Updates

There’s always something new happening in Oamaru and the Waitaki, and this is where we’ll share the news with you.

This is where we will share updates about the lodge, new offers, or just general information about what's happening in our area.

Guests often ask us to share recipes of dishes they've enjoyed with us, so we thought we'd include some of these here for everyone to be able to experience a taste of Pen-y-bryn at home.

We regularly offer packages to make it even easier to book a holiday with us at Pen-y-bryn. Whether you're looking for a honeymoon package, a gourmet package, or a multi-stop package, this is the place to come to learn about what we currently have on offer.

Pen-y-bryn often appears in magazines, newspapers and on television, whether in features about travel in general, or on our region specifically, or even reviews of stays with us. We'll share these with you here so that you can learn more about us in other people's words.

Qualmark Gold!

Qualmark is New Zealand's national tourism ratings agency, and ever since we took over Pen-y-bryn Lodge in 2010 we have consistently rated at the very top of their categories. The agency updates its criteria regularly in order to keep up with trends in international travel, so those businesses that wish to re...

Calling All Astrophotographers!

Are you an astrophotographer, someone who is interested in capturing the wonders of our night sky? If so, then you may be interested in knowing that Pen-y-bryn is situated in a Bortle-4 area, where conditions are dark enough to allow us to photograph some of the most challenging targets. We also have a 4-hect...

A New Photo Book is Here!

Over the past several months, I have had the good fortune to be able to venture out a bit into the Waitaki District that is our home and shoot some of the spectacular landscapes that are right on our doorstep. I have shared many of these images on our social media pages, with the result that I h...

Booking your stay with us

We would like to make booking your stay at Pen-y-bryn Lodge as easy as possible, and have made our rooms available on a wide range of platforms, from our own website to brick-and-mortar travel agencies and several online travel agencies. Unfortunately, we have in recent months suffered a number ...

Planning a Three-Night Stay at Pen-y-bryn

The average length of stay of our guests has been steadily increasing over the 13 years we have been the custodians of Pen-y-bryn, with more and more guests making Oamaru a base from which to explore not just our beautiful town but the diverse areas in the surrounding Waitaki District. To help future guests p...

Updated Area Guide

We had no idea when we created our guide to Oamaru and the Waitaki District a few years ago that it would be downloaded by so many people, but we're thrilled that so many folks are interested in learning about all that there is to do in our wonderful region. Just in time for the spring and summer travelling s...

Covid Update 12 Sept 2022

The government has announced today that, as of midnight tonight, most of the Covid-19 restrictions in New Zealand are being lifted. Among the changes that this will bring for visitors to New Zealand from overseas, and people travelling around the country are the following: You will only need to wear ...

Introducing our Private-Cask Whisky

In August 2019, we visited the NZ Whisky Collection in Oamaru's historic district to fill a 20-litre French oak red wine cask with new spirit that would one day become a private-cask whisky. In August 2020, we were given a taster of our now one-year-old spirit to see how it was doing, and then in August 2...

Pen-y-bryn Lodge is “Covid Ready”

The Tourism Export Council of New Zealand (TECNZ) has issued Pen-y-bryn Lodge with its "Covid Ready" badge, signifying that our policies and practices are designed to minimise the risk of exposure to Covid-19 and to offer our guests peace of mind both prior to their arrival as well as during their stay with u...

Waitaki Geopark Ambassadorship

Pen-y-bryn Lodge is very honoured to be among the inaugural partners (aka "ambassadors") of the nascent Waitaki Whitestone (Aspiring Global) Geopark. We've long been vocal advocates for the wonders of the Waitaki, and when we learned that the district was in the running to be designated a UNESCO Global Geopar...

Winter Warmer Special!

Winter is probably our favourite season of all here in Oamaru--the weather is a lot better than many imagine, and the scenery is simply stunning. And best of all, with a fire going in the lodge, when you return from a day of exploring you can curl up with a beverage and relax in one of New Zealand's most welc...

Six-Night “G’astronomy” Package

We are excited to announce a partnership with two exceptional nearby properties to offer a six-night package that is sure to excite any gourmet who wants to experience some of the best food, stargazing, scenery, wildlife and hospitality that New Zealand has to offer! This itinerary can be undertaken in any or...

NZ BORDERS TO REOPEN!!

After more than two years, the New Zealand Government has today (16 March 2022) announced that the borders will once again be open to vaccinated visitors without the need for isolation or quarantine starting on 12 April 2022! From that date, Australians will be free to enter NZ, just in time for Australian sc...

