Sandy Bay Cabins in the Far North

Sandy Bay Cabins

The east coast bays and coves of Northland are bays of white sand, gentle waves and few people. Sandy Bay Cabins are on rolling farmland, not quite on the coast but walking distance if you wish. The encampment is at present made up of two off the grid cabins, and a larger cabin set a little way apart, where there is not just electricity but also cooking facilities, a fridge and a shower.

The cabins are an act in progress. The area has been developed with a view to expansion and the two smaller cabins - as cute and appealing as you could wish,- are side by side on a grassy plain, where easily there might be five or six cabins at next glance. These cabins face a small stand of native forest where the tall trees predominate but the forest floor is easily accessible with a small stream running through the forest valley.


The larger cabin is timber lined, with a porch to sit on and take in the views, the forest, the sunset, or the well looked after garden out front.

The encampment lends itself to family entertainment. The pizza oven is set alongside a man-made pond. There is a waterside , canoes for a short lap around the pond, and plenty of leaning tables for a family meal gathered around, or a late night gathering.

Outside the main cabin there is a fire bowl ready and waiting. This provides a great gathering place as dusk falls. From here it is just a short distance down the path to the shower and bath - where you can celebrate the great outdoors with views out across the rolling hills yet still private. With hot water at your fingertips for the bath and shower, it could not be easier to  take a quick shower while enjoying the forest surrounds.

This is a a great spot to relax in.  With intermittent cellphone reception it is time to relax, turn off your connections to the outside world and enjoy some time with friends and family in the great outdoors.

The Tinker's Cottage, Clyde, Central Otago

The Tinkers Cottage

In the heart;and of Central Otago is the Tinker’s Cottage, a beautiful schist cottage in the small but fascinating town of Clyde. The Tinkers Cottage in the 1860s, was the home of an itinerant tinsmith or a tinker. -  a mender of pots and pans, - not to be confused with the more recent version of tinker - another word for gypsy in some lingoes.

Clyde is a fascinating place. At the start of the renowned Otago Cycle Trail it is  a town which has reinvented itself. Here you will find one of the best restaurants not just in Central Otago, but in New Zealand. Here also you will find craftsmen, artisans, shops of unique and fascinating wares. This is also a town of turbulent history. There is the gargantuan Clyde dam  and its hydro lake just to the north of the town.This dam was a source of great controversy and protest in times past.





The Tinker’s Cottage is a unique snapshot of early New Zealand. It is a historic cottage in a beautiful garden, a cottage made of  local stone with its plastered joints and its compact setout. The cottage has been treated with the greatest of respect as it is brought into the twenty-first century. It is comfortable, charming and just the nicest of places to spend some time. It is in the heart of Clyde, - walking distance to absolutely everything. It is warm, well appointed and delightful. Whether you choose to sit outside or maybe barbecue in the sheltered garden, or whether your preference is to use the kitchen or go out for a meal, this is a great place to be.

At the cottage the artifacts of the past still remain. An elderly bicycle is the sign post to your cottage. The pot belly stove may not be there for cooking, but it is still present. There is a modern ensuite - a relatively recent addition, - and there is history on every side. Clyde is a time warp - a charming and exceptional time warp.

The dam is probably the key to the preservation of historic Clyde as it stands today. After the controversy had died and the dam was built, Clyde became a symbol of failed protest under the shadow of this massive monolith. Now, today, the dam is just a symbol of the march of progress, - beautiful in itself and its massive suppressed power. How strange the twists of fate.

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Glamping by the Lake

Glamping in Glenorchy

Not too far from the thriving tourist mecca of Queenstown in New Zealand, is the small and isolated town of Glenorchy. To reach Glenorchy you will need to follow a scenic road beside the lake edge for around forty minutes. This is a quiet road and there are plenty of places to stop and capture a photo or two as you will almost certainly want to...

Once you reach Glenorchy you will be at the head of Lake Wakatipu, surrounded by majestic mountains - usually snow covered - with only a handful of tourists and locals around. But keep in mind we are talking isolated here, but not uncivilized. The food is great and the cafes and bars are welcoming.




There is a  new camping ground complex being developed in Glenorchy - fully sustainable and community focused. At present the project is not quite in full stride but there is an excellent alternative to fill that community gap, and that is Mrs Woolly's Camp Ground.  It is here that you will find the two glamping tents that have recently been installed.












These glamping tents are safari tents with a planked and sheltered deck out the front of each. The tents have solar powered lighting and powerpacks for all those essentials - cell phone charger, ipad, etc… The tents are one roomed, essentially for sleeping and nocturnal activities only, but a delicious light breakfast and good coffee is provided on the under-cover deck out front. Other facilities are in the amenities block a short walk away.






What you will love most about your glamping tent is the luxury linen, the sheepskin rugs on the floor the fresh flowers, and especially the possum skin hot water bottles. The tingling crispness of the Glenorchy mountain air is part of the pleasure of a stay in this unique area of New Zealand.







The multitude of stars in the deep velvet sky is breathtaking.

But snuggling into the cloud soft bed with your possum hot water bottle is hard to beat.

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