Paua Bay Farmstay, Paua Bay, Akaroa

Murray & Sue Johns

Pauabay Road, Paua Bay, New Zealand
Phone: +64 (0)3 304 8511, or +64 (0)21 133 8194 (Mobile), Fax: +64 (0)3 304 8511
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Type of Accommodation Farmstay
Rating 9 out of 10
Website http://www.pauabay.com
Directions - Nearest Town Akaroa
Tariff - 2 people in 1 room $120 - $140 (NZD)
Tariff - Children Negotiable
Tariff - Dinner $40 (NZD)
Breakfast Full
Restrictions No smoking on property
Beds 1 Queen , 1 Twin , Total 2 bedrooms , 1 Queen room one twin room
Bathrooms 1 Ensuite , 1 Share , One ensuite one guest share bathroom
Associations, Awards & Ratings @home New Zealand
Pets/Children Children welcome
 

Time spent at Paua Bay is a truely unique experience. Not only will you be able to enjoy the wonderful surroundings but also you will join a traditional NZ farming family sharing their daily endeavors. Set in a private bay our 900 acre sheep, cattle & deer farm is surrounded by spectacular coastline, native bush & streams. You are spoilt for choice, walk to the beach, enjoy seals and extensive birdlife, join in seasonal farm activities. The farmhouse is surrounded by a wonderful garden and around each corner in the path is a new surprise, a secluded moonlight bath.....a hammock....a sculpture. The guest room has wooden floors, a clawfoot bath, fresh flowers and from the queensize bed you can watch the sun rise out of the South Pacific. In the evening take the opportunity to enjoy the company of our 6th generation farming family. Share a generous meal of fresh farm produce with relaxed conversation around the large kitchen table. New Zealand wines & beers are included. The nearby historic French settlement of Akaroa offers guests world renouned harbour cruises and its Hector dolphins. Quiet wanderings exploring this village allows guests time to reflect on days gone by.

Guest Reviews

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Paua Bay Farmstay 9 10 3
  Rating Date Reviewed
Paul Barton
First, Sue and Murray Johns are to be commended for the being the most splendid host's we've ever encountered :) Their farmstay is every bit worth the drive and true to the beautiful photos on their website. My wife and I (26-27 yrs old) only had one autumn night to stay at Paua Bay and had just driven up from Dunedin that morning (7 hr drive). We walked up Baldwin street, played around on the Moeraki boulders, and after driving up and through some clouds, pulled in to Paua Bay Farmstay right around 4pm (GPS got us right to the door! as did the Johns emailed directions). Before reaching the cottage, we got to witness Murray driving the truck while Dan (the most well-trained and agile dog we've ever seen...leaping a good meter+ on and off the truck bed) herded sheep back onto the road. We were warmly greeted with smiles and hot tea, and were shown to the wonderfully decorated guest room. We immediately wished we had had another 2 weeks to relax there. Sitting down next to the sleeping cats on the sofa near the fireplace with a glass of wonderful red wine, we read some articles about the history and successes Sue and Murray had experienced. We learned SO much! Paua Bay was one of the first farmstay's ~25 years ago, and there was every sign that it would remain... the property having stayed in the family for 6 generations. It was intriguing to read about the history of Akaroa Harbour; we even found Murray's name listed 3 times in the index :) Before dark, Murray took us on the 4-wheel down to (near) the beach. My wife and I held on tight as Murray faithfully pushed the 4-wheeler to the very limits for which it was designed; Dan running along side, diving down into valleys and back again as if he knew every inch of the 900 acre property. We followed the steep sheep tracks down to the rocky bay and found several HUGE Paua shells and witnessed 30+ baby seals lounging on higher ground rocks, being guarded below by 5-10 adult seals. We walked the 25 minutes back to the house as the sun dipped down and the moon slowly rose. It was perfect. After dusk, we talked with Sue and Murray about how they met and their children's ambitions as Sue prepared a gorgeous feast: fresh baked bread, scalloped potatoes, tasty beef stew, and a delicious fruit torte. We heard tales of their 6-week trip to the US and got to hear Murray read the eloquent novel-like prose from his trip journal. A few more glasses of wine, and it was off to a heated bed: immensely comfortable. The hot shower the next morning felt luxurious. Although it rained a little the morning of our departure, we still got a personal tour of the sheep shearing facilities and a detailed family and New Zealand history of sheep. After driving 2100 km around the South Island, we had SOOO many questions about the 40,000,000 sheep in NZ :) We learned about how strenuous sheep sheering can be and all about the wool industry. We loved the personal history. Murray then drove us out to one of the paddocks where he let some very hungry cows onto fresh grass and connected an electric fence. We had a lot of interesting conversations about farming since some of my wife's family are farmers in Kansas. Murray recommended a great book to us that detailed the significance of grass farming (The Omnivore's Dilemma (C)2007) We happened upon a copy a couple weeks later in a Denver bookstore and read more interesting tidbits about New Zealand's sustainable approach to farming. We even had a chance to scrub down our shoes so as not to be stopped at customs before our flight later that day. We departed with hugs, dreaming of the day we'd return with our children. We recommend this farmstay to anyone who appreciates a quite place to take in breathtaking views with a good glass of wine, an amazing meal, and fantastic company. Our trip photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/gr8horizon/NewZealand5#
10.0 10
May 2009
A J Coleman
Super location, shared bathroom, great dinner and very friendly hosts.
8.0 10
April 2005
Paul and Barbara Kyselka
Wonderful hospitality in a gorgeous setting. Breakfast and dinner were superb. The antique outdoor bathtup was a memorable experience under the stars, listening to the Pacific. Murray gave us a sheepdog demonstration and Sue saddled up her quarterhorse for our enjoyment. We would go back tomorrow and just rest in peace in the beautiful garden. 		(none)
April 2001