Pistols at dawn, or dusk, you choose
Mellonsfolly Ranch
It’s the nearest you’ll get to a proper cowboy experience this side of the Ponderosa. Wait, that’s not real – but then nor is the Old West Town, though you’d be hard pressed to pick it.
Where/what is it?
Tucked away in a remote valley, 35 kilometres off SH4 along the Ruatiti Valley and literally at the end of the road, is the perfect recreation of an 1880s Wild West town, complete with bat-wing doors on the Lucky Strike Saloon, a courthouse, livery stable and marshal’s office.
It started out as a personal project, but now anyone can strut, gun on hip, down Main St, chow down under the stars on a barbecue at the Chuck Wagon, and then snuggle in for a peaceful night in one of the themed rooms in Miss Nancy Ann’s Hotel Parlour.
Why go?
Who doesn’t want to play cowboy? Owner/hosts Rosita and Pancho will indulge that urge until you feel as authentic as the Wyoming-sourced artifacts that furnish the buildings lining Main St.
Come wearing jeans and a checked shirt, put on one of their Stetsons and waistcoats, strap on a leather holster, and you’re straight into the role.
Draw a bead with a Colt or Smith & Wesson air pistol on a tin can and try out your sharp-shooting; or put a shotgun to your shoulder and take out a clay bird or two.
Too noisy? Go for the other half of the cowboy classic and shoot some arrows. Ride a horse or a mountain bike. Or take a sociable soak at Texas Rose’s Bath House.
Insider tip
You don’t need to stay over (though why wouldn’t you?) because there’s a Day Tripper option offering a six-hour taster that includes dressing up, gunslinging, lassoing and horse-shoe pitching, plus a Cookhouse Cowboy lunch in the Saloon.
Add on a trail ride on a Kaimanawa horse through the ranch’s 400 hectares of native bush to get yourself that authentic cowboy swagger.
The day finishes with firing a cannon down Main St.
It’s all Instagram gold – though that will have to wait, because there’s no cellphone reception. This is the Wild West, remember.
On the way/nearby
Go tramping in the nearby National Parks, and the Mountains to Sea cycle trail and Mangapurua Track pass nearby.
Try a watery adventure in a jet-boat or canoe down the Whanganui River. Or just take a drive through all that spectacular scenery.
How much?
The Day Tripper option is $120pp, with add-ons like the horse riding. A premium one-night package is $370pp, two nights $700; standard packages $325 and $600. These prices apply for groups of 10 or more. This isn’t a couples venue: go mob-handed to share in all the fun. It’s the ideal venue for a memorable celebration.
Best time to go
Mellonsfolly is closed over winter when the weather closes the valley, so go in summer when the days are long and everything is accessible and looking its best. – Pamela Wade
❚ See oldwesttown.co.nz