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HERITAGE INNS   Weston House   Maison de la Mer   Gates Lodge   Rippinvale Retreat   Jack's Cottage

TRAVEL ITINERARIES:

 
NEW ZEALAND
Gates Country Lodge, Waiau

DAYS 5 - 6


Drive to Gates Country Lodge in Waiau, in the heart of the Alpine Pacific Triangle. The Alpine Pacific Triangle consists of three locations within close proximity, each with its own special attractions, and the town of Waiau is located conveniently in the midst of all three. Hanmer Springs is noted for its thermal springs, Kaikoura for its whale watching and coastal views, and Waipara as a well-known wine region. The Gates Country Lodge is located near Waiau, a day trip from all three and is a convenient spring board from which to enjoy the region.

The Gates property is an American colonial style designed by Heathcote Helmore in 1934 and re-designed by Jim and Wendy Harre, converted by them as a home and Bed and Breakfast in 2003. Both Jim and Wendy have a long history of looking after people, Wendy, a registered nurse, coming from a care-giving background, and Jim, a veteran of the airline industry and raised from vineyard stock like the grapes on his grandfather’s vines.

The long gravel drive surrounded by lovely rolling hills, led me to the Harre's front porch, where guests lounging under the century old copper beech tree had already begun cocktail hour. My glass was awaiting me and wasn't empty for long. The entry to the house is ample and studded with period pieces. The reception room sits to the right, dining room to the left, lovely country kitchen behind. The furniture is mostly English Georgian and lovely silver and china ornaments, collected over a lifetime, are displayed throughout. There are three working fireplaces, one in the entry, one in the parlor, and one in a guest room. The three rooms are simple and tasteful with en suite bathroom, heated towel rack, hairdryer, and robes. Two of the rooms have their own patio and look out over a grassy courtyard. The products supplied vary, but the lotion is a lovely pure combination of natural essential oils of lavender and Neroli.

This B&B is unusual in that dinner is included. Jim's background in the wine industry and love of cooking comes through quite clearly at dinner, which is served in their elegant dining room, table dressed in silver, crystal, china, and white linen napkins. We started with West Coast Whitebait, quite a delicacy and found only in season in the surrounding rivers, cooked with slow roasted tomatoes and accompanied by a lovely Whitestone Waipara Riesling 2006 from a local vineyard. This was followed by North Canterbury rack of spring lamb with summer vegetables of new potatoes and fresh garden peas, which was paired with a Fiddler's Green Waipara Pinot Noir 2004, a local wine, and equally superb. Wendy's desserts included the Gates Apple Tart made with Pacific Rose apples, served with a Mount Cass Late Harvest Selection 2002 after dinner wine. The whole meal was absolutely gourmet, and beautifully and graciously presented.

Breakfast the next morning included a choice of of fresh yogurt, fruit, fruit smoothies, cereals, porridge with cream and maple syrup, North Canterbury Farmers eggs any style with bacon, tomato, and mushrooms, and coffee anyway you like, including a flat white, or cappuccino.

An absolutely phenomenal Jet Boat trip, and probably the most spectacular nature experience of my life, was a trip organized and operated by North Canterbury Personal Tours. Among other personal tours, that include off-road adventures, fishing and hunting, Mark Eastmond runs scenic trips down the Waiau River and into the ocean by Jet Boat. As if it weren't enough to be jetting down a shallow, winding, breathtakingly beautiful river like James Bond, or his female counterpart, you then jump the surf where the river meets the sea and catapult out into it towards an unspoiled natural splendor, the likes of which you are unlikely to see outside the Galapagos and some other protected natural areas. This part of the coast is extremely difficult to access as the closest harbor is thirty miles away, hence its pristine quality. In the course of two hours, we saw no less than 30 Hector dolphins, 100 baby seals playing in the water and the rocks and waiting for their parents to come home from hunting, and thousands of birds. We also caught several fish within seconds (I'm not exaggerating) due to Mark registering his favorite spots on his portable GPS. We then returned to the mouth of the river, where we had a picnic made by his lovely wife Caroline, which included fresh sandwiches, cookies and muffins, while watching the swirling river toss against the waves of the sea in playful confusion. This trip is not to be missed.

Gates Country Lodge, Rue Benoit, Akaroa - New Zealand.
GATES COUNTRY LODGE


Style Renovated turn-of-the-century manor house.

Setting In the countryside, surrounded by trees and farms.

What we love Jim's cooking

Good to know One of the few Inns that serves dinner upon request. Jim's family has been in the wine business for decades and is wonderful at wine pairing

Address The Gates Road
Waiau, North Canterbury
Telephone Number +64 3 315 6162
Fax Number +64-3-315 6162


How to Get There On Highway 70 between Hanmer Springs Thermal Resort and Kaikoura


HERITAGE INNS   Weston House   Maison de la Mer   Gates Lodge   Rippinvale Retreat   Jack's Cottage