Patuha Lodge a breath of fresh air
BY MIKE SHAW
Lifestyle at Patuha Lodge, tucked into lush native rainforest between Taranaki’s Pouakai and Kaitake ranges, is all about privacy and people.
The privacy is found at the end of the two-kilometre metalled drive that carries visitors off Upper Pitone Rd, through rising farmland and into 14.49 hectares of beautiful native bush. Here, the lodge sits nestled into peaceful, green surroundings, with no neighbours in sight or hearing.
People come with the lodge’s bed-andbreakfast operation. There are 10 guest bedrooms in the lodge and over the years hundreds of visitors from Taranaki, New Zealand and around the world have stayed here and marvelled at the peace, the bush and the satisfying respite from their busy lives. And it’s all just a 30-minute drive from New Plymouth.
Fresh air has something to do with Patuha’s appeal, says Sally, who has operated the lodge with husband Harry since 2006. At more than 300m above sea level, the air here is very different to that in the cities, she says, and not just because the altitude makes the average temperature one degree cooler.
Sally’s parents, Maurice and Janet Henderson, built the lodge as a retirement lifestyle for themselves, opening it in 1987. The lodge property was once part of the land that Sally’s grandparents, Rob and Ina Hair, farmed.
It also has a famous neighbour: internationally renowned Pukeiti garden. The bush here merges into the bush of the garden and, at an early stage, Maurice established a walkway from Patuha to Pukeiti. It’s an easy half-hour walk that many Patuha visitors choose.
Sally and Harry were living in Auckland when Maurice and Janet built the lodge, having just a distant appreciation of what they developed here.
‘‘I feel lucky, and privileged, and happy to have had the opportunity to live here and understand why Mum and Dad did this, and to enjoy it ourselves. They obviously loved the bush and wanted other people to experience this special environment. It was very unique when it was built; they definitely had a dream. And it
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remains unique today, in in what it is.’’
The seclusion is apparent on that drive up from the road, but the winding access through farm pastures and patches of bush allows time for the worries of the world to drop away.
When you arrive at Patuha’s double timber gates set into solid, split-stone pillar and wall supports, and see the drive disappearing into the bush ahead, you know you are entering a special place.
At the end of the drive is the impressively wide, two-storey residence, clad in dark-painted weatherboards with white framed windows. Dormer windows, timber-shingled gables above triple garaging, and double entry doors beneath a shallow veranda, add a subtle sense of rustic to the setting.
Inside those doors, though, is a finely finished, detailed interior, thanks to renovations that refined the space and comfort Sally’s parents created. That work included double glazing the living areas, improving the insulation, a new kitchen, upgrading several bathrooms, and replacing the wood-fired boiler for the diesel radiator system.
‘‘A lot of people have said they loved the homely experience here, and I think I’ve kept it homely.’’
Patuha greets
its location and its visitors with a wide, welcoming interior, with the reception desk at left, and the bar, dining and lounge areas ahead. The decor is a quiet combination of white and grey, with warming touches of timber in entry doors, staircase handrails, and the light-oak dining table and chairs.
You don’t need much more colour than that; the textured bush backdrop seen through the doors and windows adds its multitude of green shades, with splashes of bright hues in the flowering azaleas and rhododendrons along its borders.
‘‘We get lots of overseas tourists, particularly over summer, and they just go ‘Wow!’’,’’ Sally says. ‘‘I love the green, I love the bush, and its quietness.’’
Sally also enjoys hearing the stories her visitors tell. ‘‘We’ve had people from four different countries sitting together at the breakfast table. They just loved sharing their stories.’’
Sally admits she felt some trepidation when they took over the lodge. But she was familiar with dealing with people and was excited about the change. ‘‘I also love to cook; I got that from my mother.’’
That focus shows in the quality choices and finishes in the new kitchen by awardwinning Rowson Kitchens. Features include pale, veined granite-topped island bench, stainless-steel topped rear and scullery benches, large gas-electric cooker, and integrated refrigerator and dishwasher. It looks good, she says, but it also works well.
Both the kitchen and dining spaces open up via sliding doors to the patio and lawn bordered by that vibrant bush. City noise is a distant memory; all you hear around this place are the songs of the birds – a great sound to wake up to.
The lounge area is a cosy space with the woodburner in one corner; its flue rises through the mezzanine lounge above where Patuha has hosted wedding receptions, family reunions, small conferences, craft groups and yoga classes. ‘‘It’s toasty warm in winter.’’
The 10 guest bedrooms, each with an ensuite, are along the hallway running off the living areas. On the other side are the office spaces, food preparation and chiller facilities, and the owners’ quarters. The latter includes a downstairs bedroom and bathroom, a self-contained flat on the other side of the three-car garaging, and the master bedroom, private lounge and another bathroom upstairs.
Sally says she and Harry have thoroughly enjoyed their 13 years at Patuha. ‘‘We have no regrets at all. We’ve had a wonderful lifestyle that still gave us the opportunity to travel in New Zealand and have overseas trips. It’s time for a change, though, and I am excited for whoever takes it over now.’’