Find us on Plug Share

Find us on Plug Share

If you have an Electric Vehicle (EV) then you will know, when you go on holidays, just as it is nice to retire for the evening with a well fed belly, it is just as nice to relax, knowing that by the morning you will have a well charged battery. At Tussock Peak Motor Lodge, here in the main part of Hanmer Springs village, we have installed two 32amp AC chargers, delivering up to 7.4kW per hour. That's up to 6 times faster than an ordinary house plug "trickle" charger, or 3 times…continue reading →
Environmentally friendly guests

Environmentally friendly guests

One of our guests at Tussock Peak Motor Lodge liked our focus on minimising our environmental footprint a lot, because she was part of an active group with the same outlook. She came to our office with a very special gift, some "Boomerang Bags". Kathy from AgnesWater/1770 in Australia is part of a global grassroots group who get together regularly and make "Boomerang Bags" from donated or re-purposed material. They give these bags away for free, to encourage giving up using plastic bags for transporting groceries, library books or other shopping. Some of…continue reading →

When is being 50 better than being 40?

...when size counts? Definitely when you are a TV in a motel, with some great movies and series showing, courtesy of complimentary Netflix. Just over a year ago, you our customers, voted for complimentary Netflix to be provided, instead of Sky. The huge savings from that ended up with all new beds throughout Tussock Peak Motor Lodge. This year, we have put those savings to use again for you, by upgrading all our "Executive Spa Suites" and our "2-bedroom" units, with 50" flat screen, ultra high definition, 4K, smart TV's. Now there is…continue reading →
No smoking or vaping ?

No smoking or vaping ?

  • Posted on December 2, 2019
  • /Under News
Did you know? The majority of people don’t smoke, even among our top overseas visitors. % non smokers: New Zealand 84% Australia 85% Europe 70% United Kingdom 78% China 75%. New Zealand has a goal to be smokefree by 2025, meaning that less than 5% of our population will smoke by this time. From 1st January, smoking or vaping will not be permitted anywhere at Tussock Peak Motor Lodge: Smoking and vaping have not been permitted in our motel rooms for many years. As part of New Zealand’s ambition to be smoke-free by 2025, from 1st January 2020,…continue reading →
Review: Spice Village restaurant

Review: Spice Village restaurant

  • Posted on October 30, 2019
  • /Under Reviews
Flavour is the reason you should read this review... There's a new* Indian and Indo-Chinese restaurant in the village, one that we expect will rapidly become one of the top 3 restaurants in Hanmer Springs. They do all the familiar Indian main dishes plus some you've probably not seen elsewhere, however one thing you will notice with all of them, that the flavours are something else! They use original spices and it is noticeable in the flavour. Delicious! Good sized servings meant, by the time we'd finished eating, we ended up with take-away…continue reading →
Making a safer place for our native birds

Making a safer place for our native birds

  • Posted on December 18, 2018
  • /Under News
In October the kowhai flower and the tuis are all around the village. In December the flax flowers attract the bellbirds. The sound of their song is truely wonderful. Bellbird at Tussock Peak, drinking nectar from flax flowers in the garden We have recently supported the Te Tihi o Rauhea Hanmer Springs Conservation Trust, by funding the purchase of a self-setting predator trap. The trust would like to place 100 traps to catch rats and stoats, in the hope that it will bring 1,000 native birds back into the area. If you wish…continue reading →
Why book direct? Booking online is easier

Why book direct? Booking online is easier

  • Posted on October 12, 2018
  • /Under Reviews
Like you and many others, I've often used Online Travel Agencies (OTA's) such as BookingCom, Expedia, Agoda, etc. It's easier to see a quick overview of what's available and compare prices between places. And then there are comparison sites such as Trivago. And AirBnB is cheap isn't it? But is it really as good as they advertise? Let's take a closer look at each of the impressions we get from their advertising. This article covers: prices, availability, making comparisons, reviews, best price guaranteed, no hidden costs, nothing can go wrong, who will help…continue reading →
Fascinating vase from Fossil Point

Fascinating vase from Fossil Point

  • Posted on August 26, 2018
  • /Under News
On a recent day trip through the Waipara wine country, we dropped in at the Fossil Point cafe. Unless you know what a great place this is to stop at, most travellers on state highway 1 would whizz past this cafe and gallery, at the turnoff to Greta Valley. The cafe has lovely homemade, top quality food. There is indoor seating but on a sunny day the best place is to sit and relax in the outdoor area. Another good reason to visit is to look at the local art for sale. On…continue reading →
Review: Saints 2-for-1 stone grill

Review: Saints 2-for-1 stone grill

  • Posted on August 22, 2018
  • /Under Reviews
Wednesday night's special at the Saints bar restaurant here in Hanmer Springs, is 2-for-1 stone grill. Having never tried a stone grill before, I couldn't imagine it would be so easy, or so tasty. We tried both the venison and the beef steaks. They came out on a flat lava stone which had apparently been heated to 400°C! It meant that we could slice off pieces of meat and cook them to perfection, every piece. As we sliced, cooked and ate, the stone slowly cooled, so the meat never got over-cooked or cold. The roasted…continue reading →