Russell's Cabins, a triptych in macrocarpa just off SH1.
Russell's Cabins, a triptych in macrocarpa just off SH1.
OPINION
Joanna Wane discovers an off-grid bolthole among the vines with Kumiko’s, a Japanese-style guest house, right next door.
Location: Ōmihi inNorth Canterbury wine country, about an hour’s drive north from Christchurch or south from Hanmer Springs. Turn off SH1 at Black Estate and it’s like passingthrough a portal into another world.
Style: A designer twist on the celebrated Doc hut.
First impressions: It’s almost sunset — is there time to fill the hot tub?
Rooms: A triptych in macrocarpa, with West Coast eucalyptus lining the interior, the three cabins are tucked into the hillside and surrounded by native plants. Built in 2020 and each less than 10 sq m, they’re simply furnished, with picture windows that frame the patchwork valley below.
Two sleeping cabins have just enough room for a queen-size slat bed and are lit by the soft glow of rechargeable lanterns. For chilly nights, hot water bottles are available on request and there’s an outdoor gas heater on the deck.
The third cabin is a living space where you can settle in to soak up the views. Instead of Netflix, it’s kitted out with magazines, board games, throw rugs, a Bluetooth transistor radio and — because we’re not talking Alone NZ here — a multi-port power bank.
Lovely attention to detail in the bathroom at Russell's Cabins.
Bathroom: Don’t panic, the nod to Doc huts doesn’t mean you’re stuck using a long drop. A separate bathroom encloses a composting toilet and a beautiful copper hand basin to retain the rustic vibe, plus a selection of Real World toiletries.
Both the shower and hot tub are alfresco, which is why you’re guaranteed to have the whole place to yourself, whether you book one cabin or two.
Facilities: A little further up the gravel driveway is Kumiko’s Guest House, a very different accommodation option on the same property, built by the late Russell Black (the founder of Black Estate) and named after his Japanese wife.
Think a koi pond, zen garden and sunken Japanese-style dining area, but with a billiards room and a landscaped four-hole pitch and putt golf course.
The sunken dining room at Kumiko's, a Japanese-style guest house next door.
E-bikes are complimentary if you’re a guest at Kumiko’s, which is a popular wedding venue. There’s a bike hire charge of $50 a day if you’re staying in the cabins, but access to the golf course is free.
Food and drink: A basic but efficient set-up at the cabins features a camping stove for boiling water and making toast, tea, coffee and locally sourced breakfast provisions, including Rachel Scott ciabatta bread from the Amberley bakery and homemade jam.
Next door, the restaurant at Black Estate opens for lunch from Thursday to Monday — fine dining at fine dining prices.
In the neighbourhood: You’re spoilt for choice, with more than 90 vineyards in the wider North Canterbury district. Waipara’s dry, sunny microclimate, combined with the region’s clay and limestone soils, produces particularly fine pinot noir, chardonnay and riesling.
A short drive away, Amberley is a cute coastal town with a bakery, a craft brewery, a shingle beach and a farmers market on Saturday mornings.
If there’s time, a day trip to Hanmer Springs is definitely worth the effort, not just for a soak in the thermal pools but for an amble in its towering redwood forest.
East meets West at Kumiko's.
Family-friendly: Not strictly an adults-only space. Children aged 10-plus are welcome to stay in the cabins — but really, why would you? Pets by negotiation.
Accessibility: The cabins have steps and aren’t suitable for wheelchairs, but there’s a more accessible downstairs bedroom and bathroom at Kumiko’s.
Sustainability: The off-grid cabins live lightly on the planet and Kumiko’s has solar panels on the roof. All glass is recycled and food scraps go to the neighbours’ chicks and pigs.
Price: Russell’s Cabins, $450 a night for one cabin; $550 for two. Kumiko’s has three guest bedrooms and costs $1650 a night for full use of the house and gardens.
