Newly refurbished Restaurant and Motel in a historic Mill in North Otago, New Zealand.
Driving down from Oamaru southwards to Moeraki on State Highway 1, the road leads over an everchanging landscape of rolling hills, small creeks, woods and fields. After c. 25 km, just behind the village of Herbert, behind a sharp bend, a large stonewalled house rises to the right, surrounded by a beautiful large garden. This is the old mill house, build by a german architect at the turn of the last century to accomodate the local miller and his machine and now has now been newly refurbished to function as a motel and restaurant.
After parking your car in the impressive settings of this old garden beneath tall trees, you enter a spacious room, lined with old wooden beams. There are a number of wooden tables and a cozy snug around a stone fireplace, perfect for a single malt whisky and a good book. The winelist is impressive, the food fresh and the portions huge. The service is friendly and courteous, and the proprietors are always near to observe the satisfaction levels of their guests. There are nine motel units which seem to be spacious, clean, tastefully decorated and well kitted out.
Around the hotel there's plenty to do: Oamaru and Dunedin aren't far away, there are plenty of good walks around, and All Day Beach in Kakanui is only a short drive from the Mill House.
All in all, recommendable for a stay outside the usual ugly motels in New Zealands South Island towns: you wake up surrounded by trees and wildlife, which makes a nice change for the usual drab accomodation in NZ.
The Mill House
2358 Herbert - Hampden Road
Phone: +64 3 439 5515
Email: TheMillHouse@xtra.co.nz