A good night’s sleep

So what were our favourite hotels? Top of the list has to be Hapuku Lodge but that was so good it has its own blog entry. Other good accommodation included …

The Amora Lake Resort, Okawa Bay, a short drive north east of Rotorua. Sadly we only had one night here. A peaceful lake-side resort that was somehow reminiscent of the hotel location in Dirty Dancing. A wonderful dining room and meal was preceded by a soak in the bath. So what’s so special about a bath before dinner? Unusually, our room had shutters that opened out into the room with a view through the French Windows and across the balcony to the lake beyond. The dining room was reminiscent of an American mountain lodge with huge fireplace and sofas to take after-dinner coffee in, a great place to wind down after a busy day.

 

We also stayed in simpler self-catering accommodation. One recommendation would be Highfield Mews Motel in Oamaru. A short drive from the town centre, the relatively new motel accommodation was of a high standard in a quiet area with all the usual motel facilities of a kitchenette, wi-fi, and TV. Equally importantly was the enthusiasm of the owners and their extremely helpful advice – people make all the difference.

 

We ended our trip with two nights at the Punakaiki Resort hotel at Punakaiki Beach, followed by a final night at the Kershaw House Boutique B&B in Richmond, Nelson. Punakaiki Resort was just what we needed after two and a half weeks on the road. A beach-side location (but watch out for the sandflies) and an easy walk to Pancake Rocks made this a delightful stay. Dining watching the sun setting across the Tasman Sea made for a memorable experience. We chose to dine in, which did limit options a little, but after so much driving it was nice to take a short walk through the rainforest to the restaurant. Oh, and the chance to have another glass or two of wonderful NZ wine.

 

Our final night was at the Kershaw House Boutique B&B in Richmond, Nelson. Another memorable experience, run by Pete and Jill, the accommodation was great and the breakfast was wonderful. They also pointed us to the Three Rooms restaurant, within walking distance, and a wonderful end to our stay.