Wood Pigeon Lodge - Raurimu
Pippy McCurdy
http://www.unusualstays.com/
http://www.stumbleuponcroatiaslovenia.com/
Raurimu is a tiny town, nicely placed on the way to either Mount Ruapehu or Tongariro; - close enough to Ohakune, not that far from Taupo, about half way from Auckland to Wellington. Tucked back and away from the main road is Wood Pigeon Lodge where you have a choice of several types of accommodation. All have their features but if it is character you are after then The Barn is where you should be.
The Barn is authentic and full of personality. It is a true barn. You will know instantly that this is what it was, and to a large extent this is what it still is. Photos on the wall tell the history of the area and of the famed Raurimu spiral but also they tell the story of the Barn itself, because there on the wall is the photo of how it used to be. You may well wonder what there was to save when you see this photo. Yet the owners of the Barn took the time to rescue something from this dilapidated shell, barely standing, and breathe life once again into what to many, must have been beyond saving.
The result of this is a rustic, timbered, solid, warm sturdy creation full of character, history and personality. The Barn retains as much as it can of its past in its rebirth. Its post and beam skeleton remains exposed. Where old could not be salvaged or found then new has had to suffice, but the resurrection of the Barn has resulted in an authentic and interesting place to stay.
Double height spaces make the Barn feel spacious and open., The loft bedroom is expansive and the views are oh so appealing. As the sun sets the the colours glow like fire.
Inside a pot belly stove throws a warmth throughout the Barn. Old oil lanterns have been carefully converted to run on electricity (because of the fire risk) yet still provide that character touch. Outside the corrugated exterior retains exactly the profile of that old Barn as she once was.
Relics decorate the walls and provide plenty to peruse. Overhead, ropes and pulleys which must have been used for hoisting up to the upper level for storage, are still in place. At the apex of the barn a leadlight window has the signature Wood Pigeon stamp of the whole complex.
The Barn is fortunate to have been saved by someone prepared to draw on the building';s own past for inspiration. This Barn is almost a testimony to the fact that nothing is past salvage!
