Gypsy Camping Wairarapa

Gypsy River Camping

Gypsy River Camping in the Wairarapa is so unexpected. This is a camp consisting of  hand made gypsy caravans - three of them in all -  plus a cook house, in a characteristic gypsy style semicircle grouped around a campfire. This is the perfect gypsy get-away. These charming little caravans of many colours are in the back of a field, not so far from a pleasant river, surrounded by tall willows and verdant pastures.

The gypsy camp is charming. There are three sleeping caravans plus a cookhouse and bathroom. One of the vans even has its own pot belly stove and electricity. The others are for you to enjoy the candlelight -  and the campfire light if the weather is kind. 

The kitchen has everything you could need including some delightful surprises: - Was that three tins of fresh baking ready to be devoured?? More than I might achieve in a year or three. Outside there is the barbecue all gassed up and ready to use-  and inside you will find every condiment and utensil you might possibly require to cook the perfect gypsy meal. What's more there are games for the bored, and for breakfast the fun of making toast over a retro frame on the gas stove. All your breakfast needs are supplied.

The bedroom caravan with the bunks is full of colour, not to mention luminescent stars in the deep blue internal sky.

Outside there is space to romp; space for games . What's more there is a flying fox and a giant swing to make the most of, as well as canoes if the river is playing ball. The outside bath is tucked into a private dell surrounded by bushes and flaxes. Your host will light the fire for you and show you the tricks of achieving a perfect bath. Here is a clue. Do not keep stoking the fire too close to bath time....

 Once the summer season has settled, the fairy lights come out to add an even more magical touch.

There is nothing more perfect than a bath under the stars and a campfire on a balmy night.  The gypsy camp is near to Masterton but it might as well be a million miles away.

It is a wonderful way to spend some time.This is the kind of place that needs a repeat performance.

http://www.unusualstays.com/

http://italyoffthebeatentrack.blogspot.co.nz/2016/01/italy-off-beaten-track.html
https://www.facebook.com/Stay-Somewhere-Strange-273777766054597/

The Funky Bunker

The Funky Bunker

Pippy McCurdy

http://www.unusualstays.com/
http://italyoffthebeatentrack.blogspot.co.nz/2016/01/italy-off-beaten-track.html


Once it was high up a mountain - part of a film-set for an action movie set in the Himalayas. It may have only been an ammunition store but this bunker made it to the silver screen. You may have seen it - the movie was called Vertical Limits. Now you can stay in the bunker and maybe even live a little movie history for yourself.

 

Somewhere between a container and a bunk house, there is something about the Funky Bunker. It has angled down corners, - to let the snow slide off of course. You will know as soon as you set eyes on it,  that here is something unusual. This is not your usual tourist town accommodation.

 The bunker and the caravan sit together across a timbered deck. Is it a summer spot or a winter spot? Even though our visit was on a chilly late autumn night, something tells me it would work just as well either way. The outside deck, the deck chairs, the half fire-drum ready to go  -  well you can just imagine the sparks floating up over the big private section into the clear night sky.

But on a cold crisp night such as the one we encountered, the bunker turns into a snug nest with warm plywood walls and a pot belly stove pumping out the heat. Lots of bedding options - we never left the bunker for the sleeping caravan. It was a night of story telling and yarns. My how the time spins by...


The Funky Bunker is in Glenorchy by beautiful Lake Wakatipu. There are some great spots in Glenorchy for a meal or a beer but we couldn't tear ourselves away from the Funky Bunker. It was unpretentious, intimate and exceptionally likable.

The Bus Stop - Waimarama

The Bus Stop - Waimarama

Pippy McCurdy

http://www.unusualstays.com/
http://www.easterneuropetravelguide.net

Sometimes it's those crazy little touches which help promote a place to stay from regular to memorable. The Bus Stop at Waimarama is a conventional apartment, - nice enough. Comfortable, Close to a glorious beach, with a small private sun filled courtyard at the back. But it is the large blue bus (also part of your accommodation package) which makes the Bus Stop more than just your standard overnight stopover.

The Blue Bus is well and truly parked up - probably at least for the foreseeable future, in the front garden of this Waimarama property. The bus is large, comfortable and agreeable. It is essentially your quirky second sitting room and kitchen. It is beachy, casual, relaxed, and a great hang out space. It is unpretentious, full of a crazy mismatch of furniture and easy to kick back in, The bus is a great place to be. The Big Blue Bus is surrounded by shrubs, trees and colorful flowering plants. Who would have thought a large blue bus could blend in so well?

There is another interesting feature about the Bus Stop at Waimarama, and that is the ducks. In every unexpected corner of the bus, the apartment, and the garden, you will find ducks. These ducks are not live. They are sometimes stuffed, sometimes painted, always inanimate. They are a multitude of colors and sizes, and if you were of a single digit age, counting ducks could certainly be an agreeable pastime.

Waimarama is a long sandy attractive beach  on a popular area of holiday coast. It is a sought after holiday destination and  a favoured spot for sea fishing and boat launching. You will enjoy your stay in this appealing little spot, -  especially the delicious welcoming snacks provided by your hosts.