The First Snow

Image supplied by Bayview Chateau Tongariro. March 2009.

In the last two or three days most parts of New Zealand have been swept by a chilling southerly. The first snow has fallen in the far south and we’re all thinking that our delicious hot summer is already over. It’s no better in the North Island it seems. This was the view that the team at Bayview Chateau Tongariro in the central North Island opened the curtains to this morning – cold but beautiful. The ski season doesn’t start for several months yet but the first dusting of snow has already fallen at Whakapapa Village, Mt Ruapehu. Needless to say skiers are already polishing their skis in the hope of another bumper season like the one they enjoyed last winter. I’m no skier but every year I promise myself I will visit Tongariro National Park in the summer to walk the tracks and photograph alpine flowers. It never seems to happen. I’m invariably passing through in winter – but, snuggled up in that faithful old matriarch of the mountains – The Chateau – I’m not complaining. This architectural icon turns 80 this year - I wonder how many people have stayed there in that time. If you click on Bayview Chateau Tongariro in the label line below this post, you’ll be able to see that Chateau – looking magical in last winter’s big snowfall. www.chateau.co.nz

Fish By Design

Images by Diederich van Heyningen; Supplied by River Birches

When I'm reveiwing accommodation properties for inclusion in Frommers New Zealand - and I'm just starting the 6th edition now - I'm always looking for places that set themselves apart, not just in their comforts and service levels but also through creativity and individuality. I like it when owners go the extra mile and think about the small things - because as we all know, it's often the small things that count most. So naturally I was delighted to discover these gorgeous little hand-stitched fish 'swimming' around the edges of table napkins at the very lovely River Birches, which offers stylish accommodation on the edge of that prime fishing location, the Tongariro River, near Turangi in the central North Island. www.riverbirches.co.nz

Welcome to River Birches

The Bleibtreu Family. Image Supplied by River Birches

Former New Yorker, Jason Bleibtreu and his wife, Rebeca (from El Salvador), visited New Zealand in 2003 and fell in love with it. For that we can be truly grateful because this globetrotting pair were so enamoured of our little country that they were inspired to create River Birches, a classy retreat on the lower reaches of the North Island’s Tongariro River, which is world famous for its fly fishing. With just three gorgeous rooms, easy access to all the area’s best fishing spots, superb cuisine and all the peace and tranquillity you could wish for, River Birches should be marked into everyone’s travel plans. “Hip without Hype,” is how Jason describes it – and he and Rebeca should know because, as former journalists working in some of the world’s most volatile spots, they’ve literally spent thousands of nights in hotel rooms. They met in Central America during their coverage of conflict there; and then, in the 1990s they moved to Cambodia to cover the implementation of the Paris Peace Accords, which brought warring Cambodian factions together. Then there were three years in Hanoi, where they opened the first US TV bureau in Vietnam since the US-Vietnam war; and these days they’re based in Bangkok, where they own a television equipment rental company, which deploys gear as far afield as New Zealand, Peru, Ethiopa and throughout Asia. Interior Images by Deiderich van Heyningen To create River Birches, they worked with architect, David Page of the award-winning Page Henderson practice in Te Puke, taking out first place in the 2007 NZ Institute of Architects Awards. Since they opened the doors in 2006, there has been a steady stream of satisfied customers – “and they’re not all fishermen,” says Jason. “We get a lot of people who just come to chill out.” And with lodge managers Anthea Tidswell and her husband, Bill on hand to indulge guests, it’s easy to see why Travel & Leisure magazine included River Birches in its list of top hotels, resorts and spa in 2007. www.riverbirches.co.nz

HOOKED!

Jason Bleibtreu fishing the Major Jones Pool, Tongariro River. Images supplied by River Birches

You don’t have to be a fisherman to enjoy River Birches, but if you ARE a fisherman, you’ll think you’ve landed in seventh heaven. Located near Turangi – the trout fishing capital of the world - at the bottom of Lake Taupo, this small boutique lodge is truly a fisher’s paradise. Three renowned fishing pools – Major Jones, Breakfast and Hydro – are literally steps from the lodge’s back gate and a tackle room stores high quality fishing gear and waders available to guests. On top of that, there’s a Rivercam, which shows all three pools throughout the day and lodge staff can recommend the best fishing guides. Lodge owner, Jason Bleibtreu, a keen fisherman himself, says: “We established a weather station beside the webcam to show current temperature, wind direction and speed. This allows keen fishermen to check out the conditions from the comfort of their own computer and they can then decide at a moment’s notice, to head to River Birches.” The Tongariro River (above) is the epicentre of trout fishing. “People come here from all over the world just to fish these waters,” Jason adds. www.riverbirches.co.nz

Winter White

Tongariro National Park. Photos courtesy Bayview Chateau Tongariro

It's snowing in my garden right now.

But it's not half as spectacular as these falls recorded in Tongariro National Park yesterday.

North Island skiers will be rubbing their hands together in delight.