| Giverny on Waiheke Island | |
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About's Guide to Spas (http://spas.about.com/), Julie Register, toured several of New Zealand's spas. In between massages and facials, she had an opportunity to sample New Zealand's many other attractions -- including wines, wineries and bed and breakfasts. Just a short ferry trip from downtown Auckland, Waiheke Island offers more than 20 small vineyards spread across this beautiful, hilly island.
by Julie Register
A great place to stay while on Waiheke Island is Giverny, a cozy bed and breakfast sitting high on a hilltop amid lush flowering vegetation offering a 200-degree view of the bay and gulf below.
Accommodation choices at Giverny include the Venus Room with a queen size bed, goose down comforter, fresh flowers, en suite bathroom and deck. The Bacchus Cottage, built in 1930, has been restored with modern facilities including a kitchen, dining area, bath, bedroom, and a deck with a great view.
Host and hostess Cliff and Louisa Hobson-Corry set a lovely, elegant breakfast table with fine china and beautiful silver. Breakfast includes just about everything one could desire to eat in the morning. Don't miss the passion fruit curd made by Louisa from Giverny's own fruit. Cliff and Louisa will ensure you have a great time on the island and can help make arrangements for touring the wineries.
Giverny participates in the Home at First "Welcome Home" program for independent travelers who want to explore New Zealand on their own. Home at First can help you design a unique itinerary based on your interests (touring wineries included).
Giverny
44 Queens Drive, Waiheke Island, New Zealand
Telephone: 011 64 9 372 2200
Email: giverny@pop.ihug.co.nz
Web Site: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~giverny/giverny.htm
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| The ferry from Auckland to Waiheke Island. Photo by Julie Register. | Welcome to Giverny Bed and Breakfast. Photo by Julie Register. |
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| The entrance to Giverny. Photo by Julie Register. | Cliff and Louisa Hobson-Corry. Photo by Julie Register. |
When did you first stay at a lodging similar to Giverny?
10 years ago.
What do you remember most about your first stay at such an accommodation?
The hosts, the food, and the fire.
When did you first consider becoming lodging hostess and host?
1991.
How long did you debate whether to become lodging hostess and host?
2 days
What were some of the factors you considered, pro and con?
The guests -- since we did not travel all the time, we thought it was a way to meet people from other countries.
Tell us about Giverny's history.
The house was built in 1991, but the cottage original was built in 1930. Four children grew up in the cottage.
What do you remember most about your first month as hostess and host?
The guests.
What's your favorite part about being hostess and host?
Meeting our guests and doing little extra things to make their stay memorable.
What's your least favorite part?
Saying goodbye.
Which is your personal favorite room at Giverny?
The Venus Room.
How do you make a stay at Giverny special?
By doing lovely flower arrangements, cooking delicious breakfasts and making sure the beds are comfortable.
What are some of the unique features of the area in which you are located?
The Gulf, sea, moon, and stars on clear nights, peace and quiet and safety.
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| A view from a deck at Giverny. Photo by Julie Register. | A view of Giverny's exterior. Photo by Julie Register. |
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| Giverny's Venus Room. Photo by Julie Register. | The deck outside The Venus Room. Photo by Julie Register. |
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