Romance tops off country elegance in Rotorua

By KAREN GOA

There's something irresistible about a house with a turret. Secret hideaways, peaceful retreats, romantic trysts - a turret promises all of this.

All credit, then, to Country Villa owners John and Anneke Van der Maat for grafting one on during their plans to shapeshift a decrepit Epsom villa into an elegant Rotorua bed and breakfast.

Built in 1906, the tired old pile was doing duty as student flats when the Van der Maats, originally from the Netherlands, bought it in 1996. Chopped into three chunks, the house travelled 240km to start its new life on the couple's 1.4ha lifestyle block.

"It was a dream and a challenge at the same time," says Anneke, who oversaw design and interior decor details while John, a builder, had his skills put severely to the test during the two-year reconstruction.

The pieces are seamlessly stitched together into a gracious and spacious grande dame who has aged impressively - with a lot of help.

The Van der Maats cleared out binloads of trash and treasure - including jewellery, crockery, and a 1939 magazine article warning about that scourge, Hitler - and renovated the house from turret to terrace.

New leadlight windows in the side entrance echo the curves and columns of the original plaster Victorian hall archway that "sold us on the house", says Anneke.

Each of the three queen-sized downstairs rooms has an en suite and is themed. Our Rose Room was rosy enough with wallpaper borders, duvet covers and fresh pink camellias to delight me. The rose motif appears subtly throughout the house, a nod to the couple's previous life as commercial rose growers.

The upstairs suite is unusual in a B&B and it's an inspired idea.

There is a queen-sized room that sleeps three, a twin room, separate toilet and shower, a small sitting room plus the romantic turret, where a finely wrought Dutch chandelier lights up a snug sitting area.

Downstairs we breakfasted to the point of piggery on Anneke's traditional Dutch spicy loaf and ham and mushroom crepes, matched with John's homemade bread topped with the couple's kiwifruit and feijoa jam.

The breakfast nook is a morning suntrap, with the leadlight windows on three sides framing the outlook across green paddocks, Lake Rotorua (and the occasional rabbit) to the sun striking Mt Tarawera and Mt Ngongotaha.

On a warm day, guests can eat outside on the cobbled terrace, but during our visit the thermometer read 2C.

My husband scraped ice off the car and spent the morning scraping ice off himself at a motorcycle swap meet. Silly old him.

I retreated to the warmth of the cast-iron wood-burner in the guest lounge for a snoop around the carved Indonesian wall hangings and other items marking the couple's many travels in exotic places.

In a smaller residence these might crowd the space, but a house this size holds its treasures until you're ready to see them.

The villa features on the American cable TV channel Fine Lodgings and attracts visitors from as far afield as Iceland and the Caribbean. And why not? I would come that far for the turret alone.

* Karen Goa was hosted by Country Villa.

WHERE TO FIND IT

351 Dalbeth Rd. Accessible from

SH5 or off Fairy Springs Rd.

It's a 12-minute drive from Rotorua.

Ph (07) 357 5893, fax (07) 357 5843, email

* Email countryvilla@xtra.co.nz

WHAT IT COSTS

$175 to $215 a night for two adults.

Single party booking rate for the upstairs suite is $215 a night for two adults, or $195 for the first two adults plus $85 for each additional adult.

Children's rates depend on age.

ACCESS

One ground floor room caters for wheelchair access and special needs.

CHILDREN

Welcome by arrangement.

SMOKING

Plenty of space outside in pleasant surroundings.

FOOD

Full continental breakfast (cereal, toast, fruit, yoghurt) plus Anneke's "cooked special of the day".

Rotorua has a variety of restaurants and cafes. Try You and Me for Japanese, 1119 Pukuatua St, Zanelli's for Italian, 1243 Amohia St and The Fat Dog Cafe and Bar for sheer funkiness, 69 Arawa St.

WHAT TO DO

You name it, you can do probably do it in and around Rotorua. Geothermal pools and parks, bungy jumping, river rafting, trout fishing, forest walks and mountain biking, lake cruises, scenic flights, Maori cultural performances. Visit Rotorua NZ for more details.