The Ghosts of the Vulcan Hotel

A Visit to St Bathans

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

Far off the beaten track in the heart of Central Otago is a small cluster of buildings. This is St Bathans, - once a thriving town of thousands, bustling with miners hungry for gold.The Vulcan Hotel is the only hotel which remains in this isolated spot, yet the locals come from far around to drink at the bar, and the visitors and toursits join them, -  but probably struggle to keep up because this is Speights country.

Not many people search for gold here any more, even though there are more than a few who believe there is still gold to be found. So if the tourists do not come for gold, do they come for the strange ethereal scenery; the beauty of the Blue Lake; the ever-changing trees that stand like bare spectres in the midst of winter, or rustle in the warm winds of autumn. Well no. Mostly they come to see the ghost.

Her name was Rose. She was murdered for her gold they believe, - gold she had earned as a lady of the night, - and there were many willing to pay. She was killed in the front bedroom of the Vulcan - one of 13 public houses in St Bathans at the time. 

You can still rent her room to this day and be a guest of the Vulcan. Maybe you will encounter one of the hotel's ghosts - because word is that there are not one but three ghosts, who still wander restlessly through the quiet corridors.

I did not encounter Rosie nor her entourage. In fact I spent a very pleasant evening in the company of the patrons and the very hospitable staff. The Vulcan is a friendly, pleasant, rather nice place to stay - a place which still retains a sense of presence and style belonging  to its nineteenth century past.

No ghosts chose to reveal themselves to me. But I believe they were silently present. St Bathans - not a ghost town  - but somehow a slightly mysterious place, all the same. A part of me wondered if this was not in fact, some parallel universe that I had been fortunate enough to stumble upon.

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

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/

Ohinemuri Estate Karangahake Gorge

Ohinemuri Estate

The Karagahake Gorge is a rather spectacular destination – especially after the flat regularity of the Hauraki Plains. Replace slow flowing canals with shallow white water rapids: replace vast expanses of farmland with steep hills bordering on mountains and with native bush clinging where it can. Add in several  picturesque swing bridges and the historic remains of old gold mining works, and you have a fascinating area in which to spend some time.

Ohinemuri Winery has found a home in amongst these hills. It has taken over a cluster of 1930s farm buildings and converted these to serve its purposes as a successful business venture. Ohinemuri provides both a restaurant and accommodation. It provides Ohinemuri wines to the tables, and also offers sales on line  -  and they are very good! Grapes are grown under contract to Ohinemuri in a number of locations throughout New Zealand –  thus allowing  the appropriate varietal to be sourced from its ideal location prior to pressing.

The restaurant makes use of a building which began life as the stable; the accommodation is in the converted hayloft above. On one wall a fascinating picture of the buildings as they once were, provides an interesting reference to the original use.

The buildings themselves were established in a European chalet style by their initial owner who came in fact, from Latvia. With their 45 degree pitched roofs snowfall is not going to be a problem. Clustered in a  and providing shelter to a sunny outdoor courtyard for diners, the buildings make an appealing setting within which  the outstanding food can be enjoyed.

The restaurant closes at 5 pm but the friendly staff will provide a platter for your room if requested, and with the restaurant opening again at 10 am there is ample opportunity to sample the cuisine. 

The strength of Ohinemuri winery is in fact in its food, its wines, and its friendly and hospitable staff. The accommodation itself needs to be updated to  match Ohinemuri’s excellence in other respects,  if the overall high standard is to be maintained.

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

http://www.stumbleuponcroatiaslovenia.com/