A warm welcome at tranquil Matakana

By JOHN GARDNER

There may be better ways of starting a weekend than lying in bed with the sun streaming into a charming room with a perfect view, while watching the Black Caps on television mopping up the West Indian batsmen. But few spring instantly to mind.

As I prepared to tackle a full breakfast, the thought struck me that many of the MCC members watching at Lord's might have felt quite at home at Hurstmere House, a property imbued with an English country-home feel.

It makes no pretence at being a replica, but that idealised world - with comfortably furnished rooms, masses of flowers, spotless linen and warm timber panelling - provides an inspiration.

The tranquil setting is in keeping. When I stopped gawping at the cricket it was to overlook an improbably delightful pastoral idyll. Newborn lambs skipping about the pasture around a pond reflecting a crystal-clear sky, a drive with daffodils and snowdrops, and bougainvillea to remind us that we were in the grape-growing climate of Matakana rather than England's chillier version.

We were in Matakana having reached that condition that infects Jafas at this stage of winter. If we don't get away we'll do something really rash, like go to Australia. But as the joys of traffic were among the catalysts for escape fever, the thought of hacking through the horror of the motorway south or a long trip north was not appetising,

So just up the road we went, breaking the arduous journey at Warkworth, a pleasing town in which to take a coffee in the sun while observing that switch to a territory where people actually need four-wheel-drive pick-ups and the dogs in the back are huntaways, not afghan hounds.

The first sight of Hurstmere House is enchanting. Perched on a knoll and perfectly set, it seems an organic part of the landscape. But, in fact, the house came from Hurstmere Rd, Takapuna. It was brought to the notice of its present owners, Bob and Anne Moir, in a woebegone state in a yard at Whenuapai.

They had been planning to leave farming in the Whangapiro Valley and had come close to moving to the South Island.

Instead, with a leap of imagination and ingenuity, they embarked on moving the two-storey building to become guest accommodation.

The result is remarkable, creating a home for themselves and four very individual suites for guests.

The home-based nature of the accommodation is matched by the Moirs' warm hospitality. One of their rituals is an invitation to join them and other guests for a pre-dinner drink. Our fellow visitors were almost all repeat customers and the mood was of a gathering of old friends and family.

Despite the attractions of the house, you can't spend the entire time admiring the view - although the Moirs have tales of overseas visitors who, taking a breather from exhausting globe-trotting, spend days doing just that.

But before we set off, another English reference had loomed vaguely in the consciousness - the phenomenon of families traipsing disconsolately around trying to kill the long hours between breakfast and the evening meal.

In the Matakana area these days this is not a problem, particularly if you are blessed with the weather we enjoyed.

Having cruised up in leisurely fashion, walked on an almost deserted Pakiri beach, and enjoyed the Saturday night pre-dinner drinks, it was off to the Sawmill Cafe at Leigh for a perfectly respectable meal and the inevitable chance encounter with a friend similarly bent on getting the hell out of Auckland.

On Sunday, it was the full day. First the Morris and James tileworks, with an increasingly sophisticated range of products and where you can read the most devastatingly honest account of their own business history.

We passed on their pleasant tearooms to head to Goat Island, that spectacular conservation success story. Although it was sunny, even an electrically heated wetsuit would not have tempted me into the water that day, fish paradise or not.

After watching some hardy souls brave the waves, refreshment was needed.

The dilemma of choice. Should we just go around tasting a few of the Matakana wines? The much-applauded Hyperion was right next door in the same sylvan setting as Hurstmere. Or, perhaps, Ascension, where we have spent pleasantly lazy hours before.

No, time to try somewhere we hadn't visited. This time a relaxed lunch at the pretty Heron's Flight vineyard, sampling their distinctive Sangiovese.

Ransom, Matakana Estate and Mahurangi Estate vineyards and the others would have to wait. We needed a bit more fresh air, taken at the glory that is Tawharanui on a fine day, the water studded by surfers like a colony of seals, adding some light entertainment as you wonder how long they are willing to wait for a ride that lasts two seconds.

To remind ourselves of the real world we took an evening look at the different glory of Omaha Beach, the idealised world of the property developer. Then the pleasure of an evening yarn with the amiable Moirs, masters of local knowledge, before the bright lights of Matakana and seared hapuka and lamb rack at the Rusty Pelican.

If there was a downside to this weekend it was the need for strict discipline over the plastic. The idea that you are not going far engenders a false sense of economy. But Matakana wines are, deservedly, not from the bargain basement and a bottle or two here and there adds up.

The Morris and James collections are attractive, and there are craft and art shops scattered around. Our return refuelling stop in Warkworth provided a couple of irresistible items in one of the galleries.

The whole area, then, is a destination not quickly exhausted, and it's difficult to imagine a more perfect base than the style and comfort offered by the inexhaustibly hospitable Moirs in their jewel of a house and garden.

Where to find it

Hurstmere House is at 186 Tongue Farm Rd, Matakana. Contact Bob and Anne Moir on (09) 422 9220 or hurstmere@ihug.co.nz. Standard weekend rates range from $230 to $250 a couple including full breakfast. Other rates

What to do

Six of the region's vineyards are promoting a Matakana wine trail. Details at www.matakanawine. com.Warkworth and Matakana boast a range of arts and crafts outlets, including Morris and James pottery and tileworks in Tongue Farm Road. www.morrisandjames.co.nz

There are plenty of glorious beaches within easy reach, including Pakiri and Omaha or the ARC parks at Mahurangi and Tawharanui. Goat Island marine reserve has great snorkelling and glass-bottom boat trips. Check www.glassbottomboat.co.nz

A good guide to other activities can be found at www.matakanacoast.com