Monday, February 01, 2010

Ohariu Valentine...



Sometimes a banishing turns out to be a blessing.
Our daughter turning 22 and still living at home (but looking for a flat) requested for her birthday that we vacate the house so she could have the BBQ she planned without parentals looking on and getting in the way. It was hard to drag her father away from the hoola hoops on the lawn (it subsequently turns out that her 19 year old brother is a natural at this especially after a beer) and leave the Jerk Chicken behind that had been marinating in too many Habanero chillies for 24 hours, but we did and took ourselves off to an idyllic hideaway only 20 minutes from town.

It has to be said right here, right now that we know the owners and threw ourselves on their mercy with promises of food, wine and scintillating company in exchange for a night at Ohariu Lodge. Mike and Liz, our charming and entertaining hosts relented and threw open their hospitality and the lodge doors for a romantic retreat that I can thoroughly recommend.
 
The lodge itself has a fascinating history; some years ago it started life as a bowling alley for the Swiss Club in Ohariu Valley. A slightly odd destination for avid bowlers but picturesque, as the building sits atop a lovely lawn with a glade and stream boundary (complete with a friendly eel).  As a sports venue it didn’t boast the spa pool it has now, the BBQ, the top notch bedrooms, lounge, kitchen and bathroom, but it did have the lovely carvings in some of the rafters that have been preserved by with love and attention.

They have thought of everything. The lodge is completely geared up for self catering with a fully equipped kitchen (I wish ours was as nice), the spa pool is very private (no need for togs if that’s the way you like it), decent shampoo and conditioner, phone, wireless internet, a bookshelf with tempting novels, DVDs, a stereo…

You could stay there a week, get your novel written or your relationship invigorated (sorry, novel writing is a solitary pursuit unless you are doing research for erotic fiction) and come home feeling like you had been away in the countryside far from the madding crowd forever.  All with a nice café down the road at the riding school! Ahhhh, nice!  
Thanks Mike and Liz, it was the best birthday present our daughter could insist upon!

2 comments:

Mary McCallum said...

Happy Birthday to your girl. Hope the house was ok when you returned...

Curious Art said...

Hi Fifi, nice to meet you! I must admit I've never actually seen the original version of the book-- I first encountered the story when I illustrated it for Cricket Magazine many years ago, & they just sent me the ms.

Your work is so much fun! Your verses as well as your paintings. The velvet series is a hoot!

It seems we have a lot in common outside of illustration, since I also enjoy cake decorating, needlecrafts & hula hooping! But wow, I'm not nearly as good a blogger as you are-- my hat's off to you for a highly entertaining blog!