“Well done, you two!! Charming cottage, with loads of really nice touches to elevate you well beyond anything we’ve experienced both in NZ and Overseas.  Peaceful and homely”

Richard & Samantha, Whangarei, NZ

“A perfect setting, beautiful house, fantastic hosts.  A most wonderful holiday – thanks”

Steve & Julie   Auckland, NZ

“Right to every detail, we both felt so much at home and well taken care of, that we now can continue our work and play in NZ with new energies”

Declan & Margit, Germany

“What a house!!! After traveling for 5 months we haven’t seen anything like this, thanks for excellent hospitality”

Henrik & Elisabet – Denmark

“Beautiful house with exquisite attention to detail, the perfect honeymoon destination”

Kate & Simon, Dublin Ireland

“Great ambience, fabulous setting and great hosts with an eye for detail, we shall be back”

Sally, Mike, Tess & Jack, Martinborough, NZ

“By far the best place in NZ we have stayed in to date”

Nick & Fiona, Cornwall, UK

“A charming cottage – you have impeccable taste.  The many little extras, so unexpected and delightful - we loved it!"

Peter & Anna, Ramarama, NZ

Wow, what a wonderful end to a great weekend of earth house touring, as we approach our home for the next two days in our hired convertible, the lights have been left on inside and this creates a wonderful warm welcome through the French doors for us. This is ‘The Last Straw Cottage’ of  Lynne and Jon Young in Brightwater Nelson. Originally built as a family home, the decision was made to utilise the unique home and location as a boutique, self-contained bed and breakfast.  Mostly used by overseas visitors it doesn’t come cheap but it’s well worth it to celebrate our 20^th wedding anniversary.

Vince can tell you more about the construction details and I’ll tell you about the experience. The house was built in 2000 by Alan and Karin Cameron of Strawbale Construction in Wanaka. The downstairs is load bearing straw bale tensioned with a series of wires and the upstairs is timber framed with plaster over plywood cladding.  Windows, doors, sarking and other timber trims are Macrocarpa. Veranda posts are recycled hardwood power poles. A large Jarrah bridge beam runs through the living area to support the upstairs floor joists.

Once inside we find a breakfast hamper with all the delicious things, croissants, bacon, free range eggs and home made bread, yum!

The thing that strikes you the most is how quiet the house is inside, a beautiful timber kitchen and stone open fire place framed by large timber beams rescued from a local bridge, It’s so cosy you feel like you’ve just come home.

Surrounded on three sides by a veranda with French doors opening onto the lawn which overlooks the dressage ring and horse paddocks.

We make our way up the stairs, something to behold, they are crafted from macrocarpa timber milled off the farm and decorated with antique fire extinguishers and butter churns, it’s a pleasure to ascend.

Our room features fine embroidered bed linen and duvet, hand crafted chocolates bearing the cottage name, new house slippers and robes to lounge around in, a huge bed complete with mosquito net and views over the farm, what more could you ask for!!

How about an exquisite bathroom?  This features a huge clawfoot bath, beautiful recessed window sill with inlaid tiles, timber shutters as a window dressing and timber towel stand and accessories.

We lit the fire even though it wasn’t that cold but the ambience was amazing, nothing nicer than sitting in the roomy plush sofas sipping Sauvignon Blanc in absolute peace and quiet, it was quite mind blowing.

Champagne breakfast arrived on Wednesday morning and Lynne insisted on setting the table outside, fine linen, chilled champagne complete with floating strawberry, bacon and bananas served with French toast followed by strawberries dipped in chocolate and cream. And all this done at 9am on a week day morning in the Nelson sunshine, WOW.

Jill & Vince Tebrake

ODE TO THE LAST STRAW COTTAGE

Written by one of our wonderful guests January 2005

Chris Manns 

The years are flying by now

And folk say ‘you’re past your prime’

But one thing we are sure of

We wont be wasting time

Around the world we travel

In a quest ‘to see it all’

From Disneyland in springtime

To Australia in the fall

From quiet Asian Temples

To Las Vegas city lights

From Mexico’s long beaches

To Himalayan heights

From Grand European Castles

To the Taj Mahal at dawn

From journeys up the Yangtze

To Hong Kong and Singapore

But, in New Zealand there’s a cottage

With walls made out of straw

And it has a special magic

That leaves you wanting more

Is it the soft beds or cosy sofa’s?

Is it the roses near the door?

Or that unique kiwi welcome

That people come here for?

We know, no matter where we wander

No matter where we roam

The cottage called ‘The Last Straw’

Will always feel like home