After our Ferry ride to Wellington, it was back on the road on SH2 through the Rimutaka Hills.How good it was to arrive in the laidback winegrowing area of Martinborough and stay for a night before heading up to the Hawkes Bay. Checking in at Peppers Parehau was a breeze.
Every hotel in the Peppers chain has it’s own unique style. This one is within walking distance to the Martinborough town centre but just far enough out to have a rural feel. The accommodation consists of a series of luxury cottages, separated from each other by natural bush. The lakeside cottages have the best views and if I were a honeymooner, I’d definitely pay a bit extra to have one of those – the cute wooden hot tub outside is very enticing.
Our spacious cottage had a partial wall separating the living area and kitchen from the lounge area. Loved the instant heat from the gas fire which was so easy to operate by a mere flick of a switch. We enjoyed the high stud ceilings and having a comfortable read on the boxed window area in the bedroom.
What really tickled my fancy was the eclectic artwork positioned around the suite. How about this model car taking centre place in one of the built-in bookcases..
…or this combo of raw materials and Maori art – a notch up from the usual bland artwork you find in some hotels.
Hotels often fall short with their breakfasts but this one delivered in spades. The breakfast table in the restaurant was presented with quality muesli rather than the generic brands. I enjoyed the fresh fruit salad, especially the marinated prunes. Delicious! We helped ourselves to endless cups of coffee and had fun using the revolving toaster. The staff here were lovely and we enjoyed a nice quiet stay.
Next morning we headed onwards to the Pukaha Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre which is located between Masterton and Eketahuna. This experience was a personal highlight for me.
This wildlife centre incorporates a visitor centre, café, education programmes, stunning interactive displays, and beautiful access tracks through native bush. For old fellas like this, there are many places you can stop for a ‘breather’.
There are eels and Kakas to feed, Kiwi chicks and rare Tuataras to view and these are mostly close encounters.
I do NOT share my husband’s love of camping but I DO share his love of New Zealand’s birdlife. Finally I got to meet a live and rare North Island Kokako. Sorry, not a great photo but he refused to pose for too long. The Kokako is a soft grey colour, about the size of a native wood pigeon and distinguishable by it’s pretty blue wattle. It’s haunting song has been known to move some people to tears. They’re also great mimics. Someone had taught this one to wolf-whistle and repeat very softly in a human voice, “Kokako”.
I could have stood for hours looking it this lovely bird but the poignancy of it’s beautiful song became more than I could bare so I reluctantly moved on to complete the final drive of the day to the Hawkes Bay.
Happy travelling
