KIWI ODYSSEY
Travel Notes From A Non-Hunter Spouse
Ann Schell
The Homestead at Mt. Hutt Station (one of the three accommodations used by
Hunt New Zealand)
Website:www.the-homestead.co.nz E-mail: YourHosts@The-Homestead.co.nz
Activities : I loved sitting in the reading room with
the cozy fireplace. The hosts Brian and Karen
can arrange activities as listed in the website
(including trips into Christchurch and the
TranzAlpine train day trip via Arthur's Pass,
to Greymouth on the West coast). The train
stays in Greymouth for one hour before its
return. In addition, Linda Berry, wife of
John Berry, Hunt New Zealand, took me on
a day trip to Akaroa, a charming French settlement
in the heart of an ancient volcano on the
East coast, 1-½ hours from Christchurch (www.akaroa.com)
and hosted Ivan and me for dinner one evening
(with other hunters).
For the remainder of our trip, we used Donna
Thomas, managing director New Zealand Travel, Inc., 1-800-367-5494 E-mail: nztravel@aol.com who is most knowledgeable and can make arrangements
for travel and accommodations including sheep
stations, farms, B&Bs, hotels, and luxurious
lodges.
We made the following choices:
LODGES:
BLANKET BAY
Location: On Lake Wakatipu in the Southern Alps, 40
minutes by car from Queenstown.
Website:www.blanketbay.com
Facilities: Outdoor swimming pool, spa & steam rooms,
health & beauty, boating, fishing, fitness,
heli-pad. Nearby: Golf & riding
Attractions: Dart River Jet boat trip (where part of
"Lord of the Rings" was filmed),
Milford Sound, Routebourn track (hiking).
Notes: Two years old; Rockies lodge style, 10 rooms.
WHAREKAUHAU (pronounced 'forry-coe-hoe')
Location: On Palliser Bay near Featherston, 2 hour
drive south from Wellington (south of North
Island) on 5,000 acre working sheep station.
Website: www.wharekauhau.co.nz
Facilities: Indoor pool, fitness center, tennis, croquet,
Petanque, riding, clay target shooting, ATV
bikes, Mountain bikes, 4WD farm tours, helipad,
and night rabbit and varmint hunting.
Attractions: Martinborough Vineyards, Seal Rookery.
Notes: Completely rebuilt in 1997, the main lodge
is in the style of an Edwardian country manor,
12 rooms.
HUKA LODGE
Location: On Waikato River, Central North Island,
near Lake Taupo
Website: www.hukalodge.com
Facilities: Tennis, Jacuzzi, croquet, Petanque, fly
fishing, mountain bikes, helipad. Nearby:
Golf, riding, boating, rafting, hiking, ballooning,
climbing.
Notes: 20 rooms
CITY HOTEL:
THE GEORGE
Location: Christchurch ("City of Gardens"),
across from Hagley Park and Avon River with
extensive gardens, museum, and art gallery..
Website: www.thegeorge.com
Facilities: Tennis, gift shop. Nearby: golf, gymnasium,
casino.
Notes: 57 rooms, excellent Pescatore Restaurant.
All of the above hotels are members of Small
Luxury Hotels of the World
(1-800-525-4800).