Away from it all in Taranaki

By STEVE SOLE*

The kids plan doing their own thing for the weekend, we need time out, and we don't want any interruptions. Kaitake Lodge told us they only take one booking at a time, the phone rings out but nobody can ring in, and no unidentified vehicles have access while guests are in residence. Perfect.

Kaitake Lodge is a 20-minute drive from New Plymouth and less than five minutes from the seaside village of Oakura with its cafes, craft shops and cruises.

The lodge is at the end of a 700m private drive and, as we found, has no neighbours in sight or earshot except the birds in Egmont National Park.

My partner and I live in South Taranaki and we arrive in darkness after work on Friday night. Ross Henry, the lodge builder, owner and host, welcomes us. Before returning to his cottage 200m down the steep sealed drive, he tells us we are not on mains power. "We operate mostly on solar, wind and gas. There's a petrol generator for emergencies. Some people think alternative power means you can't run the stereo and have a hot shower at the same time. That's not so. Just go for it."

So, while we eat the fish and chips we bought at Oakura, we run a big, deep bath. Like the whole lodge, the bath is super-insulated, and it stays hot for the hour we're in it.

We wake to a squally Saturday morning and views that encapsulate Taranaki. From the lounge and dining room windows, the sun slices across rolling hills that look snooker-table soft and green. A silvery-blue sea and sky highlight the Sugar Loaf Islands and power station chimney with New Plymouth beyond.

From the kitchen window, 20m tall tawa and rewarewa blend into a nearby ridge that is a wall of native bush greens. This is Egmont National Park. Mt Taranaki is out of view behind that.

We are tempted by Ross and partner Dee's offer of shiatsu massage, homeopathy, and other therapies, but chose the nobody-here-but-us option.

While they will supply an in-house chef, we want to cook only when and if we want to, and decline the option of ordering food in from local restaurants. For breakfast, we eat the supplied home-laid eggs, bacon and sausages with orange juice and coffee.

The day is sunny but chilly so it's a 10-minute walk to the top windmill and a gawk at the distant Taranaki coast before settling into a good book.

By day, the insulation keeps the whole lodge so warm that I have to stop reading a couple of times to open the doors for cooler air. By night, we light the fires. My partner hates the cold and wallows in the warmth all weekend.

Apart from Ross checking in daily, it is a weekend just with and for us.

* Steve Sole and partner stayed courtesy of Kaitake Lodge.

Case notes

Kaitake Lodge is at 41 Kaitake Rd, RD 4, New Plymouth, and is run by Ross and Dee Henry

Ph: 06 752 7150

Mobile: 025 278 4553

kaitake.lodge@clearnet.nz

Kaitake Lodge

* Accommodation

Kaitake Lodge has two accommodation levels. Level one has one king room with ensuite at $220 a night, and one queen room without ensuite at $150 a night, or $320 for both.

Level two has a king room with ensuite that's let only with the entire lodge. Whole lodge $500 a night.

You get a 10 per cent discount for staying three days or longer. You pay only for the room you use and have the lodge to yourself.

* Getting there

New Plymouth is a one-hour flight from Auckland and Wellington. The airport is 30 minutes drive from the lodge, which operates a complimentary airport pick-up/drop-off service. Kaitake Lodge is a 4 1/2 to 5-hour drive from Auckland or Wellington.

* Access

Wheelchairs have easy access to and in the lodge but there are no shower wall handles or other allowances.

Kaitake Lodge's site can be dangerous for young children and they are not encouraged to stay.

* Smoking

The lodge is smokefree.

* What's good

Whether you are on your own or in a larger party, you are the only guest or guests. And with no neighbours or passers-by able to see or hear you, it is private.

* What's not good

The host does not check-in at a fixed time daily so the sense of privacy is not absolute until he has been. This tends to break the spell.

* Food

There is no set menu. On-call chef Brett Win cooks to order. He prefers to use local produce such as venison, ostrich and a variety of organic foods. Kaitake is a BYO alcohol lodge and is not licensed.