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.
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