Glendaruel Bed and Breakfast

About

Stunning views over sea and forest; colourful, much admired garden; quality accommodation, and personal attention.

Story

Welcome to Glendaruel Bed and Breakfast’s website – and to my home. My name is Raylene Waddell and it will be my privilege to help you experience the magic that is Stewart Island – its unsurpassed natural beauty, abundant birdlife, pristine waters and golden beaches, where often yours are the only footprints.

Glendaruel, nestled between Halfmoon Bay and Golden Bay, is ideally situated to help you maximise your time here. Overlooking Paterson Inlet and Ulva Island, it is bordered on two sides by uninterrupted vistas of native forest, alive with birdsong. The village of Oban on one side and the water taxis to Ulva Island Bird Sanctuary on the other are but a few minutes walk away.

Glendaruel garden, a fusion of native and exotic plantings, extends over several levels and melds into the forest, which New Zealanders call ‘the bush’. The garden has featured in magazines (New Zealand Gardener, Weekend Gardener and My Home and Garden) and in the book, Great Gardens of New Zealand, by Derek Fell.

Birds love it! Tui and kaka dispute the treetops, weka and, increasingly, kiwi patrol the paths. What a thrill it was when a Department of Conservation worker pointed out to me that a kiwi had left his/her calling card in the middle of one of my garden paths!

As for me, I love gardening, kayaking, cooking, travelling and languages. Stewart Island has been a preferred holiday destination for almost all my life and my permanent home since 2000. Helping you to make the most of your time on this beautiful island is my focus. I meet you at the ferry or air terminal and take you back at the end of your stay.

My Cairn terrier, MacPherson, enthusiastically joins me in extending A Hundred, Thousand Welcomes! and maintaining the special blend of Scottish and Kiwi hospitality that so many of Glendaruel’s guests have commented on.

My home is just that – a spacious, much loved house, combining old and new, antique furniture, original art work, DVD and Broadband internet.

The house is easily accessed from Golden Bay Road via a flat driveway. Central heating and double glazing ensure a warm interior.