Canterbury tales

The exclusive Otahuna Lodge is a haven for foodies. Photo / Supplied

From the moment the driveway's electric gates slid open at a genteel pace, I knew time was no longer of importance. The frenetic pace of Auckland's rat race vanished in the tranquil paradise of Otahuna Lodge. Checking into a haven of relaxation was on the cards; checking out of mayhem was, too.

The long, winding driveway was littered with hundreds of golden daffodils underneath the mature oak trees. Patches of violets lay strewn among the foliage; a pair of ducks and a raft of ducklings waddled past.

The taxi driver made a sweeping turn on the gravel. "Look, they've come to greet you," he remarked as if his ride must be someone of importance. Later, I learned that the staff, lined up at the entrance as if in a scene from Brideshead Revisited, greet all their guests this way.

Just 20 minutes from Christchurch Airport lies one of New Zealand's best-kept luxury secrets. Otahuna Lodge is a new player on the exclusive lodge market and golf widows need not baulk. Unlike other five-star private lodges around the country, Otahuna does not primarily attract golfing tourists and their bored brides.

Unlike many luxury lodges that have been purpose-built in idyllic locations, Otahuna has a significant point of difference: pedigree and a history richly woven into the Canterbury framework.

Lyttelton-born pioneer Sir Heaton Rhodes built the Queen Anne-style mansion in 1895 after he married Jessie Clark, a socialite heiress from Melbourne. At the time it was the largest private residence in the country; later it became a Catholic monastery and much more interestingly, a hippie commune.

Now it is owned by a young couple from New York, Hall Cannon and his partner Miles Refo, who have transformed it into Canterbury's most luxurious accommodation.

Sir Rhodes and Lady Clark lived on the estate until their deaths, Heaton in 1956 at the grand old age of 95. Otahuna is his lasting legacy. During his lifetime, Rhodes accumulated a vast fortune and forged a decorated career serving as a soldier in the Second Boer War, as a cattle farmer, lawyer and parliamentarian, holding the post of Minister for Health and Defence.

The grounds of Otahuna were used for occasional polo matches and guests included royalty (the Duke and Duchess of York - later King George VI and the Queen Mother - visited in 1927) and members of the South Island's dynastic families.

Not much has changed, save for the royalty, dynasties and the polo. Today the divots have been replaced with a manicured lawn and weeping willows line a large man-made pond. The house has recently been renovated with a hotel's mod cons, but the quiet, distinguished air of days gone by is inherent to the estate.

Otahuna, including its richly furnished dining room with its beautiful pressed and gilded wallpaper, is protected by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust under a Category 1 listing.

Each afternoon I took to reclining on the wicker lounger on the private balcony of my Verandah Suite to lap up the sun's rays. It had a romantic Southern belle charm to it. The sun streamed in and the minutes ticked down to gin-and-tonic hour. Not that I was counting.

Cocktails were served in the drawing room before dinner, followed by five-course degustation banquets each evening, created by executive chef Jimmy McIntyre, using mostly fresh produce from the garden.

The lodge is a foodie's paradise - a quiet foodie's paradise. You won't find Gordon Ramsay littering the air with profanities. McIntyre's dishes come primarily from local produce: speck-wrapped oxtail braise, pan-roasted duck breast (not from the driveway mallards, apparently) and wild nettle broth with home-made ricotta ravioli were just some of the delicacies he served with matching New Zealand wines.

Otahuna Lodge is perfect for quiet contemplation and getting back to nature. Its wonderful serenity amidst sophisticated surroundings and old-fashioned charm ensure escaping from the rat race is easy. But after two days of solitude and some seriously good dining, I was ready to face the chaos again.

Rachel Glucina flew to Christchurch courtesy of Jet Star.