Aniwaniwa - Nelson District

A Night in a Yurt

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

Aniwaniwa is a small community of homes clustered together near the top of a steep hill overlooking  Tasman Bay. Near to one of these homes is the yurt, - used sometimes as a retreat, and at other times available for casual travellers to rent out. This is a wonderful spot with views out over the Motueka  river valley below and a vista clear to Tasman Bay in the distance. The yurt is tucked down below the crest of the hill. It is sheltered and sunny with a semi-circle of surrounding deck and an outdoor kitchen. A short distance down a path into the bush leads to the open air shower and bath, -  built into a platform overlooking the bush and the great outdoors, yet completely private. What a place!

Inside, the yurt is one large and spacious room with polished floor boards, a comfortable futon and even a pot belly stove.It is simple yet comfortable and appealing with its trellised walls, its swooping high tent roof, and its windows with views which stretch out endlessly. With electricity available this is far from primitive. 

There is a strong eco-message at Aniwaniwa. Recycling is expected, and the toilet is of course, composting.

Being a fan of long hot baths there was not quite enough hot water for me. However the location and that sense of communing with nature did manage to go a long way toward making up for this. This is a bathroom anyone would love. A conventional indoor bathroom pales in comparison.

Aniwaniwa gives that vibe of being a work in progress. There is a hands on feel to the yurt and its surrounding buildings, and the ongoing signs of further construction suggest this is a project with many further plans still to be explored.

I look forward to coming back again.

  

Hotel Spirit, Bratislava, Slovakia

Next Stop Bratislava

Pippy McCurdy

http://www.unusualstays.com/
facebook - stay somewhere strange -
 https://www.facebook.com/Stay-Somewhere-Strange-273777766054597/

In Slovakia there is a sedate city, the capital city, the city of Bratislava. The architecture of Bratislava bears many reminders of the Soviet domination of its past. It is practical rather than decorative; structured rather than expressionist. In this somewhat austere environment Hotel Spirit is so different from its surroundings that one might wonder whether it was spirited there from another part of the continent - if not another planet.

Hotel Spirit is a miraculous creation of colour, shape and texture both inside and out. On the exterior the colours and forms crash into one another in what is literally an explosion of architecture. Amongst its conservative neighbours Hotel Spirit is nothing short of astonishing.

Inside, Hotel Spirit is one giant canvas. Bedrooms are decorated with the artwork of previous guests; - stairways too. Bathrooms are tiled in geometrically idiosyncratic, half completed multicoloured forms The cafe/bar has an easel with a large blank canvas in the center of the room, waiting for the next talented guest to leave his or her creative mark.

On the exterior the angled panels rise to catch the sun, pulling the eye from one unexpected feature to the next. Always the eye is caught by something new; words, faces, signs of the zodiac, musical notes ...

Hotel Spirit is a fabulous place to stay. There is nothing like it - anywhere in the world! Take a trip to Bratislava - your night at Hotel Spirit will surely be a highlight. 

                                                

The Smoko Room - Okau Station

Okau Station Smoko Room

Pippy McCurdy

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

Strangely Sandy Bay does not appear on Google Maps, but the reason is hard to fathom. This is a unique spot with a long curve of rugged untamed sandy beach, a sea which is calm and tranquil one day, pounding with wild waves the next, a handful of baches owned by the discerning few, and fringed by a back country station  - Okau Station - off the beaten track, set up for hunters, hikers, and those who simply love to stay somewhere different.

The Smoko Room is connected to the shearing shed of Okau Station. It has been refurbished as an overnight stay and now provides comfortable, unpretentious accommodation for a couple or for a family. The large wooden table where once the shearers' meals were served is now the family hub for those who come to stay. 

Outside the large glass door is a spacious deck, a barbecue, and best of all a great view of the beach and sea just a few minutes walk across the farm and down the track.

Inside the Smoko Room the ply walls are  stencilled with typical wool bale words and markings. In one corner is a wood burner, and best of all there is plenty of good dry wood ready to go.The furniture is unpretentious,but those essential comforts are there too - a good tv with plenty of channels, a sound system, fridge, microwave, wine glasses, bottle opener ...

Just through the door from the Smoko Room is the farm's wool-shed, still very much in use. The dark oiled boards and the three shearing stands are all well looked after, ready and waiting for the next day of action.

The Smoko Room is close to Castlepoint where one or two shops and a country hotel are on hand for supplies, a change of scene, or a meal. But if it is large expanses of empty windswept beach or long walks in the hills that you like, you will have all you need with the Smoko Room as your base and Sandy Bay as your backyard.

