Grand Hotel, Te Aroha

Te Aroha is a delightful small town. The heritage buildings date back to the discovery of gold in 1880 and when the gold ran out, it was developed as a spa town. By 1886, there were seven bath houses - initially Te Aroha attracted more visitors than Rotorua or Hamner Springs.

But like the gold, visitor numbers dwindled as Rotorua took over as the main spa town. What remains today is a small quiet town with a good number of beautiful old buildings.

One of these is the Grand Hotel, built in 1880, when gold was discovered in the Wairongomai Valley. Although the gold soon ran out, the hotel survived due to it's location near the hot springs. Today it is well worth a lunch stop, the food was excellent value. Visit date: 22 August 2015

Llandaff, Masterton

Wairarapa is full of beautiful historic homesteads, and we were able to spend our final night there in a really stunning 1880 home. This beautifully restored homestead also has the original farm buildings and a lovely garden with many 120 year old trees, planted by the family that built it.
Visit date: 22 March 2015

Lake Ferry Hotel, Lake Onoke

Nearly 100 years old, this hotel was built in 1919. The original hotel was built in 1851 by the locals, to supplement the local ferryman's income and role in the community. Today it is a peaceful 'end of the world' type location, a world away from nearby Martinborough.
Site visit: 21 March 2105

The Martinborough Hotel, Martinborough

Martinborough. like Greytown, is a lovely small town full of well maintained historic buildings. The hotel is the original hotel built in 1882, and located on the town's central square. Definitely a must visit for old hotel lovers.
Site visit: 20 March 2015

The White Swan Hotel, Greytown

The White Swan Hotel looks like an original colonial hotel, with its wide verandas, but although a historic building, it actually started life as a railways administration building and was moved to Greytown in 2002. They offer an excellent mid-week package including a three course dinner.
Visit date: 19 March 2015

Lake Whakamarino Lodge, Tuai

The Lake Lodge in Tuai, can be almost considered to be a historic hotel, as it was built nearly 100 years ago. In the 1920's, this huge Lodge (actually five separate lodges) was built to house the workers for the various hydro dam schemes. It catered for them then, and today still caters for workers passing through and any other visitors to the area. The large lawns leading down to the lake, give the feel of an English-style park.
Visit date: 10 March 2015

Matawai Hotel, Matawai

After a previous failed attempt to visit the Matawai Hotel, we managed to dine and stay the night there this time. The hotel was obviously beautifully finished, with lovely wood panelling and a grand staircase. Now at the stage of 'faded glory', but still worth a visit. We enjoyed a delicious dinner, then had the whole top floor with it's six bedrooms and lounge to ourselves overnight.
Visit date: 6 March 2015