We turned left onto the gravel path and slowly drove towards the end, where we could see a white house.
On either side of the car were rows and rows of lush cherry trees.
We assumed we were supposed to drive to the end of this path. A little uncertain, we drove slowly. When we reached the end, and pulled the car to the side, a woman quickly came out of the house.
It was our Airbnb host, greeting us with a wave and big smile.
She walked us to our cottage that was next to her house and showed us around. Not only did she and her husband have a cherry tree farm, they also had a nursery, a green house full of vegetables, a flower garden and chickens! (Plus, I’m sure other things that have slipped my mind by now!) She apologized that they would not be around during our weekend stay because they would be working at nearby farmers markets both Saturday and Sunday. It’s true, Kiwis are just the kindest people.
We settled into the cottage, where our host had arranged fresh cut flowers in a vase as well as fresh cherries and homemade fruit preserves and jellies. (Oh, and fresh eggs in the fridge!) Is this what heaven is like?
We ate dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant that our host recommended. There seemed to be a lot of college and college-looking students in the town of Cromwell. They were here for summer work on all the farms in the area. Even our host had a few young people who were helping them with work. The day we arrived, they were building a stone retaining wall. And, not just the workers, our host and her husband were also hard at work. Farmers are definitely the hardest working people out there!
The next day we had an early morning because we were headed to Milford Sound, which was a 335 kilometer-drive away from where we were staying. (Or, 208 miles if that helps you put it into perspective!)
On our second morning at the farm, we were able to enjoy a leisurely morning. Bryce made us breakfast in the cottage’s cute kitchen. It was sunny out so we took a stroll among the gardens. Our host told us we could pick any vegetables we wanted to. I harvested two tomatoes that we ate with our eggs. (Yes, just two. I was a little nervous to pick anymore).
In addition to the large tomato plants growing in their green house, they also had eggplants and cucumbers. They had them arranged (pruned?) so that they grew down vines and the pots were set up in numerous rows. If you weren’t paying attention, they almost looked like eggplant and cucumber trees!
This farm was the perfect perfect getaway to rest in between long drives. It was nicely tucked away in a small town — and the fresh cherries were a plus!
This is the third post of the “Where we stayed” series where I share the best of the best (in my opinion) of where we stayed in New Zealand. AKA really good Airbnb finds because of the hospitality, atmosphere, surrounding views and/or other attributes! Note: I am in no way affiliated with Airbnb or am getting paid by the company. I merely had fantastic stays in many Kiwi homes!
otter travel more 