Great Walking close to Hereweka Accommodation
There are many wonderful walks to be had on the Otago Peninsula, Dunedin
Hereweka Accommodation is set in the heart of the Otago Peninsula and is close to many interesting walks.
We supply a pamphlet at our Retreat called "Otago Peninsula Tracks" which has suggestions of over 20 walks.
You can do several interesting walks directly from our property.
Most of the other walks are only a 5 or 10 minute drive away
You will experience a real sense of remoteness when walking on the Otago Peninsula.
Even though most of the walks are only 20 -30 minutes from the center of Dunedin you are unlikely to meet other people along the way.
At "our " beach, Allans Beach , which is only a 5 minute drive from our accommodation, on a sunny day the beach is far from crowded and you might even be lucky enough to have it to your self.
Coming back from my regular Sunday walk on Allans Beach last week I captured this magnificent sky on my camera.
The beach never ceases to amaze me. There is always something different to see.
Wonderful Walks close to Hereweka Accommodation
There are many wonderful nature walks close by our accommodation at Hereweka .
The Otago Peninsula Dunedin is a great place to see the plentiful wildlife present on the Peninsula including penguins, sea lions, seals and our famous Royal Albatross.
We are only a five minute drive from our local beach, Allans Beach.
It is a beautiful pristine beach rich in wildlife, particularly Hooker sea lions and sea birds.
I walk there every week and am constantly thrilled by the breathtaking secenery.
On Sunday I was walking with friends and was amazed by the number of sea lions playing and basking in the sun.
No matter what time of year it is watching the Hooker sea lions at Allans Beach is a delight.
Baby Hooker Sea Lions visit Hereweka Accommodation
I couldn't believe my eyes the other day when driving home from town I saw 2 baby Hooker Sea Lions folicking in Hoopers Inlet right in front of our driveway!
What a thrill it was to see them.
Although they are breeding prolifically on the Otago Peninsula at Allans Beach and have a nursery at the mouth of Hoopers Inlet I have never seen them swim up to the head of the Inlet
I couldn't resist. I stopped the car to take a closer look and was rewarded by these two inquisitive babies coming out of the water to check up on me.
If you come to stay at Hereweka Garden Retreat luxury accommodation on the Otago Peninsula and you enjoy wildlife experiences you have come to the right place.
Hereweka Garden Accommodation abundance of autumn flowering plants in May
One of the many pleasures of living on our property on the Otago Peninsula, Dunedin is to walk around our garden and see what is happening.
Last weekend when we walked in the garden we recorded 60 different species of plants flowering.
We are delighted by this. Over the years we have managed to develop the garden so that it has year round interest.
Apart from the spectacular display of autumn colour there is also plenty of flowering plants to enjoy.
We are particularly pleased with our collection of autumn flowering sasanqua camellias which we have planted over the years.
The last of the hydrangea flowers in Autumn also provide a real lift to the garden.
One of my favourite "chores" most Saturdays is to full the house with flowers.
Sometimes I create an arrangement that feels particularly satisying.
This Saturday was one of those days. Hydrangea Meritts Supreme took centre stage complimented by the delicate soft pink sasanqua camellia.
Stunning Autumn Colours at Retreat Accommodation
We love this time of year at Hereweka as the colours on the trees begin to change.
We get a wonderful display of Autumn colour from vivid reds through to bright yellows.
You can see this display of colour from the comfort of the Retreat with it's expansive windows giving you views of the garden in every direction.
Its cosy in the Retreat at this time of year as we have an Eco approved woodburner in the living area.
Bumper Crop of Organic Strawberries At Hereweka Garden Retreat
With all the wonderful summer weather we have been experiencing lately our strwberry bed has continued to produce a bumper crop.
We garden using sustainable organic methods here at Hereweka, our luxury accommodation on the Otago Peninsula , Dunedin.
The strawberries are no exception.
In the spring we mulched all the strawberries in fresh organic compost. We make this compost from material on our property.
We then put on a top layer of pine neddles.
The strawberries have responded well to this treatment and I have been able to pick several kilograms to make delicoius organic jam with.
Like everything on the breakfast tray at our luxury accommodation Retreat, all the jams on your tray are homemade using organic sugar.
Garden delights at Hereweka Accommodation
At our luxury accommodation on the Otago Peninsula you can enjoy walking in our private botanic gardens.
Our guests have been telling us we should be promoting this more so here I am doing so.
Hydrangeas are at there peak at the end of February. I have added a photo of part of our Hydrangea walk. We have an extensive area of the garden underplanted with hydranges.
We encourage our guests to walk down to the lower part of the grden to enjoy them.
At this time of year our organic vegetable garden in full production.The glasshouse has cucumbers, tomatoes, chillies and basil ripening and outside we have plentiful supplies of beans, corn, greens, beetroot, carrots, fennel and red onions.
Its a wonderful time of year to come an stay at our Retreat accommodation and be surrounded by the beautiful natural setting of bush, garden and water.
New Letterbox by local craftsman at Retreat Accommodation
We were delighted when our children presented us with a gift of a new letterbox by local craftsman Shem Sutherland.
We hope you enjoy it when you visit us at Hereweka Garden Retreat, Otago Peninsula, Dunedin.
We think the flowers are an appropriate illustration for the entrance to our property.
With all the wet warm weather we have been having the organic gardens at Hereweka are thriving as are the weeds!
A busy but enjoyable time for us as at last we have some lovely fresh early summer vegetables to harvest and the perennial border is coming to a peak.