Tuesday started late not because I was recovering from my non-existent birthday festivities but because I had a rare deep sleep and woke up late, which almost never happens. We had breakfast in the lodge's palatial kitchen, then drove around the coast visiting local art galleries. Nelson sits in the far North of the South Island, and doesn't have the dramatic scenery of other parts of the island. It does have some of the best weather in New Zealand, though, and that has made it a lifestyle choice for many artists and writers. We ended up buying a stunning platter and vase, red and black in a bold geometric pattern, from the Hoglund Gallery, a local glassblower who is well known internationally, a rarity for New Zealand. The two pieces weighed about 12 kilos, so we had them shipped back to Bangkok. We had a decent lunch at a local winery, where we were the only customers. New Zealand's famous Marlborough wine country sits to the east of Nelson. We weren't as into wine as we now are, so we didn't spend nearly enough time in this area, but Somchai in particular is a huge fan of the sauvignon blancs from Marlborough. (I also threw in a photo of the outside of our villa at the Lodge, which doesn't really belong in this entry but I didn't have anything else to post for this entry)

Our suite, the Fantail, was gorgeous as expected. Huge picture windows, the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in, a fireplace, porch garden and unique art pieces throughout. but my favorite room was the bathroom, slate floors, mirrors everywhere, a monsoon shower directly onto the floor and a perfect black and silver clawfoot tub. The room was also wired to the hilt, with the coolest thing being the lights that went on and off by sensing movement. And not just the main lights, but there were little lights embedded in the floor connecting the bedroom to the bathroom, that would come on and off as needed to guide you in the middle of the night without shocking your system with bright overhead lights. I want. Also, all meals, drinks, minibar, pretty much everything was free (well, included in the hefty room rate if you want to get technical), which made for a fun couple of days. Lodge at Paratiho Farms (9), Room-10, Facilities-8, Service-9, Wow-4 (those guiding lights to the bathroom really stuck in my head,but the general level of excess leaves a great impression)

After our fun and informative dinner, we walked back to our suite under a breathtaking starry night, and there was never any mention of my birthday.

The Lodge is definitely unique. Set on a 3,000 acre working farm with sheep, deer and ostriches, the lodge consists of a main lodge buildings and six suites in separate buildings scattered about the property. The outside of the lodge isn't really to my taste, salmon pink plaster walls in a modern but not high design style. However, the grounds are expansive and immaculate, huge rolling fields, ponds etc with modern artworks scattered everywhere. Inside the main lodge, the rooms are gorgeous. Everything is perfectly integrated, with a great contemporary art collection, Asian antiques and unique furniture scattered throughout the library, dining room and reception. The enormous open kitchen is a work of art. The staff consists of Debbie, the manager, her husband Will who is a top notch chef, his assistant Suzie and a couple of cleaning people and handymen. The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Hunt, are transplanted Americans who opened the hotel last year and live in the main lodge. There was also another couple as guests, Brooklynites who were having the time of their lives. The people are more important here than elsewhere, because you pretty much have to have all your meals and drinks with the owners, staff and other guests at one big table. It feels fairly formal, with each course brought out with a flourish and a loving description of the dish and the accompanying wine, but it turned out to be a lot of fun. I could also see how it would be deadly with a different mix of people.

48. Nelson

Monday (16th October, my birthday) arrived with no fanfare. We had a quick breakfast and checked out of the hotel, then began our six hour drive northwest to Nelson. About 30 minutes outside of Christchurch the suburbs disappeared, and so did the sun. We drove inland over the mountains through gorgeous scenery, and rarely saw a car or another person. The weather was crazy-sunny one minute, snowing the next, then pouring rain or hailing. The mountains were snowcapped and everything was so crisp in the cold air, quite a change from Bangkok. We drove through Lewis Pass, the northernmost of three passes from the east to west coasts which are separated by a mountain chain running the full length of the island. We stopped for a quick lunch at a thermal springs resort at the Pass, and arrived at our hotel near Nelson, the Lodge at Paratiho Farms, around 3.