Summer 2023 Blog
Summer I hear you say, what Summer? It’s been a terrible start to the year weatherwise. As I sit here writing this I’m listening to the heartache & worry of people trying to get hold of loved ones in Gisborne, East Cape, Wairoa & Hawkes Bay. It has been 24 to 48 hours since we’ve heard anything from these areas; very few pictures have gotten out and what we’ve seen is catastrophic; so incredibly sad.
We have our fingers crossed that the weather will now improve & brighter times are ahead.
We have been extremely lucky at Quail Lodge & have literally lost one small already dead branch, so it’s business as usual here.
Ollie
Poor Olie is now on the improve after 10 days of antibiotics
Poor Ollie has been very sick with a cyst which burst throughout his tail, he’s been on antibiotics for 10 days now & is definitely on the improve. It has been awful seeing him so miserable & not wanting to play. He couldn’t lie down for nearly a week, it was very distressing watching him so exhausted, literally asleep on his feet. Ollie is well loved by our guests & he’s been having extra pats from everyone to help soothe him.
Restaurants
Sumei Restaurant, Asian Fusion at it's finest. Image: www.thedenizen.co.nz
We are very lucky to have lots of lovely dining out options within a short drive of Quail Lodge, from pub grub to fine dining there’s something for every taste. My personal favourite is Sumei, Asian Fusion at it’s finest, they also cater extremely well for coeliacs of which I am one. Such a delight to be able to have a fabulous dumpling, very few places in the country serve gf dumplings.
Bracu is a beautiful fine dining restaurant in Bombay, just under 20 mins from Quail Lodge. Set in an extensive Olive Orchard, the service & food match the outstanding location. Perfect for a special dinner. https://bracu.co.nz
Connectivity
The Starlink connectivity installation. Image: www.starlink.com
After a long time of struggling with unreliable internet we have bitten the bullet and installed Starlink to provide what we hope is year-round stable internet. We occasionally see the Starlink trail going overhead so now to be connected is pretty cool!! Here's hoping that Summer returns soon and breakfast on the deck can once again be the norm.
Samantha
Six star experience!
Six star experience! If you have the chance, stay here... Samantha is an amazing and very accommodating host who readily catered for our vegan diet with a fabulous evening meal, and delicious, generous breakfast provisions. We were made to feel very welcome and at home and were delighted to meet Ollie, Samantha and Hamish’s, very sweet and loving dog. Quail Lodge is a modern, self-contained, bed and breakfast apartment, which has been beautifully decorated with very comfortable furnishings and kept in immaculate condition. Samantha served our dinner on the deck where we sat in awe of the beautiful and peaceful rural views with the Auckland skyline in the distance. The location was perfect for our early morning run into Auckland Airport the following day. Thank you again Samantha, Hamish and Ollie for making the final night of our trip to New Zealand, one of its superb highlights. We can’t wait to return!