Lavender Hill is a bed and breakfast 30 minutes from Auckland, on a farm producing lavender, olive, lemon, and honey products and a gin distillery. Photo / Ollie Dale
Lavender Hill is a bed and breakfast 30 minutes from Auckland, on a farm producing lavender, olive, lemon, and honey products and a gin distillery. Photo / Ollie Dale
Lavender Hill might just be one of the Auckland region’s best-kept secrets, writes Bethany Reitsma.
Just a 30-minute drive from Auckland’s city centre - unless, of course, there’s peak traffic on a Friday - between Riverhead and Coatesville, a hilltop bed and breakfast sits among rows of lavender and an olive grove.
Owned by Trish and Jason Delamore, the property is also home to a gin distillery and a farm shop. Lavender Hill recently received a Silver Qualmark rating and four stars for sustainable tourism from Tourism New Zealand - an accolade which, Jason says, “endorses all the hard work - which we were doing anyway”.
Perfect for: A weekend getaway with friends without leaving the Auckland region, or a family holiday - the farmhouse can accommodate up to eight people.
It’s also ideal accommodation for a wedding party or guests, if you’re looking at one of the many popular venues in the area.
Lavender Hill is home to these adorable alpacas. Photo / Lavender Hill
First impressions: Trish met us on arrival and made us feel warmly welcomed ahead of a tour around the property - a must for any visitor, whether you’ve come from overseas or if you know the area well.
While you’re not far from the city, the peace and quiet gives that impression. It’s a good reminder of just how easily accessible a taste of country living is even if you live or work in the CBD. Here, your only neighbours are an adorable bunch of alpacas.
As for the farmhouse itself, it’s the perfect mix of homey and luxe. The scent of lavender pervades each room, but not in a way that’s overdone.
The Lavender Hill farmhouse includes a spacious shared living and dining area. Photo / Lavender Hill
The room: The entire farmhouse can be booked out, or you can book one room or floor.
We stayed in the upstairs Kererū Suite, complete with ensuite bathroom and lounge area. It was only after leaving that I realised there are in fact two suites on the top floor, each with their own ensuite - that’s how private it felt.
The room was spacious yet cosy, with views of the olive trees and lavender plants, and decked out with vintage furniture and lavender-scented linen.
If anything, it was just a little too warm at night despite a fan - though granted, in mid-January it had been one of the hottest days of the summer.
A ground floor suite at Lavender Hill. Photo / Lavender Hill
Bathroom: The lavender theme continues in the ensuite bathroom, with purple decor, mini toiletries and plentiful scented towels and face cloths making for a soothing evening routine.
Facilities: There’s plenty of parking outside the farmhouse, as well as Wi-Fi. A TV with Netflix, Prime and other streaming options await you inside, where there’s also a fully equipped kitchen if you plan to cook.
Next door to the farmhouse and the distillery, there’s a tasting room where you can sample the gins or book out for meetings or team building.
Food and drink: A continental-style breakfast is included with the accommodation.
When we arrived, the kitchen was fully stocked with breakfast foods from fresh eggs to yoghurt, strawberries, blueberries, orange juice, plunger coffee, croissants and spreads and even a loaf of home-baked bread, which was a lovely touch.
As for lunch or dinner, you’re just a short drive away from the many restaurants, bars, wineries and breweries in the Riverhead and Kumeū area - Hallertau Brewery, the Beekeepers Wife, and Kumeū River Wines, to name a few.
The Lavender Hill kitchen is fully equipped for self-catering and stocked with continental-style breakfast foods. Photo / Lavender Hill
In the neighbourhood: Downstairs, you’ll find a small shop stocked with products made with ingredients from the farm, from limoncello to olive oil, lavender oil, sleep aids and soaps.
Next door to the accommodation is the distillery, which produces award-winning gins infused with smoked honey, saffron, and a pre-mixed Negroni. You can book a gin-tasting experience for up to 10 people in the tasting room.
Otherwise, there are pick-your-own berry farms and the Huapai Golf Course nearby, with both east and west coast beaches around 30 minutes away to keep you entertained.
Sustainability: The farmhouse is completely solar-powered and Lavender Hill earned a Silver Qualmark rating late last year - no small feat to achieve.
As Jason explains, it involves engaging with Qualmark and Tourism NZ to undergo a thorough audit and testing of their facilities, health and safety, marketing and business practices, technology and feedback from guests. This testing is repeated annually.
The accommodation and gin still are powered by solar and use rainwater. The botanicals used to make the gin are then composted, going back into the earth to help produce the next crop of lavender, lemons or olives - all of which are grown spray-free.
Accessibility: The downstairs living area and suites are completely wheelchair accessible, with the two bedrooms on the ground floor opening onto the patio. One of these is attached to an accessible bathroom suitable for wheelchair users.
Price: Exclusive use from $910 per night; upstairs ensuites from $305 per night; downstairs king ensuites from $305.
