The Olive and the Goose Lodge Elegant Coastal Accommodation in Nelson, New Zealand

Comments

• We too are wholehearted fans of the setting, house and simple pleasures of this lodge. The design and scope of the house is impressive. The ceilings are high and everything well made. It's an aesthetician's delight! The artwork also lends a fine touch throughout. Our kids especially enjoyed feeding and getting to know the ducks, doves, geese and other fowl on the property. Would that we'd had more time to enjoy more time there, and we do hope to come back! Peter Nelson 17/1/2012

  Posted by Peter Nelson, 17/01/2012 3:28pm (1 month ago)
  

• If I had to rate the Olive on the Goose on a hundred different points, I’d give it an A+ on 98 of those points.
  
  This is a truly magical and utterly beautiful spot. My family of 12 arranged a two week reunion during February 2011. I knew it would be beautiful from the pictures on the Website, but these really don’t do it justice. The setting is idyllic—the house is set on a slight rise, with lawns sloping down to a tidal estuary, with lavender gardens at the bottom of the slope, olive orchards on either side of the house and the happy flock of geese waddling around the gardens and lending their particular charm to the setting.
  
  On our arrival, the house was impeccably clean, beds made up, towels in the bathrooms, extra linens in the cupboards, crockery and cutlery neatly arranged in the kitchen. The house itself is beautifully designed, wonderfully practical and is furnished with top of the line accoutrements throughout; loads of fluffy towels, comfortable queen beds, top quality sheets and pillows, soft duvets, and each of the 4 bedrooms has a spacious and well appointed en suite bathroom/shower. Additionally, there are two additional toilets in the house for general use. One of the bedrooms has 4 bunks and a lounge area with TV—perfect for the younger set. There is also a separate bunkroom, detached from the house, with 4 bunks, but no bathroom. Very comfortable and great for teenagers. The house is large enough that the 12 of us lived together for those two weeks without ever getting in one another’s way. Upstairs there is a huge studio, for dance, yoga, or whatever else you can think up.
  
  The kitchen, dining, lounge area is open plan, allowing food preparation to go on without separating the cooks from the rest of the crowd. As keen cooks ourselves, the kitchen is a dream—5 or 6 people can work simultaneously without getting in one another’s way, and every type of cookware required to prepare a gourmet meal is provided as well as enough crockery, cutlery and glassware to wine and dine a couple of dozen people if you wished. The kitchen is surrounded by a bar counter with stools, on the other side of which is a dining area with a table and chairs to seat a dozen people—if you need to eat inside; we didn’t as the weather treated us kindly and we were able to take advantage of the lovely rustic outside dining table, which also seats a dozen or more in comfort. This area is under a roof, with gorgeous views down to the estuary. Just perfect for a languorous dinner on long summer evenings. Oh yes--I forgot the living area off the inside dining area with very comfortable couches and chairs to relax in front of the big screen TV. The entire kitchen/dining area opens to the outside through huge concertina doors, as does every bedroom. Waking up in the morning and looking out at the lawns, the geese and the estuary in truly magical.
  
  I’m sure there are all sorts of little things I’ve left out—like a large washer and dryer, dishwasher, bicycles, golf clubs to putt and chip through the olive orchards, wireless internet, free local phone calls etc. Every need and comfort has been most carefully thought out and provided by the owner, and by Rae and Peter who live on the property—about a hundred yards up the road---who will greet you when you arrive, and give you a tour of the house. While never intruding, they are always available to solve any problems (we had none), give advice about attractions in the area and to offer a cup of tea and conversation. Lovely people and they made our stay that much richer. (Rae and Peter also run the olive oil part of the Estate—Frog’s End-- and provide a canister of their delicious olive oil to enjoy during your stay).
  
  I can’t not mention the beautiful woodwork throughout the house. Rae’s sister, Ruth, is a woodworker and made all of the doors throughout the house, as well as the dining tables. They are truly works of art and provide an exotic Eastern feel to the house.
  
  So what are those 2 points that don’t fall into the A+ category? One was the lack of a decent sized barbecue. The one provided was a standard Weber, which was way too small to cook for our group—and with the weather we had, barbecuing was an every night affair. We ended up bringing our own, but I believe that a good sized gas barbecue will soon be part of the furnishings. The second was a $15 charge for a broken wine glass, the sort that would cost $5 at any supermarket. This overcharge seemed rather unnecessary.
  
  Last, but not least the leasing agent, Katrina Smith, made the whole booking process easy, friendly and efficient. She reminded us when payments were due, answered a myriad of questions and was a fund of knowledge about local attractions and events—of which there are many to enjoy; too many to be included in this, now way too long, review!
  
  So--would I recommend the Olive a Goose to my best friend? Without any reservation. Would I go back? In a heartbeat.
  

  Posted by Michael Hall, 20/04/2011 5:26am (10 months ago)