The Stables at Otaki

The Stables at Otaki

Pippy McCurdy: 
 http://www.unusualstays.com/
http://www.stumbleuponcroatiaslovenia.com/

An overnight stay in the Stables tucked into the back roads of Otaki is a step back in time.

As you enter from the road and begin to wind through the property the layers of the present gradually drop by the wayside. First the humdrum necessities of running a day to day business surround you; - the nursery, the packing shed, the  horticultural implements:  Then it's the house, the trampoline , the garden, the barbeque;  then around a corner, down a small lane, the trees creep closer overhead, the sunlight becomes dappled as it filters down. – You've reached your destination.

Tucked into this grove of ancient elms is The Stable; decorative, quaint, semi-ornate. This is a gingerbread house with a purpose; a groomsman’s cottage shared at one time by man and his animals.

The high pitched roof is decked in slate; the half stable doors remain. Step inside to rich warm timbers and country decor. The light fittings are brass. The pot belly stove dominates the kitchen.

The second bedroom downstairs is a cosy little room, with a Goldilocks bed tucked into the corner; -  simple and snug. Take the winding staircase up to the second floor and step in to a long and spacious attic room, tastefully furnished with a small Juliette balcony looking out over the forest of trees . The bed is enticing; the ground is carpeted below with autumn leaves of a million hues. The picnic table sits waiting for company; the swing hangs from the overhead branches.  Spring bulbs surround the edges of the copse waiting for the first heat of the new season to show their true colours.

Bring your own food with you – if you are hungry you will struggle to find anything other than takeaways in the nearby town after 5pm.  For those of you who hanker after your nightly dose of TV this is not for you, – however there is an interesting choice of DVDs supplied.

Nevertheless if you are looking for a simpler world and a peaceful old-English retreat set in a clearing in the forest, this may be the one for you.

Websites: http://www.unusualstays.com/
http://www.stumbleuponcroatiaslovenia.com/