“Calmcations” (calm holidays) are becoming a trend, and NZ is good at it.Photo/Getty Images
Welcome to Calmcation, the biggest travel trend of the year. A slightly longer, affordable vacation that allows you to enjoy central comfort while being close to home and nature. Jackie Gibson visits the South Island to see if his experience is as good as trendsetters suggest.
It was mid-afternoon when we met a happy couple staying in a historic cottage at Lake Heron Station.
The South African women, currently living in Auckland, have been trapped for 10 days on the 19,600-hectare Merino sheep farm, a two-hour drive inland from Christchurch.
“We didn’t know if we could handle this quarantine,” one of them explained, basking in the buttery late summer sunshine.
Behind her, khaki hills wind toward a cloudless sapphire sky.
We watch the black shadow of the kahu (swaharia) soaring high overhead slowly passing over the land.
Nearby, tan tussock grass nods in the breeze.
“But it was amazing. Maybe life-changing? We’ve only just left the property. There was no need for that. We watched the herding of sheep and enjoyed Ann’s delicious homemade lamb ribs. We ate and walked in the hills. One day we built a fire. And the next we dipped our toes in the river to escape the heat. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so relaxed. ” she explained with a laugh.
read more: A Central Otago holiday is sure to relieve your city fatigue.
The four of us are vacationing at Lake Heron Station, a workstation and farm stay run by Ann and Philip Todhuunter.
My husband and I arrived the day before for a 5 night stay at Fisherman’s Hut. The chilled-out couple in front of me is scheduled to be the first to leave tomorrow, completing one of the longest stays of any guest at the property, according to the host.
Coincidentally, we’ve all traveled south (from Wellington in our case) to relax in nature. This reflects the growing popularity of travel trends.
According to the list of 8 good tourism trends for 2024, the so-called “calmcation” has emerged as one of this year’s leading travel fashions.
In an economically and politically unstable world, the creators of the list point out that 70% of travelers are looking for ways to truly relax and de-stress.
Enter Calmcation. Affordable, close to home, and one with nature while offering front-line comfort.
The Fisherman’s Hut is equipped with every comfort.
Designed for two, this modern cottage has views across the flats and terraces of the southern end of Lough Heron to the Staith Hills and the Wildman’s Brother Mountains beyond.
The bathroom, kitchen, and laundry are simple yet high spec. The bedroom has a comfortable king size bed, plush linens, plenty of storage space, and views of the outdoors.
Every morning, I open the large glass door to the balcony to check the weather, feel the sun on my face, and breathe in the alpine air.
In the afternoon, I sat outside on the front deck and watched fantails flit through the willow trees and dragonflies flitted through the nearby stream.
There’s Wi-Fi if you need it, plenty of walking areas, a wood pile and fireplace, and a selection of coffee table books on topics such as New Zealand homesteading.
You can also spend an hour in the sky with Philip, an experienced backcountry pilot who takes guests through beautiful scenery in his Cessna 185.
Once we arrived, we eagerly dragged our dingy car out for a loop around Heron Lake.
By our final afternoon, we had slowly limped up Mount Sunday, the filming location for the Edolas movie. The Lord of the Rings – The Two Towers At Hakatere Conservation Park, before spotting another walker and rushing back to our hideout.
My husband and I are confident that we have mastered tranquility when we arrive in the Waitaki Valley for our next five-night farm stay.
The beauty and tranquility of our surroundings helped us find our groove. However, this time, we are gradually increasing the element of remoteness.
To reach Sparrowhawk, an off-grid cabin on Bellamore Farm, you’ll need to hike for an hour or have farmers Emma and Ben Nowell drop you off in a 4WD.
Since we stay longer than most (usually 2-3 nights), we ride in the car with Emma, who adds homemade shortbread and a bottle of Peregrine Pinot Gris to our welcome pack.
Halfway through our stay, at Emma’s suggestion, we visited Crow’s for an espresso and Wi-Fi fix before hitting the elevator and returning to the car.
We spend most of our time watching the area’s native sparrowhawks come and go, reading books, and bathing in freshwater swimming holes made from river rocks.
Every night we soak in our outdoor hot tub under the twinkling stars.
As I walk through the deserted waterfields and rugged North Otago hills that stretch as far as the eye can see on a recent afternoon, with no one nearby, it’s quieter and quieter for a very good reason. I realized that.
directions
Fisherman’s Hut at Lake Heron Station is a two-hour drive inland from Christchurch in South Canterbury. lakeheron.co.jp
Sparrowhawk at Bellamore Farm is located an hour’s drive inland from Oamaru in North Otago. canopycamping.co.nz/Sparrowhawk
