On a grand scale in Gisborne

By SUE HOFFART


Given that it's aiming for - and reaching - the luxury end of the market, Cedar House is amazing value. For $200, a couple gets a grand room in a two-storeyed Edwardian mansion with oodles of native timber, great hosts, wonderful food and many indulgent small touches.

It helps that host Derek Green is a travel consultant who has done his research thoroughly and, together with wife Carole, made a point of covering every discerning traveller's desire.

Take the bathrooms. In place of those annoying little pottles of shampoo with matching shower caps, we discover high-quality lavender moisturiser, orange blossom body wash and divine, additive-free shampoo, all in proper big sizes and all New Zealand made.

Our ensuite bathroom has a powerful shower and a generous spa bath, twin pedestal hand basins, extra towels, even a container full of make-up-remover wipes. The ensuite bathroom down the hall has wonderful wooden half-shutters and a hand-made ceramic basin courtesy of the potter who lives across the road.

It's difficult to believe the place was a dump - Carole's words - when these delightful ex-Aucklanders bought it in 1999. Formerly St Winifred's School For Girls, the house also suffered stints as a private home, hotel and restaurant before falling into disrepair.

The Greens slaved to haul up all the old floor coverings - four layers of lino in the kitchen - and stripped old paint and varnish back to reveal kauri, rimu and matai. They have also done all the interior decorating and design, from painting and paper hanging to sewing bed bolsters and curtains. It's a class act.

Today, the house is as immaculate as it is welcoming. The main floor houses a dining room, guest lounge and beautifully appointed, wheelchair-friendly bedroom. The other three enormous bedrooms are upstairs, together with a small guest servery-pantry containing a fridge with an honesty-system mini bar and a good range of complimentary plunger coffee, tea and plenty of home-made biscuits. Across the hall, the second guest lounge offers Sky television, VCR, games, lots of magazines, books and videos and a couple of leather armchairs, with more seating on an outdoor balcony. In the cupboard that hides the ironing board, there's yet another typically thoughtful touch - a power converter for international guests.

The house is filled with interesting original art and limited-edition prints and there are vases of fresh flowers everywhere (I have to poke the ones in our bedroom to ensure their perfection doesn't mean plastic).

An inviting window seat in our room faces Kaiti Hill behind the town and there's a bottle of filtered water on the wee desk, which is built into yet another gigantic piece of fabulous native timber furniture. As you'd expect, the linen on the king-sized bed is lovely and, if the bathrobes don't do the trick, central heating counteracts the effects of magnificently high ceilings and generous bay windows.

The leafy, riverside neighbourhood is full of similarly grand old homes and one of Gisborne's best restaurants is a few minutes' walk away.

When we amble home from dinner, we find turned-down beds, a couple of chocolates (made by Carole), a pair of dainty liqueur glasses and a little bottle of locally brewed Ambrosia Mead. The blurb with the bottle claims the mead has aphrodisiac qualities. Too late, we've already fallen in love with Cedar House.

Where to find it

Cedar House
Derek and Carole
4 Clifford St, Gisborne
Ph (06) 868 1902, fax (06) 867 1932
email: stay@cedarhouse.co.nz

What it costs

$200/night double, $170 single, $50 for an additional single bed.

Getting there

Cedar House is walking distance from the town centre. From Opotiki, Gisborne is a 335km (4-5 hours) drive round the East Cape, or 2.5 hours on the more direct Waioeka Gorge route. Napier is also about a 2.5 hour drive.

Several daily flights connect Gisborne with Auckland and Wellington (taking about an hour) and there are local commuter air links to Rotorua and Napier.

Daily bus services link Gisborne with all major centres. The Greens offer complimentary airport and bus terminal transfers.

Access

The downstairs bedroom has been thoughtfully renovated for wheelchair access, with its own external ramp access and all the necessary bathroom fittings. It's been approved by both the council and CCS.

Smoking

Outside only - on the upper floor balcony and in the garden or on the deck downstairs.

Food

Depending on arrival time, guests are generally offered a slice of cake and a welcome drink (the house was filled with the aroma of Carole's baking on the afternoon we arrived).

In the evenings, a complimentary glass of local wine - or Gisborne-made beer or ginger beer - is offered with a selection of cheeses, home-made tamarillo pickle, crostini and the like. And breakfast is a substantial affair, beautifully presented and served in the dining room.

The meal begins with freshly squeezed juice, Carole's hot cakes, cereals (including a yummy home made muesli), yoghurt and a fruit platter. The cooked portion varies daily but guests are offered a good variety - we had toast, eggs, locally cured bacon, home-made potato cakes and grilled tomato served with sprigs of sage.

Dinners are available on request, at $65 a person including wine. They like to showcase fresh, seasonal, local produce and can cater for special diets.

What's good?

The food, the extra treats, the height of those ceilings and the depth of the baseboards, the size of the rooms, the amazing wood panelling. The house is in a desirable, quiet suburb. It's easy to walk to town, there are good eateries and the confluence of three rivers. Big city dwellers, in particular, will find this good value for money.

What's not so good?

The grounds are not as classy as the interior, which is understandable. Till now, the Greens have concentrated their efforts on their extensive interior renovation projects (along with catering for guests). Judging by everything else they've tackled, the exterior will soon look gorgeous.

Local information

Gisborne information centre
209 Grey St, ph (06) 867 2000
email: info@eastland.tourism.co.nz

* Sue Hoffart was a guest of Cedar House.