Southern Comforts

Queenstown. May 2009 Ajr Queenstown is one of those places that has so many tourist beds that the matter of choice can be daunting. So let me point you in the direction of the rural luxuries of White Shadows Country Inn, which sits comfortably under the mountains between Queenstown and Arrowtown. A huge contemporary sculpture welcomes you on to the peaceful four hectares and your American hosts, William Bailey and Michael Harris will set about spoiling you the minute you step out of your car. The catch is, there's only two plush rooms here, so you need to be quick - and you'l;l remember breakfast long after the event. www.whiteshadows.co.nz.

Shadowlands

Arrowtown. May 2009. Ajr

Love those shadows!

I waited for nearly two hours to get this photo - anticipating the shadow that the bedroom chandelier would cast as the day drew to a close at Arrowtown House, in Arrowtown, near Queenstown. I think it was worth the wait. Arrowtown House is also worth the wait if you're thinking of heading south. Rooms here are terrific and owners, Steve and Jeanette Brough are both terrific hosts and terrific cooks as well. Sometimes it feels like all your Christmases have come at once doesn't it! To see meet Steve and Jeanette and see more pictures of this delicious stay, click on Arrowtown House in the label line below this post. www.arrowtownhouse.co.nz

Lunch With the Postmaster

Arrowtown. May 2009. Ajr Crispy Duck and Fennel Salad at The Postmaster's Restaurant ARROWTOWN Another Glorious Moment of Self-Indulgence

Arrowtown Autumn

Arrowtown House. Image supplied by Arrowtown House.

I'm jumping the gun a bit here because it's not quite autumn in Arrowtown yet; but this is what it looks like when it is - a shower of red, russet, green, yellow, brown and orange. That's Arrowtown House in foreground. I wrote about them recently. Just enter either Arrowtown House or Meet the People into the blog search box (above left) [or click on the titles in the label line below] and you'll be able to see inside this gorgeous new accommodation. www.arrowtownhouse.com

Meet the People - 34

Image Suppliedby Arrowtown House.

Another in the Series Meet the People – Ordinary and Extraordinary New Zealanders Doing Interesting Things – Steve and Jeanette Brough were ‘born to work in tourism’ and as their very successful history in hospitality and accommodation shows, they know how to give visitors a memorable New Zealand experience. Now based in picturesque Arrowtown, near Queenstown, Steve and Jeanette have just opened the very stylish boutique hotel, Arrowtown House. The couple have a track record for picking new hot-spots. In 1995 they opened Queenstown’s first small luxury lodge, Remarkables Lodge, which won several NZ Tourism awards and was winner of Travel & Leisure’s ‘World’s Best Award;’ and then in 2000, they opened Shotover Lodge at Arthur’s Point, which they sold in 2007. Before all that they’d spent twenty years in hospitality in Australia managing resort properties, ski resorts and their own café in Bowral, NSW. Away from attending to their guests’ needs, they’ve travelled extensively themselves – especially in Asia, the Greek Islands and Mexico - where Steve always enjoys indulging his passion for black and white photography. Jeanette meanwhile finds travel stimulates her passion for food – curries in India’s Thar Desert; boat noodles in Thailand; crab-sellers in Hanoi - which all inspire the first class cuisine she presents at Arrowtown House. And now there’s cycling to fit in! Jeanette belongs to the recreational club, Queenstown Peddlers, while Steve has launched himself both mountain bike and road racing in the weekends. There’s no such thing as wasting a minute of time for this pair. www.arrowtownhouse.com

Arrowtown Gold

Images Supplied by Arrowtown House

And this is the place Steve and Jeanette call home – beautiful Arrowtown House Boutique Hotel – a cluster of buildings built in 1999 that merges seamlessly with the existing historic buildings that this pretty town is known for. Plaster walls and cedar windows evoke the mood of the mining era yet inside, the Broughs have renovated and extended to provide their guests with every modern comfort. Arrowtown itself is a leafy enclave of old gold miners’ cottages surrounded by mountains and three major golf courses, just fifteen minutes from ‘the buzz’ of Queenstown. Blessed with art galleries, movie theatre, museum, boutique shops and numerous cafes and restaurants – among them internationally recognised, Saffron and New Zealand Country Restaurant of the Year, Amisfield – the village is the perfect spot for a classy visitor stay. And Arrowtown House is small and intimate – just five bedrooms a few steps away from the main dining room, lounge and bar.

Image Supplied by Arrowtown House

And when breakfast is as enticing as this, who wouldn’t want to stay there? www.arrowtownhouse.com

StreetscapeNZ - 4

Autumn Street,

Arrowtown, South Island

May 2007. Ajr

Autumn in the South

Arrowtown. 2007. Ajr

Every autumn the South Island town of Arrowtown, near Queenstown is ablaze with colour. Its thousands of deciduous trees must be some of the most photographed in the world. I took this shot last when I was doing my Frommers NZ travel guide research.