We’ve stayed overnight in a variety of places over the course of our 8 months on the road . . . apartments, condos, houses, farms, trains, ferries, cabins, etc. But last night’s accommodation was a first for all of us!
Taking a step back, we needed to make our way from Rotorua to Wellington. Non-stop it’s just over 5.5 hours drive between them. During the planning phase we decided we needed to break up the drive and stay overnight somewhere in between. Doug was on the case for accommodations, and found an interesting looking spot in a small town called Levin. One particular accommodation - Annandale Manor - caught his eye on Booking.com because it had an unprecedented 9.7 rating! We booked in without hesitation.
In (!) the House
The only thing we remembered about the place - aside from the impressive guest rating - was that it was a B&B (Bed & Breakfast). We arrived about 6:00pm last night, greeted by the friendly owner, Rachel, and their perky dog, Parker. After some chatting Rachel showed us to our room upstairs. Much to our surprise, we were staying in a room *in their house* . . . the very house that she, her husband, and their two younger boys *live* in! This was definitely a first!
Rachel was super friendly and chatty. The place was immaculate, and we had our own bathroom & shower. As part of our stay we had access to their kitchen, so Rachel encouraged us to make ourselves at home and cook up our dinner. She had just whipped up a delicious smelling batch of homemade mac & cheese. It was getting a final toast in the oven and even scooped some out for Sadie, our mac & cheese connoisseur (verdict: yum, yum!). As awkward as it felt at first, we got to work in her kitchen and chatted with her all the while.
Feijoa
After dinner Rachel took us out to feed their animals. Unbeknownst to us, they have a fruit orchard and several animals on property. Their orchard is feijoa trees. We'd never heard of the feijoa fruit so we asked a bunch of questions. In doing so, a light bulb went off for Doug; he realized feijoa was the mystery fruit growing on a tree a few houses down from where he grew up in Palo Alto, California. He never knew what it was called! Sadly we just missed the harvest (it's in another week or two), but now we know to keep our eyes open in the local supermarkets so we can try them while we're down here.
Hello Animals
As far as animals go, they have two pigs, three sheep, three goats and many chickens. Interestingly, they keep all the animals as pets. They don't use them for meat or wool or the like; they simply enjoy keeping them as pets and eat any eggs that the chickens lay. Rachel had a bin full of pasta and other food scraps and the girls helped toss the food over the fence. Nico & Max (the pigs) were eager beavers and dug in straight away. There really is nothing a pig won't eat! Bruce, the Nubian goat, was a trip . . . he was quite vocal and always wanted to be part of the action, with his long, floppy ears.
Breakfast, Coffee & Chatter
We all slept well and joined Rachel in the kitchen to make breakfast in the morning. She kindly gave us access to their supply of chicken eggs, which Doug whipped up into a yummy spread. We enjoyed chatting with Rachel more and learning about their various businesses, guests they've had over time, farming lifestyle, etc. Meanwhile, the girls were loving the chance to play with and hold Parker, the energetic little dog. They've gotten so much more comfortable with dogs over our travels, and now insist they want a dog too!
Since the beginning of our travels, Paige has been fascinated by waiters and waitresses all the world over. She practices carrying food, plates, glasses, etc. all the time. Lately she makes my coffee in the mornings (Doug inevitably is awake before me, already into his first cup!) and "serves" it to me. She was excited to get a lesson from Rachel on how to make coffee from her barista quality machine.
School & Scraps
We packed up and logged a power hour of school in their living room.
Before we hit the road we joined Rachel to feed some more scraps to the pigs and goats. Paige - with her cat-like reflexes and strong sense of determination - had fun chasing & catching a few chickens (with some pointers from Rachel). Definitely a first for both girls to hold a chicken! It was really endearing to see how much Rachel cares about all their animals. They enjoy a lovely life out there with her & her family!
We thanked Rachel profusely for a wonderful stay & her gracious hospitality. We now understand firsthand why their B&B rates so highly! As odd (at first) it felt when we realized we'd be sleeping in a room literally in their family home, it didn't end up feeling odd one bit. We had full privacy, matched with local connection & conversation. Worked out perfectly! Their pet farm animals & dog were a bonus, which made the visit that much more fun for the girls & us as well. Off to Wellington we go!
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