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,…

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.…

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…

[caption id="attachment_1462" align="alignleft" width="214"] Leo[/caption] 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…

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…

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.

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…

[caption id="attachment_1279" align="alignleft" width="232"] The NZ Luxury Lodge Gourmet Trail[/caption] Pen-y-bryn Lodge is very pleased to be one of four luxury lodges sprinkled across New Zealand that form the new "New Zealand Luxury Lodge Gourmet Trail". This group of unique luxury lodges share a number…

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…

[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 September 2016 that will…