NZ luxury lodges: A weekend at The Lindis in Canterbury's Ahuriri Valley. Video / NZ Herald
Lockdowns and other Covid stress has become part of our lives but there are places that make the angst melt away, writes Stephanie Holmes
"So, this Covid thing ..." fly fishing guide Roger asks, tentatively, as we stand in a cool Canterbury lake on a hot January day. " ... has Auckland had it quite bad?"
For those of us who lived through the 105-day 2021 lockdown, or who are watching anxiously as Omicron cases surge every day, it's hard to believe anyone could ask this question with a straight face. But deep in the Ahuriri Valley, surrounded by 49,000ha of conservation land, a global pandemic feels very far away.
What sweet relief a short break from the city can bring. The valley's vast spaces are salve for our anxious souls, our eyes greedily absorbing the majestic mountain ranges, powder blue skies and parched red tussock meadows peppered with wildflowers.
The Lindis, an architecturally designed luxury lodge in the Ahuriri Valley, has been welcoming guests since November 2018. Photo / Supplied For Travel - Mar 1
The Lindis is a place of unadulterated luxury immersed in rugged natural beauty. One of three properties belonging to The Lindis Group, this stunning architecturally designed lodge - one of the country's most exclusive - has been helping guests unwind since it opened in November 2018. But its power to take people away from it all seems even more potent today, at a time when the stresses of everyday life can feel overwhelming.
Just two nights here leaves me feeling fresher, calmer, more in control.
I recast my line and give Roger a wry smile. "It's been pretty bad, Roger, yes. But we're trying to stay positive."
The Ahuriri River is one of New Zealand's top trout-fishing destinations and can be easily accessed from The Lindis luxury lodge. Photo / Supplied
THE BEAUTY of fly fishing is you don't really need to be any good at it to reap some of its rewards. Which is good, because I'm absolutely useless. Roger is endlessly patient but no matter how many pointers he gives me, I just can't get the hang of casting and there is close to no chance of my actually catching anything. But there's a sense of mindfulness and meditation – its repetitive nature is quite transfixing. And I'll guarantee it's pretty relaxing for the fish, too.
The Ahuriri River is one of the top trout-fishing locations in the country. There are multiple spots on The Lindis' 2400ha where you can give it a try, as well as in the surrounding public conservation land that draws keen anglers from far and wide. If you don't fancy pulling on some waders, just take a stroll around the lodge's riverside walking trails or a 4WD farm tour with activity manager Andrew Cousins. From the banks, you'll easily spot plentiful rainbow and brown trout floating lazily in the shallows of the pristine waters.
You can also try horse-riding and hiking, clay target shooting and e-biking, or simply just sit back and enjoy the view from your suite or pod. There's no light pollution in the valley, so star-gazing is - if you'll pardon the pun - out of this world. A private post-dinner soak in the hillside hot-tub is highly recommended. After enjoying a leisurely degustation dinner in the impressive Grand Hall, change into your togs and wander down the pebble path for a lengthy laze in the warm, soothing waters.
We do just this on our first night and are dazzled by the abundance of stars appearing over our heads as the mountains fade into silhouette. The Milky Way is like a broken brushstroke of silver paint across a black canvas – it's so enchanting we stay up far too late, long after our fingers have turned prune-like and our eyes are starting to droop.
Reluctantly, we bundle up in sumptuous bathrobes and pad back to our suite. The valley is shrouded in darkness, but we leave the curtains open so we can wake to its beauty. It doesn't disappoint – sunrise reveals a moody layer of low mist under peachy skies. I peel myself out of bed to take a few photos, then snuggle back in for an indulgent sleep-in. The valley has been here for thousands of years – it can wait a little longer before we get up to explore.
The Ben Avon master suite at The Lindis luxury lodge. Photo / Supplied
THERE WAS a moment about six weeks into Auckland's last lockdown when the walls began closing in on me. Although fortunate enough to be living in a nice house, with food in the fridge and a job to pay the bills, I felt like I might actually be losing my mind. I paced the kitchen like a caged animal, and despaired at the thought of having to cook myself another meal, eat it at the same table, clear up after myself, ad infinitum.
