“Stay Where the World Cannot find you” and it is what it feels like on the drive out to Annandale.  It is roughly and 1.5 hour drive from CHC and the last 30-40 minutes is a twisty, narrow drive deep into the Akaroa Peninsula, and that is to the front gate.  It is well worth it though – the relaxation and peace on the property starts immediately.

Before I keep going, if this property sounds familiar, it should.  I visited the property last May when in New Zealand.  I did a site inspection via helicopter and visited all 4 of the very unique villas.  On this stay, I only visited one: Seascape.

I know the sales team well, so I spent some time at the main office before being driven to my villa for the night. In general, guests will be driven out to their villa, unless staying at the Homestead, which is at the front gate.  The drive is across the working farm with livestock, gates, and most importantly, a farm road wide enough for only one vehicle at a time.  On the way out, this was the view:

I spent the night in Seascape, one of the furthest villas out.  It is tucked into its own bay and made of stone sourced from the property.  The stone layer spent a year living on site building it.  It is amazing, beautiful, modern and an excellent place for romance and privacy.

The view when pulling up to the property at sunset was worth a million dollars.

It is a tech person’s dream – all the lights, fireplaces, furnace, etc are all on a master control panel. I didn’t take a picture of it though. The interior is an open floor plan.  It really is best to describe the villa with pictures.

The last set of photos show a bit of the outdoor area – two different doors, one off the living area, one off the bathroom, lead to the outside.  Off the living area is the sitting area with several choices.  A fire place acts as a divider for the hot tub on the other side, accessed through the bathroom.  I had coffee in the morning while enjoying a soak and a view.  It was divine.

Speaking of the bathroom (okay, really, the whole villa) this one causes me serious envy. Open floor plan, two shower heads, deep soaking tub, and both the toilet and sink have a partial privacy wall.  I should have taken some daylight picture, but forgot.  I have some from last year though.

From my site inspection a year ago, I knew the villa itself was remarkable, but I wasn’t sure how the food would be. I had the “we cook, you serve” option for dining.  Long story short, it works and was great.  It was plenty of food. I have a picture of my menu, but I dined on salmon tortellini, braised lamb, and basil ice cream, to give an idea.  All items have very simple instructions on how to reheat and it was very simple. Also in the room was the largest snack basket ever!! So many things.  They cookie box was my kryptonite though – the blueberry macarons with caramel still have me dreaming for more.  Between that food and the gift basket of snacks in the room, I was beyond stuffed.

What is there to do at Annandale?  I like it as an option for the very end of the stay when travelers have just spent a very busy time in NZ and need to decompress and soak in everything before heading home.  There are plenty of activities to do from quad biking, boating, fishing, and hiking, to name a few.  If a guest has their own rental car and want to do a lot of activities off site, you will be spending some time traveling back and forth to the main gate.

My recommendations for Seascape is it is best as a romantic escape, whether a honeymoon, anniversary, or a few nights to reconnect.  The villa breathes of romance.

Annandale is a Virtuoso property and through our partnership, I am proud to offer the following amenities: daily breakfast, for up to two guests; a $100 USD food and beverage credit; and early check in/late check out, based on availability.