Country cottage comfort in Canterbury
The Red Cottages nestled at the base of Mt Somers in midCanterbury provides a quirky yet luxurious place for couples to unwind and reconnect, writes Tina Law.
There are two red cottages, one is original, cosy and quaint with an open fire and wood panelling, the other is a year old. It’s bigger and even more luxurious.
We stay in the newer cottage and, on first glance, it looks as original as the first one. We take a closer look and realise the sash windows, complete with cornices are, in fact, aluminum.
Once inside, we cannot take our eyes off the impressive skull and antlers on the wall above a double-sided gas fire. The fire is a great feature and can be seen from the lounge and bedroom, where you can lie on the massive bed and see Mt Somers through the fireplace.
The cottage has been immaculately decorated and the walls are lined with American oak. There is a fully-equipped kitchen, and everything we need for breakfast is in the fridge and cupboards.
There is underfloor heating in the bathroom, and a side door opens to two outdoor baths. I make a mental note to get more closely acquainted with that space later. After dropping our bags, we soak up the last of the day’s sun on the veranda with a good book and a bottle of something bubbly.
After dining on specialty breads, cheeses and spreads we picked up on our way out of town, we grab a torch and our DVD and head to the property’s woolshed theatre. This rustic building has been renovated just enough to make it comfortable for a night watching movies, but not too much so that it loses its woolshed charm.
There is a big screen and a good selection of DVDs if guests forget to bring their own. A packet of popcorn is there for us to cook in the microwave. We turn the heaters on, grab a blanket each and snuggle in for the night on one of two couches. Afterwards we follow the lit path back to our cottage and start running the baths. We pour in the supplied bubblebath and salts, light the candles and ease ourselves in.
When I look up at the stars, I see a cloudless night sky with thousands of twinkling stars.
The Staveley Store is about 1km away and is a great spot for lunch – the cheese rolls are massive and tasty.
The store also stocks a selection of local produce, including meat, cheese and sauces.
Next time we will stock up on dinner essentials here rather than before we leave home.
There is an abundance of walking tracks surrounding Mt Somers.
Before we leave the countryside and head home, we travel a few minutes up the road to the Mt Somers township. We then continue on for about another seven minutes and turn off at the signs for Woolshed Creek.
There are quite a few walks to choose from in the area, including a two-day tramp over Mt Somers to Staveley and a 30-minute nature walk through beech forest.
We decide to take the short walk today and have plans to come back to try something a little more adventurous. One night is not enough.
We could have done with another evening soak under the stars to chill out in an environment where the only interruption is the odd shooting star. The new Somers cottage (where we stayed) ranges from $350-$450 a night, depending on the season. The original Alford cottage is $240 a night.
See redcottagenz.com. The Red Cottages are 80 minutes drive south-west of Christchurch on the Arundel Ra¯ kaia Gorge Rd.
The writer was a guest of Red Cottages.