Classic Caravan Martinborough

The Classic Caravan in Martinborough

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

Just a little old caravan from outside. Like the caravans towed around by the small humpy cars in the 1950s; - usually in point of fact, being towed by Morris Minors more often than not. But the Classic Caravan in Martinborough needs to be experienced from the inside out, rather than the outside in! Like a Christmas package it may be a little rough round the edges and badly wrapped on the outer, but what a thrill when it opens up into something rather special on the inside. 

The first thing you will notice about this quirky little caravan is the beautiful colours. Whites complimented by a wonderful use of highlights make this haven just a  pleasure to be in. Stripes, turquoises, magentas and subtle patterns light up the space. 

The furniture in the caravan is a fascinating mishmosh of old and new, found and bought,with a collector's guiding eye leading the way. The Moroccan cabinet instantly draws the eye  but take a moment and you will start to see the care that has gone into the decoupage on the drawers and the lampshades, the attention to detail in turning the birdcage into a pristine display case for some of the treasures in the caravan; the cushions have been beautifully hand-made with glorious patterns and colours.

Yet above all these things the real highlight of the Classic Caravan is the amazing array of curiosities that have been assembled and are on display. From giant birds eggs to hand shaped soaps, from a butterfly collection to a skull on a chain ...      

The creation of a New Zealand recognized artist, Jane Kellahan, the Classic Caravan is small but perfectly formed. It is situated right in the heart of Martinborough,  and is a great place to stay.

Glamping in the Wairarapa

Kawakawa Station Glamping

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

I've always been partial to camping - maybe because as a child it was completely off the agenda. This is something our family did not do - and quite possibly that is exactly what makes it so appealing now. But lets be honest, - camping does have its downside. For one thing the ground is hard; airbeds can go flat;  it can get very cold at night; it can get very hot at night; the shower block is always too far away - or equally as bad, you get the lucky last spot right outside the toilets. Solution? Go glamping.

Kawakawa Station glamping in the Wairarapa is tucked nicely into a sheltered hillside,. Its a sunny spot with great views if you choose to climb the hill behind, and a river nearby. The safari style tents are large and sound. There was no storm but these tents felt strong enough to probably survive a bit of a blow anyway. One of the two tents is set on a timber deck. The other has carpet throughout ...  carpet in a tent? How good is that! Both have comfy futon beds, with lots of duvets and warmth. The largest of the two tents has a table,chairs, sofas and a pot belly stove.

A short distance away is the camp kitchen - outdoors yes, but still under shelter. There is also a fridge not too far away where the essentials can be kept cold. As well as a shower and toilet block there is the fabulous outdoor bath to enjoy, heated by a gas burner, where you can relax and enjoy views down the dry creek bed: -  In fact this riverbed can become an impassable torrent in heavy rain as it catches the run-off from the steep hills and channels it down to the river in the valley below.

A night or two glamping at Kawakawa Station is a very pleasant way to spend some time, with great walks (the Pinnacles are nearby) and the wild Wairarapa coast to enjoy by day, and the crystal clear starry sky to appreciate from the deck of your safari tent by night.

The Barn at Raurimu - Mount Ruapehu

Wood Pigeon Lodge - Raurimu

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


Raurimu is a tiny town, nicely placed on the way to either Mount Ruapehu or Tongariro; - close enough to Ohakune, not that far from Taupo, about half way from Auckland to Wellington. Tucked back and away from the main road is Wood Pigeon Lodge where you have a choice of several types of accommodation. All have their features but if it is character you are after then The Barn is where you should be.

The Barn is authentic and full of personality. It is a true barn. You will know instantly that this is what it was, and to a large extent this is what it still is. Photos on the wall tell the history of the area and of the famed Raurimu spiral but also they tell the story of the Barn itself, because there on the wall is the photo of  how it used to be. You may well wonder what there was to save when you see this photo. Yet the owners of the Barn took the time to rescue something from this dilapidated shell, barely standing, and breathe life once again into what to many, must have been beyond saving.

The result of this is a rustic, timbered, solid, warm sturdy creation full of character, history and personality. The Barn retains as much as it can of its past in its rebirth. Its post and beam skeleton remains exposed. Where old could not be salvaged or found then new has had to suffice, but the resurrection of the Barn has resulted in an authentic and interesting place to stay.

