He tangata Profiling ‘The People’ who are making a difference to Maori tourism in Aotearoa New Zealand

Caring and sharing on edge of the blue Pacific Ocean

From the very moment of arrival, it’s hard not to feel at home at Orongo Bay.

After all, it is a homestead - and a historic one at that, having been built in the 1860s to house the first American Consulate in Aotearoa New Zealand.

But as delightful as this Colonial-era homestead is - and there is no disputing its status as one of the country’s magical little havens - it is the attention to detail and caring of its hosts that sets it apart.

Many New Zealand lodges and hotels - most in fact - are operated by foreign-owned or foreign managed companies.

At Orongo Bay Homestead, the task of caring for the manuhiri (visitors) falls squarely on the shoulders of owner-operators Chris Wharehinga Swannell and Michael Hooper.

It’s Chris visitors are most likely to encounter first - his big smile and heartfelt ‘Kia Ora’ serving as a friendly invitation to come on in and make themselves at home, literally.

And that is an atmosphere that pervades until it’s time for the last farewell.

Service and caring for visitors are big things at Orongo Bay Homestead. Very big things! Chris - of the Ngati Porou iwi (tribe) of the North Island’s East Coast - is very much the ‘people person.’

It was a trait that saw him for many years serving as a social worker, in Australia as well as in New Zealand.

Michael is one of this country’s foremost food and wine writers and it is easy to see where his heart lies - in his underground cellar, which hosts around 1000 bottles of the country’s finest wines. And he loves sharing his knowledge with his guests.

Chris Swannell and Michael Hooper ...
providing a warm hearth and luxurious surroundings in the Bay of Islands

Their garden, set in 17 acres of native bush covered and ponded rural land on the road between Russell and the car ferry terminal at Opua, in the Bay of Islands, was certified by Far North Organics in 1997, the first premium accommodation in New Zealand to secure such status.

Today that garden is the source of many of the ingredients of their imaginative wholesome meals - picked early of course, before the Far North heat gets a chance to take hold.

Chris and Michael have been in residence for 10 years, making the Orongo Bay operation their home and their livelihood.

Before they took over, the homestead - one of the most significant original buildings in the Bay of Islands - had been caringly restored, its native timbers polished to new. But as a private home, not the small luxury hotel it now is.

Its conversion since they arrived has been carried out with a great deal of painstaking thought and effort as to its intended use. With flair.

A new commercial kitchen was added, bedrooms enlarged and enlivened. And eight years ago, a new, separate accommodation wing built beside the pond.

But it is the personal touches that set Orongo Bay Homestead apart over recent years, have earned Aotearoa New Zealand an international reputation.

Having one’s bed turned down just before retiring may not be unusual in such establishments, but finding a freshly cut flower on the pillow, a different Maori proverb than that experienced before, and the next day’s weather forecast - including the probable highs and lows - is proof positive that you are regarded as a special guest indeed.

“Manaakitanga - the concept of caring for visitors - is a special element of what we do,” says Chris. And Michael chips in: “The most important thing is the guest standing in front of you.

“We want people to feel like this is their home while they are away from their own home.” Adds Chris: “We want to provide an authentic New Zealand experience with a couple of pretty basic New Zealanders.”

Chris and Michael believe it is important that they fully understand the background of their guests and what they do in their own country. Little things like how they have their beds made up and where their blankets are placed. Thus they try to get overseas as often as possible - to the countries where their guests - 3000 or so of them in the last 10 years - are coming from.

But while overseas trends may influence how they present Orongo Bay Homestead, the establishment is authentically Kiwi in its essence.

Chris’ Maori ancestry is reflected in the décor and cuisine, from the art works and crafts through to the utilisation of proverbs and sayings which have been passed from one generation of his iwi (tribe) to the next.

For those wishing to be fully immersed in Maori and Polynesian culture, a few nights in the Pacific Room, which overlooks the blue glistening waters of the ocean , cannot be beaten.

But no matter where one lies one’s head, Orongo Bay Homestead is absolute in providing tranquility and a restfulness so often absent in the modern-day world.

That secret has been well and truly recognised by Britain’s Joanna Lumley, and American movie star Jane Fonda. Both send their friends to stay at Orongo Bay Homestead. But as the visitors’ book reveals, they are far from being alone in that.

ORONGO BAY HOMESTEAD
Chris Swannell and Michael Hooper
Aucks Road,
RD1, Russell
Phone: +64 9 403 7527
E-mail:
Website: www.thehomestead.co.nz