Second Edition of our Book now Available!

In 2017 we published the first edition of our in-house book, designed to give our guests and visitors to Oamaru and the Waitaki a cocktail-table-worthy memento of their time in our area. The book proved very popular, not just among our own guests but also with other visitors and even among locals who bought c...

Autumn Wonders

Autumn is the ideal time to visit Oamaru and the wonderful Waitaki (and, don't tell anyone, but it's when we tell our friends from overseas to come and visit). Not only is the weather generally stable and predictable, but it is complemented by crystal-clear nights, perfect to gaze up at the sky and enjoy the ...

Romantic Two-Night Package

We like to think that Pen-y-bryn Lodge offers one of the most romantic spots you can find--from the lavish architecture to the thoughtful touches in the rooms, to the carefully thought-out menus we serve, everything is done to make sure that you and your partner will feel pampered and cared for during your st...

As Seen in Kia Ora Magazine

Pen-y-bryn Lodge features in the February 2022 issue of Air New Zealand's in-flight magazine, Kia Ora, in a feature on several historic buildings around New Zealand that have been restored and converted into guest accommodations. We are thrilled that the work we have put into Pen-y-bryn has been recognise...

Vin de Noix de Martel (Walnut Wine)

[embed]https://vimeo.com/663771957[/embed] In 2000, during a holiday in southwestern France, we happened upon the village of Martel in the Lot region on the day when their local walnut mill happened to celebrate its annual festival. They were offering a celebratory menu at their restaurant for just 99 fran...

International Travel Set to Resume from 30 April 2022!

At today's press conference, the New Zealand Government announced a phased-in approach to start reopening the New Zealand border, which has been effectively closed to visitors since March 2020. Under the plan, which will be further refined the border will start to reopen as follows: Vaccinated Kiwis ...

Vouchers–the Ideal Gift!

With Christmas coming up (and birthdays and anniversaries happening all year), don't forget that a Pen-y-bryn voucher is a great way to tell someone how much they mean to you. Vouchers can be issued in any value you like, whether to cover the cost of a bottle of wine, or a full multi-night stay with dinner--i...

Astrotourism Academy Grad

This past weekend, we took part in the inaugural session of the Aotearoa Astrotourism Academy, held in Twizel, practically in the shadow of Mt John, home to the University of Canterbury's famed observatory. The objective of the academy is to raise the pedagogical standard of New Zealand's astrotourism ope...

Oamaru has a new Restaurant

The Oamaru dining scene has just got a bit broader with the opening of a new restaurant in the north end of town. Restaurant 1861 is housed in Casa Nova House, Oamaru's oldest stone building, which was recently purchased and restored by Katrina and Brenda, a couple who relocated to Oamaru from Auckland (w...

Welcome Milo!

We were very sad to lose our 13-year old Bi-Blue Merle Sheltie, Ivan, last week. He was a much-loved, and strikingly beautiful, member of our family since before we moved to New Zealand, and losing him was very difficult for us all. We know that some people wait a certain amount of time. after losing a be...

Limited-Time Promotion!

While we wait for news on when the borders will once again be open for us to go on our own travels overseas and for foreign visitors to return to New Zealand, we wanted to offer Kiwis one more chance to travel around our beautiful country while we still have it all to ourselves. So, from now until the tim...

Bagel Bombs

Continuing with our trend of sharing breakfast recipes on our website, we thought we'd share today one of our more popular and unusual items, one that was inspired by something I saw on one of my visits back to New York City (my hometown) over the past decade. These are our famed "bagel bombs", which take the...

Re-opening Under Level 2

With the announcement today that the country south of Auckland will return to Level 2 at midnight on 7 September, we will be able to receive guests again starting the next day, Wednesday 8 September. Of course, we will do so in conjunction with the restrictions associated with this new version of Level 2,...

“Complicated” Strawberry Preserves

With spring around the corner, and strawberries already starting to appear in the shops around Oamaru, it's time for us to start thinking about the annual ritual of making more of our very popular "Complicated" Strawberry Preserves. As mentioned in an earlier post, the nickname "complicated" is an ironic one ...

Waitaki-Hakataramea-Oamaru Package

The area just inland from Oamaru along the Waitaki River is becoming more and more known for its stunning landscapes, delectable wines and the authenticity of the experience you can enjoy in this quintessential South Island heartland. The travel section of the Otago Daily Times recently featured some of the a...

