Notes from the host
La Vie en Rose Cottage
Cleaning fee is fully Refunded when the outgoing guests leave the property the same as they enjoyed on their arrival.....Clean, tidy and in order.
New Special Rate for ONE person stays of $145 night ...
TWO people stays are $215 and Extra guests are $25 night each.
La vie en rose cottage has undergone a complete interior renovation with new carpet throughout & vinyl planking in the service areas which not only looks great but makes for easy cleaning.
The new modern shower,vanity,laundry and separate toilet are wonderful, while the newly installed custom designed kitchen with its electric inbuilt oven and induction hot top along with all new cookware, greatly enhance the cottage and your cooking and dining pleasure.
The cottage has been newly themed in an interesting and restful French cottage style with all mod cons, Other attractive features include new curtaining, a generous amount of superb quality French themed framed pictures throughout, an old antique French hunting lodge chandelier, a cream coloured family piano, a cosy logfire which is complemented by retro double glazing that ensures the comfort & warmth of all who stay there throughout the year.
The master bedroom suite is a queen and there's a sliding door accessing the large back decking and new verandah & new sun sail over the outdoor dining area.
The second bedroom has an identical queen bed & a comfortable single bunk set.
The spacious lounge and dining area with comfortable furniture and log fire has a new wall swivel- mounted wide screen TV.
Various board and card games, books, toys are available for both adults and children. Two tire swings across my footbridge are very popular.
A hall wardrobe contains golf putting equipment for the 9 hole lawn course, a French bowls set & cricket gear & skipping ropes that can be enjoyed across the cottage's own footbridge in the peaceful grassed Waeckerle Green Reserve, from which guests can wander an easy six minute stroll to the centre of Akaroa and back.
Originally designed and built by the present owner in 1985, the two bedroom cottage has undergone numerous additions such as the the extensive wrap around decking from the front sliding door, right round the back, overlooking the bubbling Grehan Stream and Reserve to the back door. A new verandah designed & built by the owner ensures that guests can enjoy a large portion of the decking with its gas bbq, under cover, still with its views and sound of the stream and birdsong, well into the late afternoon and evenings in most weathers. A new picnic seating area has been created o nthe oppoite side of the stream now[ August 2025] so awesome, [la vie en rose beside the Seine]
The mainly native established landscaped garden areas and stream sides encourage numerous visiting native birds & their songs are heard all throughout the day.
From the decking look out over the surrounding bushclad hills & a changing sky accompanied by the steady rhythmic murmuring of the stream and enjoy a favourite book, fine wine or chilled tasty beer, a French Bubbly a special coffee or tea along with some good company & breathe in the fresh air, the peace and tranquility.
With the new speed limit back to 100mph,the drive to Akaroa takes only one hour 20 minutes ,take in the everchanging scenery around you on the the way.
On the way, wine taste at Rossendale near Tai Tapu, detour out to Birdlings Flat beach for a bracing sea air walk towards the impressive towering cliffs and try your luck at finding gemstones & agates where the waves have wet the stones or take a fishing rod and try your luck off the shingle beach.
After driving parallel with Lake Wairewa [Forsyth], you reach Little River where there's coffee & tasty snacks, icecreams and an interesting always changing Art gallery & bookshop.
After taking panoramic pics when you reach just past the Hilltop, next stop is Barrys Bay, the first of four bays before you reach Akaroa with its Cheese factory, a sound excuse to sample and purchase some fine cheeses & to buy small portions, in the off cuts bin for a lovely cheeseboard to enjoy on the extensive decking at La vie en rose cottage with wine ofcourse.
La vie en rose is located at 28 Woodills Road a quiet generous sized tar sealed road in the first valley as you enter Akaroa township, welcoming you to NZ's only historic 1840 French/German town.
I'm sure you'll love staying at la vie en rose cottage... 'tres romantique'.
Only 6 minutes away, the centre of Akaroa has an interesting variety of cafes, restaurants, fish an chip shops and there's a good foursquare supermarket, a bakery and a butcher. Recently the Grande Hotel [2 minutes walk down the road!]has had a major makeover and has a large attractive outdoor area and live music every weekend . There's more than one good sandy swimming beach.
Check out the free entry fascinating museum, a new library & movie theatre, complete with its own cafe, the iconic Akaroa wharf, the original lighthouse built 1885 & a there's a good safe public slipway.
Take a harbour cruise, swim with dolphins, try a game of tennis, lawn bowls, mini golf, Barrys Bay 18 hole course[a mere 12 minutes drive ]or explore many walking tracks and cycling opportunities.
Drive to the many sealed roads that access other bays such as Wainui, Little Akaloa, Le Bons or Okains Bay.
Walk in the beautiful Hinewai Reserve from the road entry to Long Bay.
BYO linen[just sheets, pillowslips & towels & tea towels].
There are Hire sets avail at $35 per bed.
Special conditions:
All weekends are a two night min stay
All long weekends are a three night min stay
Easter and Over xmas or new year are usually four night stay s
wow...A Refundable Cleaning Fee. All guest bookings are charged Cleaning Fee of $200. However, Being Refundable,...when guests leave the cottage clean, tidy and ordered as they enjoyed on their arrival, the Cleaning Fee is Refunded in Full to the Guests account no more than 14 working days after their departure.
Guests are encouraged to take pics of all interior rooms on arrival before they move their gear in AND to take an identical set just before they vacate.
These ensure a guarantee of the full Cleaning fee to the guests account.
Check out another of my holiday homes, Moananui Lodge on the waterfront of Purau Bay {Lyttelton Harbour]. It's also just newly redecorated.
You know that you deserve a great break away, so don't delay ......Book one of these today!