That moment seems very far away on our second day at The Lindis, as we sit in the wide-open space of Ben Avon station for lunch. It's the most exclusive restaurant I've ever dined at – we're on a bluff above the river, nicknamed the amphitheatre. It's a naturally formed plateau of land in front of a steep, sheer riverbank that towers above us on the other side. There's just one table, set for two, with pressed linen napkins, fine cutlery, and glasses of chilled French rose. Just steps away, the lodge's head chef is cooking us a four-course lunch on a Weber barbecue.
Dane Archery worked in top restaurants around the world – Auckland's Euro, French Cafe, The Grove and Baduzzi; Sydney's Quay and Tetsuya's; Tokyo's Fukuyama's – before ending up at The Lindis a year ago. Covid had hit his career hard – he had just opened a restaurant of his own in Auckland when the pandemic reached New Zealand. Lockdowns and restrictions on hospitality made it impossible to keep business going. He and his partner Jenny took some time out, travelling the country in a van, before both landing jobs at the lodge. Now he's head chef, she's guest services manager, and both are loving the lifestyle shift.
The Lindis' Head Chef Dane Archery prepares a luxury private lunch. Photo / Supplied
As well as the freedom living in such a beautiful natural environment brings, Archery has also found freedom in his work here. He says he has very few constraints around budget or menu styling, rather he's told "if he believes in it, he can do it". He's a keen proponent of ethical, sustainable eating, and everything on the menu is sourced as locally as possible - other than salt and spices, the majority of other ingredients come from the South Island.
Our lunch is notable not only for the exceptionally beautiful surroundings, but also for the delectable ingredients and the clever ways Archery brings them all together. We devour every mouthful - eel mousse on avocado and hazelnut lavosh, Cloudy bay clams, pāua garam with salmon caviar and broccoli puree, crayfish tails and rare shin steak, a cheese and charcuterie plate, fresh Central Ōtāgo stone fruit, and so much more.
The memory of sad lockdown sandwiches scoffed over the kitchen bench gets fainter with every moment we spend at our special table set for two.
The view from one of the pods at The Lindis, a luxury lodge in New Zealand's Ahuriri Valley. Photo / Supplied
AS WELL AS exciting activities and delectable cuisine, The Lindis' other major drawcard is its accommodation offering. We spend our first night in one of two master suites, a huge, stunning space full of natural materials and opulent soft furnishings. The bed is a thing of beauty, with crisp white linen and a mattress so thick I almost need a box-step to get up on it. The free-standing bath looks out to the valley and there's something magical about the way natural light floods the room at golden hour.
But on our second night, we try something different. The lodge also has three pods on site – mirrored-glass cabins set away from the main building, each with its own deck and outdoor bathtub. The space is a compact 18sq m but the feeling of being immersed in nature means you don't even notice the modest proportions. The pod and the surrounding environment become intertwined, and the uninterrupted views make us feel like we're the only people in the valley.
I spend hours in the outdoor bath, time and anxiety slipping away unnoticed as sunshine turns to starlight. What a wonderful way to spend a weekend; what a wonderful way to escape the stresses of real life, if only for a moment.
A night in one of The Lindis' three pods allows the chance to be immersed in nature and star-gaze under stunning night skies. Photo / Supplied
CHECKLIST: THE LINDIS
GETTING THERE
The lodge is about two and a half hours drive from Queenstown Airport, through the Lindis Pass. You won't need a car when you arrive, so book a private transfer with Black ZQN. We loved our journey with Frank in a luxurious Range Rover Vogue – the ideal way to arrive in style. blackzqn.com
Rates for two people start from $1950 per night for a Pod and from $2875 per night in a suite. Price includes daily breakfast, light lunch, pre-dinner drinks and canapes, and multi-course dinner, mini-bar and self-guided activities.
The Lindis Group's other properties are Paroa Bay in Russell and Mt Isthmus in Lake Hāwea. thelindisgroup.com
