Ruapuke Log Chalet

The Log Cabin at Ruapuke

Pippy McCurdy

http://www.unusualstays.com/

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


In the American Midwest the pioneers and the frontiersmen of the New World once made their homes in hardy one room cabins. Milled from local timber these simple log cabins became iconic symbols of that rugged way of life. And high on a hilltop looking out over  Kawhia Inlet stands just such a  log cabin.

This little beauty is small but perfectly formed. Spotlessly clean it is homely and comfortable. The brass bed takes up much of the cabin yet there is also space for a fridge and somewhere to cook, - plus a barbecue outside.  A separate cabin reached via the veranda contains the bathroom, toilet and shower.

In the bedroom with one whole wall made of glass the views reach out forever across the hills to the harbour far below. Sunsets are spectacular. Nearby farm animals graze. Peacocks wander by. A couple of old iron wagon wheels lean against the outside of the cabin.  On the walls are posters - was it Johnny Walker, maybe Jack Daniels? The CDs supplied come straight from the 70s - and the sound system plays through to the bathroom also. What an excellent idea.


Out on the front porch layer upon layer of hills stretch away into the blue gray distance. I pull up my rocker, take out my pen knife and commence whittling, while I drink my moonshine and watch the sunset fade into night.

Wairua Lodge - Whitianga on the Coromandel

The Hidden River Valley

Pippy McCurdy

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

Wairua Lodge is all about nature and beautiful outdoor spaces. It is comfortable accommodation folded into bush covered hills, with a river valley winding through the forest. There is a  gentle river widening out into tempting pools for swimming and playing. This place is simple, lush, green, eco- aware,  and welcoming. It celebrates the outdoors in all its spaces and is quite simply a regenerative and appealing place to be. 

As soon as you realise that here you can enjoy a starlight spa and also a bush bath you will know that you are in for something special;  add to this a fire pit where you can gather of an evening, Fabulous. There is also a semi-outdoor kitchen which is almost a camp kitchen, yet still has all the elements of a more sophisticated setup. Sit outside when the weather is kind, or sit under cover but without walls to separate you from that rich scenery all around.

The starlight spa is a soothing private space where you will not be disturbed and the only sounds are the sounds of the night. The tree-tops bathhouse is a decadent retreat filled with music and candles, opening out over the forest and river valley below.

The chance to gather around the fire pit and enjoy good company and maybe a little music is something that is not all that common in NZ unless you are camping far from civilization and creature comforts. At Wairua Lodge this is a pleasure you can indulge in and enjoy. Flickering flames, frogs croaking, chirping crickets,  a morepork or two, - maybe even a kiwi. What a place.

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.

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.