Paradise Marmalade

One of the things that guests regularly comment on during their stays with us is the array of lodge-made jams and preserves that are always presented as part of the breakfast selection. As a general rule, there are usually six or seven flavours, running the gamut from the tried-and-true Seville orange marmala...

Oamaru Weather

One thing that we have observed in the 11 years we have spent living in Oamaru is that people, especially visitors from the North Island, often expect our weather to be much worse than it actually is. Yes, Oamaru is in the southern half of the South Island of New Zealand, and is one of the world's most southe...

Welcome Aussies!

After too long an absence, we are genuinely excited to be able to look forward to being able to welcome our Australian neighbours back to New Zealand from 19 April! If you are in Australia and have been pining for a bit of a trip beyond your own borders, we are here and ready to help you explore our beautiful...

As Seen on Lap of Luxury

Last night's episode of Lap of Luxury featured Pen-y-bryn Lodge, along with two other luxury properties--Poronui Lodge near Taupo and Saffire Freycinet in Tasmania. We were thrilled to be able to share the lodge with so many people, and it seems that it generated a lot of interest, so much so in fact that our...

Introducing our Telescope

The arrival of autumn means the return of prime astronomy season in New Zealand. Not only does nightfall come at a more sociable hour, but the climactic conditions mean clear skies predominate and there is less distortion from air currents. Also, the galactic core is once again visible, making for a spectacul...

Regional Guide Updated

Today we have uploaded an update to our popular guide to Oamaru and the Waitaki District. This update contains a number of new and updated listings, and is newly designed to make it easier to read and to facilitate getting to the information you need. You can download your copy for free by becoming a "Friend ...

The Waitaki in Cuisine Magazine

In late 2020 we were thrilled to host Kelli Brett, editor of New Zealand's premium culinary and travel magazine, Cuisine, for a three-night stay while she explored the gastronomic delights of Oamaru and the Waitaki District. The resulting article--a full nine pages long--appears in the March/April 2021 issue ...

Our Granola Recipe

Here is the second of our recipe posts, and it's another one that we get asked for a lot, our breakfast granola. Granola is one of the cereal-type items that we always have on offer on our breakfast table, and it's a perennial favourite. The recipe is an amalgam of several recipes that we tried over the yea...

Dried Fruit Compote

One of the reasons for our giving up our "real" jobs to take over Pen-y-bryn Lodge in 2010 was to allow us to pursue our passions. For James B, that meant being able to spend his days gardening and taking care of and renovating the house, but for James G it meant indulging an interest in cooking (as well as ...

Gift Vouchers

Vouchers can be customised however you'd like Everyone has at least one of them--that friend, relative or even spouse who is impossible to buy a gift for, especially for those special occasions like significant birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, and more. Something that they will surely appreci...

Summer at Pen-y-bryn

As we celebrate more than 10 years as the custodians of Pen-y-bryn Lodge in this most unusual summer for all of us, we look forward to welcoming more Kiwis to spend summer holidays with us. Pen-y-bryn has never looked better, with all our guest rooms and public rooms recently renovated and the garde...

Review of Pen-y-bryn in the NZ Herald

Maggie Wicks, deputy travel editor of the NZ Herald, recently paid us a visit as part of a general tour of Ōamaru and the Waitaki. Yesterday, the paper published her review of a gourmet stay in Ōamaru, and we thought it was worth sharing: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/hotel-review-oamarus...

Welcome Spring in Oamaru!

Cherry blossoms blooming in the garden Spring in the Southern Hemisphere is just days away, and already daffodils and other spring flowers have begun to bloom around our gardens. This is a delightful time to travel around the South Island in general, and Oamaru in particular, with gardens full of...

Name Your Price for Kiwi Travellers

https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/name-your-price-novel-promotion-lodge Now that New Zealand is in Level-2 lockdown, and travel is once again possible around the country, we want to do something to make it possible for more New Zealanders to spend some time in a part of their country'...

Covid-19

The novel coronavirus now known as Covid-19 has caused unprecedented disruption to international travel, with flights in and out of China suspended for several weeks, and now the announcement that New Zealand will impose a mandatory 14-day self-isolation regime for virtually all arrivals into the country. ...

Booking your stay with us

Many guests ask us what is the best option for making a booking to stay with us at Pen-y-bryn, so we thought we would post here to offer some guidance. Of course, our preference is for you to book with us directly through our booking site or by phoning us. That way we can be sure to have a me...

Oamaru–the world’s next spaceport?