Double height spaces make the Barn feel spacious and open., The loft bedroom is expansive and the views are  oh so appealing. As the sun sets the the colours glow like fire.
Inside a pot belly stove throws a warmth throughout the Barn. Old oil lanterns have been carefully converted to run on electricity (because of  the fire risk) yet still provide that character touch. Outside the corrugated exterior retains exactly the profile of that old Barn as she once was.

Relics decorate the walls and provide plenty to peruse. Overhead, ropes and pulleys which must have been used for hoisting up to the upper level for storage, are still in place. At the apex of the barn a leadlight window has the  signature Wood Pigeon stamp of the whole complex.

The Barn is fortunate to have been saved by someone prepared to draw on the building';s own past for inspiration. This Barn is almost a testimony to the fact that nothing is past salvage!

Akaroa Luxury Lodge

Birdsong Lodge 

(previously Akaroa Luxury Lodge)

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

On the road to Akaroa take a right hand turn at Little River and wind your way up a road that is just long enough to make you think you must be lost. At about this time you will probably come across the entrance to Birdsong Lodge. Tucked out of site down a driveway, the Lodge is surrounded by tall trees close to a rushing mountain stream. 

More of a well appointed home than a holiday house Birdsong Lodge is charming, and in some parts luxurious. The marble bathroom is impressive,  as is the well kitted out kitchen. However it is the roaring fire in the enormous fire place which makes that first impression the most memorable. With its mirrors, its candelabra  and its leadlight sidelights, on a cold winters evening it is just the welcome you might hope for. 

Pull up the leather arm chairs, settle in wtih the basket of goodies provided,  open the wine ... Not surprising if you forget all about those noble plans to cook a meal.

The snow from the day before had just cleared that afternoon - but should it have chosen to snow again that night ... well being snowed in for a day or two might not have been such a chore!

But there is more to Birdsong Lodge than just a  little bit of luxury, because Birdsong Lodge has a Tree House! - Or more accurately, it has a Tree Stump House. The House is essentially additional accommodation to the main lodge with its two bunk beds and very little else, but it is oh so cute! 

Perched on a large stump like you have stumbled onto the set of the movie 'Up', this is one of only two Tree Houses that I am aware of in New Zealand which you can rent for a night. 

So it might not be actually suspended up in the tree tops, as are some of its more international counterparts, but one might wonder whether a truly suspended tree house is really such a good idea in our land of howling winds and grim winters. The higgledy piggledy steps leading up to the Tree House are in keeping, but they are certainly a challenge. But its worth it. 

Unique and unexpected, this little touch of whimsy makes Birdsong Lodge more than just another fancy stopover. This is definitely worth a visit.

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

La Crique Greytown

La Crique - Greytown

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


Greytown is a shining example of how to make your town into something special! Interestingly enough (and this is not the only time this has happened) it is because Greytown was once passed over that its character and architecture has survived -  (think Melbourne). Early in its history it suffered the indignity of being by-passed by the rail service - an initial body-blow to its growth.  Once also it  was to be the fruit-bowl of the Wairarapa -  but not to be.

But did it languish and become that place where everyone passes  through but no-one wants to stop? No. Instead it has become the premium destination of the Wairarapa. Now it is a town of niche market charm built on a base of wine and olives.  How did this happen?

Possibly it was due to the vision of a positive thinking mayor. It is not so long ago that John Garrity  took the approach that he may not have the funds to assist new businesses and entrepreneurs but he was not going to stand in their way. The first outdoor seated cafe was laughed at! But its owner pressed on and hurrah! The council did not create obstacles to beat down this visionary owner and force him to give up his vision. Let's face it - this has happened in so many other towns in New Zealand.

So now Greytown thrives. Small creative businesses are attracted to this town and as a result it has become a charming and popular destination. In partnership with an appealing town, Wairarapa excels at creating events which bring people to the area.

Martinborough Fair and Wings Over Wairarapa are just twosuch events. And now there is a third. Eclipse Stonehenge (picture above) was a recent outstanding success and must surely become a regular event.










La De Dah is an overnight stay in Greytown which has picked up on the French connections of the area. Located in a period villa it has charm, style and eclectic appeal. La Crique is a  single bedroom apartment  - one of twooptions at La De Dah.








 With its tiled floors, decorative furnishings and French country charm it is every bit 'un maison de la campagne'. Delicious provisions for a light breakfast come as part of the package. Reasonably priced and and absolutely charming, this is such a pleasant alternative to a standard motel!