Enjoy your stay in a beautiful historic home and garden, now lovingly restored with Old World charm and modern conveniences offering quality accommodation.

Choose from four exquisitely decorated bedrooms, each with their own character, and which all have ensuites or private bathrooms.

Relax on the verandahs or wander around the gracious traditional garden containing protected trees, rare camellias, roses and a small private vineyard. Delicious continental and cooked breakfasts are served and you can enjoy the elegant guest lounge overlooking the garden. In winter enjoy the comfort of an open fire. Secluded and private we are just a short stroll to the village and harbour. We share our home with our two cats, Beethoven and George.

All bedrooms have fine crisp cotton linen, wool duvets, fresh flowers, electric blankets, heaters, hair dryers and tea and coffee making facilities with home baking. Thick fluffy towels and fine NZ made toiletries are provided in the bathrooms and ensuites.

The Vineyard

The Wilderness House vineyard, planted in 1995, is located barely 100 meters away from where the early French settlers planted their grapes in the 1840's.

The north-facing terrace overlooking Childrens Bay on the beautiful Akaroa Harbour, along with the volcanic freely draining loam soil type, makes the location ideally suited to grape growing. The Akaroa climate is typified by hot dry summers and long autumns that yield grapes of intense flavour and optimal ripeness.

Wines are made by the French Farm Winery as part of the "Akaroa BYO" and are bottled under the Te Kereru label. The Back Yard Operators are a group of hobby grape growers located around the Harbour who all share a passion for wine. That is mostly drinking it, but we have been known to take an interest in vineyard practices under the careful guidance of Mark Leonard the winemaker from French Farm.

The vineyard is well tended by Jim & Liz who are often assisted by friends, neighbours and guests who are usually curious for a taste of the finished product.