Age Article February 2009 - Otahuna Luxury Lodge New Zealand

NDUL E

Lodged inKiwi opulenceSue Wallace is charmed by the attention to detail - and thebedtime stories - in a splendid New Zealand lodge.

Stand on the veranda of Otahuna Lodgein spring and you are treated to thesight of a sea of golden daffodils at thebottom of the estate's sweeping lawns.

The display is thanks to the original owner, SirHeaton Rhodes, a philanthropist, politician andhorticulturalist who was among the first to growdaffodils in New Zealand's South Island.

Every September thousands of the flowerscarpet the private parkland. The owners, HallCannon and Miles Refo, who reopened OtahunaLodge in May 2007, share it with the public onthe first Sunday in September with the revival ofSir Heaton's traditional Daffodil Day.

Built in 1895, Otahuna, which in Maori means"little hill among the hills", sits atop a small riseat the base of the Banks Peninsula with views tothe distant Southern Alps.

Today it is one of New Zealand's most opulentand intimate small lodges. As you follow thewinding drive lined with ioo-year-old oak treesand step through the heavy front doors, youknow you are in for something special.

No one knows its charm better than Cannon,a former property developer, and Refo, who hasa marketing background. Deciding to escapetheir frenetic Manhattan lifestyle, they travelledthroughout British Columbia and New Zealand,searching for a place to create a retreat.

On their first visit to Otahuna they said nobecause of the expense and work required butsomething kept drawing them back. Soon they

were overseeing a four-month restoration cost-ing more than sNZio million.

Heritage-listed Otahuna is considered one ofthe nation's best examples of Queen Anne archi-tecture. Auckland interior designer StephenCashmore, known for his sophisticated treat-ment of historic properties, has worked hismagic in the public rooms and seven luxurysuites with themes relating to Sir Heaton, wifeJessie and life in the early days.

Our veranda suite, with its views of the Can-terbury Plains, was where the Duke of York, laterKing George VI, stayed in 1927.

It has open fireplaces in the bathroom andbedroom, original artworks and handmade fur-niture echoing period pieces. Extra touchesinclude a regularly replenished biscuit jar, asheepskin rug placed by your bedside at turn-down and a bedtime story sheet on your pilloweach night with tales of Otahuna and Sir Heaton.

The lodge is home to 28 commissionedartworks by the country's artists including PeterBeadle, Anna Caselberg and Craig Primrose, aswell as historic Otahuna photographs repro-duced from the Canterbury Museum.

New Zealand kauri and rimu wood panellingfeature in the interior design, a highlight beingthe hand-carved kauri staircase. A regal paintingof Rewi Maniapoto, a Maori warrior and formerchief of Ngati Maniapoto, stares down at guestsas they enter the green-toned lobby with intricatelead-glass windows and plaid chairs and sofas.

Ref: 47301100Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) licenced copy

AgeSaturday 14/02/2009Page: 8Section: TravelRegion: Melbourne, AUCirculation: 203800Type: Capital City DailySize: 847.65 sq.cms.

Page 1 of 31300 1 SLICE - E [email protected] W slicemedia.com.au

press clip

The 12-hectare historic garden is beingrestored by head gardener Steve Marcham.

Sir Heaton, who was president of theCanterbury Horticultural Society for more than50 years, planted many exotic and native treesand shrubs that have flourished over the years.

Take a guided walk in the Dutch garden,named for its windmill shape, and discover sixbuxus-lined gravel lanes that radiate from a cen-tral circle under a canopy of exotic trees includ-ing camellias, a loquat and weeping cherry. Thea heady perfume of lavender, bay leaves, orangeblossom and boxwood hangs in the air.

There are also woodlands with original rhodo-

dendrons, where you might hear the call of bell-birds, fantails and rare New Zealand woodpigeons. Otahuna has an impressive orchard andstone-walled organic vegetable garden with 95vegetables, 25 types of fruit and 20 herbs - to thedelight of the lodge's executive chef, JimmyMcIntyre.

I cross paths with McIntyre, his arms ladenwith leeks, artichokes, tomatoes and raspberriesthat he will use in tonight's dinner. "Fresh vege-tables are the starting point for my menus and Ihave a fabulous variety at my doorstep," he says.

Pre-dinner drinks and canapes are served eachnight in the drawing room, alongside the lodge'sgrand piano, which was owned by the Duke andDuchess of York and left behind after their 1927New Zealand visit

Dinner, a five-course degustation matchedwith New Zealand wines, is served in the formaldining room with its original gilded wallpaper,floor-toceiling sideboard and crystal.

It's a communal table and we share storieswith guests from Montreal and Vienna;

romantics can dine as a couple in the library,veranda or wine cellar.

Tonight's menu has cauliflower soup withsalsa verde, salmon ceviche, beef fillet with kale,broccoflower, potato gnocchi and beetroot, fol-lowed by aged cheddar with nectarine chutneyand chocolate gateaux with raspberries, cherries,vanilla mascarpone and rhubarb sorbet, allserved with a flight of wines including PegasusBay and Tresillian Estate.

The next day we toss up whether to play ten-nis, swim in the heated pool or grab the moun-tain bikes - we choose the latter and we cyclealong quiet country roads.

If you want to see the region by air, a helicop-ter will collect you from the front lawn and takeyou to wineries, whale watching, trout fishing orto the Southern Alps.

Be warned, you may just want to stay, I alsofind it doesn't take long to fall under Otahuna'sspell.

Sue Wallace stayed courtesy of Otahuna Lodge.




press clip

Blooming marvel ... (from left) springtime daffodils in the grounds of Otahuna Lodge; works byNew Zealand artists hang in the entry hall; the Clark suite.

FAST FACTS

Getting there Air New Zealand andVirgin Blue have regular non-stopflights to Christchurch. Air NZ flies for$126 from Melbourne and Sydney whileVirgin Blue charges $85 fromMelbourne and Sydney. Qantas fliesnon-stop from Sydney ($152) butMelbourne passengers have to changeaircraft in Sydney and pay $247 for theprivilege. Jetstar charges $133 fromMelbourne and $119 from Sydney. Faresare one way and do not include tax.Otahuna Lodge is 20 minutes by carfrom Christchurch.Staying there Otahuna Lodge, a

Relais & Chateaux property, hasdoubles from $NZ700 ($550) to$NZ1000 a person a night in peakseason, excluding tax. Low-seasonrates from $NZ500 to $NZ800 aperson a night. The tariff includesbreakfast, laundry service, pre-dinnerdrinks, canapes and a five-coursedegustation dinner with wine pairings.Great Mushroom Hunt and Daffodil Daypackages are available. 224 RhodesRoad, Tai Tapu, Christchurch, NewZealand. Phone +64 3329 6333 or seeotahuna.co.nz.




press clip