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Want to get away from it all, without sacrificing your favorite creature
comforts? Discover the Wild West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island
from this superb oasis tucked between the Southern Alps and the Tasman
Sea.
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Double bedroom with king
bed
AT West Coast Homestead. EACH
bedroom has French doors
leading to the veranda & gardens.
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THE ACCOMMODATIONS:
Although timber frame West Coast Homestead was built in 1996 with all
the comforts of modern construction, its traditional service and style
hearken back to a time when the romance of travel required personal
attention, spacious comfort, and elegant pace. The lodge makes great use
of rich native wood throughout guest rooms and common space. The upscale
bed and breakfast accommodations at West Coast Homestead include three
lavish ground-floor bedrooms — one with twin beds, one with a king bed,
and one with a super-king bed — each with its own full bathroom, TV,
central heating, and private access to the classic veranda that wraps
around the homestead. Common rooms include a |
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large,
opulent guest lounge and dining room where guests take breakfast and
(optional, but recommended) dinner. In the lush native New Zealand
garden that surrounds the lodge, a hot-tub spa is sequestered
among ferns and bamboo. The hearty breakfast
guarantees that guests get off to a good start each day, and the
home-cooked evening meal of fresh, local country cuisine repairs even
the fiercest appetites acquired during active days exploring the region.
A private lane accesses West Coast Homestead from a secondary road.
Private guest parking is immediately adjacent to the lodge. |
Double bedroom with
SUPER king
bed AT West Coast Homestead. |
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Bathroom with spa tub and
shower at West Coast Homestead.
Note the garden view. |
THE
SETTING:
West Coast Homestead is located between Greymouth and Hokitika—two of
the three principal towns of
Westland
— about one-third of the way south
along this, New Zealand’s remotest region. The lodge occupies a pretty
and private garden swath cut out of the native bush. The coastal plain
is relatively broad at this point, but Westland remains hemmed in to the
north, south, and east by mountain ranges, and to the west by more than
1,000 miles of the Tasman Sea to the next landfall: Australia. The
homestead is just a few minutes from the sea, and, inland to the east,
the hills quickly rise towards the Southern Alps. |
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Mining — especially
for gold — brought
European settlers to the region. Mining —
for green jade known in New Zealand as “greenstone”
— also brought Maori natives to the
region. The gold has largely played out, but greenstone is still readily
found here. The Westland bush is dense and the many rivers and streams
are wild: the region is one of the wettest in New Zealand. Agriculture
mixed with some light industry employ most “Coasters”, as residents of
Westland are known. The climate and isolation combine to make life
challenging in Westland, and Coasters have a reputation as tough,
hard-living pioneers. The population of |
The secluded hot tub spa
set among
ferns and bamboo in the garden
of West Coast Homestead. |
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Westland is small, even by New Zealand standards,
but the reputation of the hardy Coasters is large. In Westland
expect few towns of size, and minimal traffic on the
few |
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roads. There are also few gas stations, restaurants, shops, and
services, but West Coast Homestead’s setting between Greymouth and
Hokitika means several café/restaurants, shops, and filling stations are
within 20 minutes north or 10 minutes south.
The dining room at West
Coast Homestead features a homey elegance enhanced by natural New
Zealand woods and country style furnishings. |
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THE
LOCATION:
The West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island may be both remote and wet,
but it is one of the country’s magical regions. Parts or all of five
national parks (Westland, Aoraki/Mount Cook, Mount Aspiring, Arthur’s
Pass, and Paparoa) plus the UNESCO-designated South Westland World
Heritage Area are found in Westland. Two rare temperate zone glaciers
(Franz Josef and Fox) flow out of the Southern Alps and extend almost to
the ocean an about two hours south of the West Coast Homestead. Two
great mountain passes (Arthur’s Pass to/from the east and Haast Pass
to/from the south) plus the scenic Buller Gorge route to/from the north
serve as the road access routes in and |
The spacious lounge at
West Coast
Homestead invites reading or
conversation after a long
day of exploration. |
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The foothills of the
Southern Alps,
Westland, New Zealand. |
out of Westland. The West Coast Homestead is approximately halfway
between the
NELSON
region at the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island and the Central
Otago region (Wanaka and
Queenstown)
across the Southern Alps to the southwest. It also makes an ideal way
stop for travelers coming west from Christchurch on the famed
TranzAlpine
scenic train who are |
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ACTIVITIES:
In
addition to touring throughout Westland, guests enjoy fishing the nearby
streams, lakes, and surf, walking along the coast, and hiking in the
Southern Alps (including
glacier hiking),
visiting craft shops (especially for greenstone jewelry), and exploring
local villages and ghost towns to experience the region’s mining past. |
Wild beach with churning
surf —
Tasman Sea, Westland, New Zealand |
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The hosts at West Coast
Homestead, Hëmi and Pauline,
provide a warm, traditional welcome to Westland, New
Zealand's western frontier. |
THE
HOSTS:
As with all Home At First New Zealand lodgings, the hosts (a married
couple) at the West Coast Homestead take an active interest in their
guests and are especially keen on sharing their knowledge of Westland.
Because one host is a local Coaster and the other is a native New
Zealander who has resided in Westland for many years, both hosts have
great regional knowledge that includes Maori stories, history, and
legends. The hosts offer an after-dinner hour of cultural story telling
as an optional activity for guests. |
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THE
OFFER:
West Coast Homestead offers a peaceful, central base from which to
explore Westland, as well as a convenient way station for travelers
exploring the South Island of New Zealand. Spacious, upscale lodging
with a sumptuous breakfast and the option of authentic country home
dining make a stay at the West Coast Homestead an ideal addition to any
South Island travel program. With a broad selection of touring options
and outdoor activities close at hand, adding a stay at the West Coast
Homestead to your independent, flexible, fly/drive
HOME
AT FIRST
trip makes it possible to experience the New Zealand of your travel
dreams. |
Interested in classic
cars? Hemi
restores antique Morris 8 autos
halfway around the world from
Oxford, England, where they
were originally manufactured
in the 1930s. |
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AVAILABILITY:
For current availability information, call
HOME
AT FIRST
at
(800) 523-5842,
or contact us by e-mail at:
info@homeatfirst.com.
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Learn more about
HOME AT FIRST's travel program to:
NEW ZEALAND. |
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