As a family of 4, we typically book a hotel/motel for our accommodations but we wanted to get a little creative and we were seeking something unique and different! After all, we were in New Zealand for a week! (CLICK HERE to read more about our week in Southern New Zealand). New Zealand was the place to explore something different! When we found this truly amazing New Zealand AirBnb, we not only got the words “rustic”, “picturesque”, and “countryside charm” out of it…but rather a unique experience we’ll never forget!
Our wonderful experience starts as soon as we meet our lovely hosts — Gerry and Odette. I know you can probably say that with just about every host you meet, but truly, these guys are amazing! They treat you just as if you were family and embrace you with open arms the moment you set foot at their beautiful property! They even gave our girls a quick tour around their farm where they met their pony named Puzzles. We already felt at home at that point.
Most AirBnb properties you rent is easily accessible with your vehicle, this Birds Eye View Lodge is still a 30-40 minute drive from there! You can’t just access this cabin using any car,they have to personally escort you and drop you off using their special SUV with chains wrapped in each of all 4 tires! While the words “eeeek!” ran through our heads, so much like camping, Gerry and Odette ensured that we have all the necessary items packed with us before our journey began. With over 2200 acres of land, this special lodge / chalet is located 3600 feet up the mountains of Timaru, New Zealand!
With the journey up the chalet begins, Gerry tells us some cool stories of how the lodge was built. It took him just over 3 months to build, with a lot of back and forth up that mountain carrying a handful of building material at a time. When you picture it that way, it can simply blow your mind how they got everything up there! The road going up to the chalet is not exactly smooth, but a dirt road that eventually turns into a tight squeeze towards the edge of a cliff! But not to worry, Gerry has been doing this for a very long time and I’m pretty sure he can do this blind folded! 🙂 Needless to say, the drive was beautiful!!
Once again, we were hoping that the weather was on our side, but much like the rest of New Zealand, it can be unpredictable at times. Nonetheless, we wouldn’t let this damp weather stop us from experiencing this super cool lodge! As soon as we got to the top, we were just in awe seeing this charming rustic lodge sitting within the mist in isolation, overtop the mountain (queue in some cinematic movie music) 😛
We are quite used to camping style and were not expecting our beds to be this comfy. I gotta tell you…these beds up in the loft (which by the way, our kids had a blast going up the ladder just to get up to their beds), were suuuuuper amazing!! Excellent bed sheets and really comfy pillows and mattresses! It was literally like you were sleeping in a 5 star hotel! What could you ask for more! The surprises didn’t stop there as they left some chocolates and goodie bags for the kids to enjoy! Gerry also left us with more than enough lamps, flashlights, gas heaters, as well as some chopped firewood to keep us warm through the night!
The next morning reminded us why we booked this place to begin with…while we didn’t see stars at night due to the rainy weather we had, the skies eventually opened up to a sunrise we will never forget! Sitting on top of a mountain overlooking the clouds beneath us….it was if we were truly up in the skies flying above the clouds!! It was simply magic!!
All in all, this is truly one of a kind place in the world!…a treasure I might add! Out of all the places we stayed in New Zealand, this cottage was hands down the best stay of them all! We can’t say enough good things about our hosts and their unmatched hospitality and we’re truly grateful that they decided to share their slice of paradise! We hope to visit them again one day!
5 stars ★★★★★ in our books!! 🙂