Today the Waitaki District Council signed a memorandum of understanding with Dawn Aerospace to establish Oamaru as the base for testing and ultimately flying a novel unmanned rocket-propelled space plane. Under the MOU, flights could begin as early as later in 2020, opening up a new chapter not only in Oama...

Renovations in two guest rooms

As we continue our work to maintain and upgrade the facilities in our 130-year old lodge, we will endeavour to keep our guests and friends up-to-date on any interesting developments. Our latest work has involved upgrading the en-suites for the two rooms in the main lodge building, known as the Elizabeth and...

Beehive Update

You may recall that we installed our Flow Hive beehive in a corner of our gardens in 2016, with our first harvest of delicious all-natural honey in the autumn of 2017. Then we added an additional frame to allow us to harvest comb honey, which we first harvested in spring/summer 2017-18. Unfortunatel...

Say hello to our new-look dining and drawing rooms!

The new look of our dining room We are very pleased to share with you the new looks of the two public rooms where our guests spend the most time--the Drawing Room and the Dining Room. These two rooms have been completely renovated from the top to the bottom, with newly painted ceilings, new wallp...

Important Info for Overseas Visitors to NZ from 1 October 2019

The New Zealand government has announced that, from 1 October 2019, all visitors to New Zealand from overseas (with the exception of Australian citizens) who do not require a visa will require a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) before they will be permitted to board their incoming flight or c...

Kia Ora Magazine

As a small lodge with no advertising or PR budget, we do not often see ourselves appear in the major travel publications. So it's especially thrilling for us that the "Where to Stay" feature in this month's Kia Ora magazine, Air New Zealand's inflight magazine, is all about us! If you would like to ...

See History in Motion at Clark’s Mill

Just a few minutes' drive from Pen-y-bryn is one of the most unusual parts of New Zealand's history. Clark's Mill was built in 1866 as one of the area's many flour mills, and continued to operate as a commercial mill until as recently as 1976. Since closing, it has been maintained and lovingly resto...

Gingerbread House 2018

We are pleased to announce that the gingerbread house for 2018 has been revealed! Our model this year was the stunning Château de Chenonceau, one of the most magnificent of the many chateaux that we visited during our time in France this past July. For those who are not familiar with this tradition of ours, s...

A New Member of the Pen-y-bryn Family

It is with a sad heart that we report the passing of our beloved Labradoodle, Leo, in August of this year. Many of our guests had the pleasure of meeting Leo during their stay with us, charming them with his good nature and wagging tail. He enjoyed a long and eventful life, having been born in Maryland, U...

We’ve become New Zealand Citizens–and we’re sharing our good fortune with you!

On 3 September we were sworn in as new New Zealand citizens, a process that took just over eight years from the date of our arrival in the country to complete. To celebrate, we are offering our guests a special gift--20% off our standard room rate for the next three months! And just like there is no looking b...

Stargazing Special 3-Night Package

We are very excited to offer a special package in conjunction with our friends at SkyScape Sky Beds in the nearby Mackenzie Country. Combine a stay at Pen-y-bryn with a one-night stay under the stars in your own private luxury accommodation at SkyScape for a chance to see the night sky in all its glory. S...

Winter Closing 2017

Please note that Pen-y-bryn Lodge will be closed for the winter from 15 June to 7 August 2017. For booking enquiries for the 2017-18 season, please contact us by email or leave a message by ringing our main number, +64 3 434 7939.

Pen-y-bryn’s Book Now Available!

Just about a year ago, James and I began to contemplate putting together a book to fill a gap that we perceived existed in the Oamaru marketplace. Despite the fact that Oamaru is easily one of the most beautiful towns in New Zealand, and that the surrounding countryside offers some of the country's most pictu...

Pen-y-bryn Honey

For the past seven years, when explaining to guests what we have on offer at breakfast I always say "we make everything here", and make an exception for the honey, which we would purchase from local beekeepers. Well, that's a thing of the past now, since as of this week we now have our own honey to put on the...

Kaikoura Earthquake

Our hearts go out to all those who were affected by the 14 November earthquake in the area of Kaikoura. The earthquake, which hit in the early hours of the morning, resulted in two fatalities and significant changes to the landscape of that corner of the South Island, and it will be some time before all is ba...

Pen-y-bryn Lodge Featured on TVNZ

The host of TVNZ's popular Kiwi Living programme, Miriama Kamo, recently paid a visit to us at Pen-y-bryn Lodge, and the resulting segment appeared this week on the show. Kiwi Living features several segments each week, from cooking with famed Kiwi chef Michael van de Elzen, to household DIY projects and gard...

