My wife and I were in New Zealand for our honeymoon, and we spent one night at the Blue Ridge B&B…read moreas a stop over on our way to Milford Sound. We could not have asked for a warmer welcome than the one Julia extended to us, making us feel immediately comfortable and relaxed after a long travel day from Auckland and Queenstown.
General - I recall my initial thought while driving into to the Blue Ridge was: "are we sure the directions are correct? This feels like a residential neighborhood". Haha, as it turns out, that was the correct statement to make as the B&B features a wonderful purpose built guest building on a residential property in the middle of a neighborhood of Te Anau. As we would quickly learn, Te Anau is a very small town, but full of friendly activity as a the gateway town to the Fiordland.
Arrival - We arrived around dinner time, and again, we couldn't have received a warmer welcome. Julia opened the front door and greeted us with our names just as if we were her own expected close friends. She immediately took us around the property and to our room. After the nice tour, she was kind enough to make dinner suggestions, including making the call for our reservations. She also asked about our departure plans, and upon hearing that we would be leaving very early in the morning to make our kayak reservations in Milford, she offered to prepare our breakfast in advance so that we could have food and snacks for the road. Following dinner we arrived back to our room to find a wonderful note on our counter stating that she had prepared breakfast and had left it within the refrigerator. It was a very nice touch, and Julia we are happy to report back that the egg/bacon sandwiches were delicious and the perfect thing to have on our drive to Milford. The other snacks came in handy during our day of activities around the Sound. Thanks again!!
The Room - We were situated in Room 2, a lovely King room at the front of the guest building (not the main house). With windows all around, we were able to catch a beautiful sunset and colorful evening sky. The room was very warmly appointed, featuring plush bedding, a couch, large luggage storage area, and carpeting, all of which made of or containing local NZ materials (wools, woods, etc). The room included a kitchenette, which is a great touch for people staying a bit longer and prefer to prepare their own food. The bathroom was designed with access in mind and therefore featured a large open shower concept, small vanity in the corner, and toilet. The bathroom also featured heated flooring and heated towel rack. Wifi is complementary for guests and more than enough for emails and Facebook updates. A flat screen TV was in the room and was connected to satellite and a DVD player (DVDs can be borrowed from the main house).
The Facilities - Complementary parking on site in front of the guest building. An outdoor hot tub is available on the property, with towels available outside as well. The gardens on the property and views of the surrounding scenery are beautiful and beg to be enjoyed with a nice glass of wine.
The Departure - Very early morning departure for us, and everything made incredibly easy. We had booked and paid in advance, so no processing of payments were needed for us, although, I'm sure Julia would have made it quite easy to wrap things up in advance had we needed to take care of any business. Simple as leaving the key in the room and trying to squeak out with as little noise as possible.
Summary - A very comfortable stop for us in Te Anau, and if we should ever return to the area, we will definitely first check on availability with Julia. We are only sorry we didn't get to spend more time with Julia or to have the opportunity to meet Phil, but we enjoyed reading their story within the literature in the room. Thanks again for the warm NZ welcome! Also, thanks for the dinner recommendation at Redcliff Cafe. The food was fantastic!
