt and they have chickens who provide fresh eggs which all contribute to a great breakfast!
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay with Lynne and Colin who are warm, friendly and relaxed hosts with high standards and good attention to detail.
Friends from the UK found the website to Kawatea Farmstay and were keen to book and, having never tried a Farm stay before, we were up for it. Up over the hill from Duvauchelle, 20 kms from Akaroa, the grand Farmhouse Villa dating back to 1900 stands in beautiful gardens.
Our hosts, Kerry and Judy, came out to give us a warm welcome before we were out of the car and showed us the rooms we would occupy for the two night stay.
Large Kauri room
We were in the Kauri Room, a massive room with a queen bed and sofa as well as whicker chairs in the bay window and French Doors out to a porch with views down the valley to the beach. We shared the bathroom, which was down at the other end of the grand hallway, with another couple staying in a room two doors down from us. Meanwhile our friends were in the Rimu Room, an annex above the garage which was a relatively new addition and had the benefit of an dinky en-suite bathroom and a deck out from the French Doors.
It is a beautifully restored but old house so the floor boards creak and when you need to take a walk to the loo in the night it is rather daunting as you feel you wake up the whole household! There is a separate loo from the main, lovely period bathroom so at least you don’t have to wait around too long for other occupants to vacate the facilities, but certainly sharing the facilities and their location at the other end of the long hallway is a consideration. I believe that Judy doesn’t accept bookings for the third room which shares the facilities if it’s different parties making the booking, to ensure that there isn’t too much issue with sharing.
Lounge
There is a stunning lounge area for guests to use, as well as being free to wander around the gardens and sit and enjoy the country air and peace and quiet (when the Bull isn’t being grumpy!). One of the Thacker’s sons was shearing sheep one morning, so after breakfast we took a wander over to see sheep shearing up close and chat. Breakfast is served in a lovely conservatory, a nice selection of cereals, fruit, yoghurt, toast and home made preserves as well as cooked options.
We decided to stay for dinner one evening, and all guests staying were seated at the family dining table with our hosts to chat and, as seems to be Kerry’s favorite passtime, debate life and philosophy. Judy made an interesting dinner of Paua fritters (Kerry having collected the Paua fresh from the beach) and veges with schnitzel then dessert of Judy’s home made brandy snaps. It was very pleasant, but for $40 I felt it was a little on the steep side for ‘home cooking’, keeping in mind the meals we ate at Sans Souci Inn for $32. Also, one glass of wine is included in the price, but should you accept the generous offers to top up you will end up paying $20 for the bottle. A compromise was made when the Kiwi noted that we would have consumed our own wine had we realised.
Kerry was born and bread in this home and has abundant knowledge of the area and stories to tell and Judy is interested in her guests plans and has helpful suggestions and advice to give to ensure guests make the most of their trip and onward journey. He and Judy make fantastic hosts and Judy is somewhat of a Super woman and easily won our admiration, although Kerry’s search for a debate got a bit wearing at times.
The Farmstay is a lovely, homely and comfortable place to relax. Okains Bay down the road is a lovely stretch of beach offering nice walks and a great place to eat some fish and chips. Being over the steep hill from the cute town of Akaroa Kawatea has a lot going for it and I am sure we may visit again.
Based on their website, Sans Souci Inn appealed for our trip with friends from the UK as it had a Mediterranean air and seemed to offer nice outdoor spaces for us to sit around together and chat, as well as being a 2 min walk to the beach. The adobe buildings were designed and built by the owners, Reto and Vera, who are Swiss, with the view of keeping the Inn eco-friendly, so for city-chick me this was a new experience!
Room with patio
The buildings are pleasant, simple and very clean, with airy bedrooms in a semi-detached arrangement around the courtyard garden and main building where the kitchen, dining room and lounge areas are located. The large beds are on futon style bases, so a long way down! There are some wicker chairs and table in the rooms and some hanging space but some shelves would have been very handy to allow us to shift our stuff off the floor and chairs. Each room has patio doors out to a wee patio with seating to allow you to enjoy the gardens and evening sun. The light curtains and bamboo blinds mean you do get wakened with the sun.
Patio
And so to the communal bathroom block! Three composting loos, which amazingly do not smell at all, four sinks in an oval island which is filled with glossy plants to provide some screening from the person using the sink opposite you and three shower cubicles as well as a private bath are provided for the 6 rooms. There is a self-catering studio with it’s own kitchen and bathroom (which wasn’t available for our stay!).
I must confess the composting loos were a bit of an issue for me and I failed to …”relax” 🙁 for a few days due to the draft from the ventilation which assists in preventing the loos from smelling! Also with six rooms using the facilities, if you had a shower at the end of the day you needed to prepare for the facilities not being so clean due to use. I felt a sink in the room would have been user friendly, although I appreciate maybe not so eco-friendly, but having to traipse along to the block all the time was a pain – I was not paying for a camp site! Also, the walk to the block wasn’t completely covered and during the horrendous stormy night, getting wet along the way was also a pain!
Lounge
There is a kitchen for use, although Reto does provide fabulous set dinners each night so use of the kitchen is subject to how busy the restaurant will be. The lounge area is lovely, although the seating could do with new cushions now, and music is provided to add to the ambiance.
Sitting outside in the sunshine having dinner on at least one night is definitely worth while, as Reto or Emma cook beautiful, generous meals served by friendly and helpful staff. Bliss.
Ti Kouka recently opened in Willis Street and received rave reviews so today the Kiwi and I decided to meet for lunch there. We arrived to a busy café and got the last available table, which the waitress apologised for as it was stuck in the back room which is a thoroughfare to the loos, but we agreed to take it.
The café menu is a step away from the usual fare, more like bistro food, so I chose the grilled haloumi with an apple and beetroot salad, bread and dukkah ($14) while the Kiwi went for the smoked fish with horseradish mascarpone, pancetta, soft boiled egg and salad ($18).
What a rip off! The grilled haloumi was two pathetic slices of cheese on thinly sliced bread which was slathered with oil which drenched the dish when oil is provided to use with the dukkah! The Kiwi’s dish was just as bad, with a small, miserably dry, tough piece of smoked fish and four small black, crispy bits of pancetta and all what I would consider starter size portions. I tried to take photos but my camera wouldn’t work, sorry!
As well as being dripped on from a leaking pipe above, all in all it was a below average lunch. Rave reviews from other sources left us feeling thoroughly disappointed and wondering whether Chef Elliot had left the building!
There are too many decent cafes in the area providing lovely food, decent portions, pleasant surroundings in a nice ambience – in my view if Ti Kouka is going to survive it will need to get over it’s identity crisis, up the quality standards and the value for money, as I know for sure I won’t be returning in a hurry or making any business lunch bookings. Hopefully it was just a bad day or a poor menu choice, but nonetheless, disappointing!
Welcome. The blog title gives it away but let me introduce myself. I am half Scottish (Dad) – half Italian (Mum), brought up in Scotland and married to a New Zealander. I love good food and wine, travelling, reading, the occasional hillwalk, visiting interesting buildings/places, art galleries and going to the movies and theatre too. […]more →