Celebrate Truffles and Springtime with Us!

[caption id="attachment_1268" align="alignleft" width="225"] NZ Black Truffles[/caption] Few people know that New Zealand produces excellent black truffles (tuber melanosporum), the equal of their famous siblings from Europe. To help celebrate the current season, we are hosting a special dinner on 17 Septe...

Special Offer for the Cooler Months

Oamaru and the Waitaki District are great to visit during the cooler months of the year. Not only is the weather during the autumn and winter far more reliably clear than during the summer, but the attractions that have made our area one of New Zealand's fastest-growing for tourism are even more accessible du...

2015 Gingerbread House Unveiled!

[caption id="attachment_1218" align="alignleft" width="600"] Gingerbread Waitaki District Council[/caption] Every year since 1997 we have created a gingerbread house as part of our holiday decorations, generally modelled on an architectural marvel that we visited during the year during our own holidays. Sinc...

Oamaru and Pen-y-bryn in the News

There has been a sudden spurt in reporting on interesting things in the Oamaru area, including a few articles about Pen-y-bryn Lodge itself. New Zealand's Life and Leisure magazine for September/October 2015 has no fewer than three pieces about Oamaru. The first one is about local car manufacturer Rod Tempero...

Pen-y-bryn Annex Expansion Shaping Up!

In mid-2014 we began the process of planning for the expansion of our three guest rooms in the Oamaru stone "Annex" building (the Nest, Park and Garden Rooms) by challenging Timaru-based architect Desmond Prisk, who had been involved in the original conversion of the Annex building into a guest accommodation ...

Centurion Magazine Features Pen-y-bryn Lodge

Centurion, the travel and lifestyle magazine for American Express premium card-holders, has a special feature on "48 places to spend 48 hours", recommending Pen-y-bryn Lodge as a great place for a visit. The photo they chose to use is a photo from the one time in more than five years that it has snowed in Oam...

Big News in our Annex Rooms!

As a Category One historic property, the main lodge building of Pen-y-bryn is protected by Heritage NZ, preventing us from doing anything to change the appearance of any of its rooms, or to the appearance of the interior or exterior of the building. As a result, our two "main lodge building" guest rooms--The ...

Pen-y-bryn Featured in Heritage NZ Magazine

The Autumn 2015 (#136) issue of Heritage, the magazine of Heritage New Zealand, has been released, and one of the main articles is about Pen-y-bryn Lodge and the work we have undertaken to restore this 1889 mansion to its current state. Work continues to enhance the Category One mansion, but the article does ...

Oamaru is New Zealand’s “Coolest Town”

With every new edition of the Lonely Planet guide to New Zealand in recent years we have noticed the number of pages devoted to Oamaru and the surrounding area has grown progressively larger. Gone are the days when Oamaru merited a mere two pages and the sense that the town was suitable for little more than a...

New Oamaru Book Features Pen-y-bryn Lodge

Penguin Press will soon release a beautiful book in full colour celebrating the town of Oamaru, its characters and of course its food. This book, due out in New Zealand in the spring, features detailed stories about the people who make Oamaru so special, including Phil and Tyla Scott of Scotts Brewing Company...

Three-Night Itinerary in Oamaru

During recent meetings in North America, we have been asked a number of times to produce a three-night itinerary for clients of New Zealand specialist travel agencies who are tired of the traditional "if it's Tuesday, this must be Rotorua" style of tourism, and who instead want to really experience the places...

Special 125th Anniversary Promotion

This year marks Pen-y-bryn's 125th birthday, and we are celebrating by offering our guests a special two-night package! Stay two nights with us anytime between 1 October 2014 and 30 April 2015 and enjoy a gourmet meal on both nights, free entrance to the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony's premium evening viewing, a...

Oamaru on Fire Sets Town Alight

For the third year running, the Queen's Birthday weekend in Oamaru kicked off with a bang with the Oamaru on Fire festival. This nighttime event takes place in the historic centre of Oamaru on Harbour Street, with all sorts of fire-related performers, pyrotechnics, and other festivities, together with live mu...

Visit Clarks Mill

For the past several years we have been hearing about how we had to make time to visit Clarks Mill (for some reason, that is the correct spelling, without an apostrophe in “Clarks”), the only surviving water-powered flour mill in New Zealand. Despite all the people telling us to make the short trip from O...