Wagon Stays, New Zealand

Wagon Stays offers guests the opportunity to stay in a covered wagon that has been specially crafted to give you and your partner a uniquely designed, eco-friendly, luxury accommodation experience.

Located on a beautiful, elevated rural setting with deer, sheep and cattle grazing nearby. Soak under the stars in an outdoor heated bath. Delicious continental breakfast. Just 15 mins from central Christchurch and 20 mins from Christchurch International Airport.



Your wagon has been specially designed to offer accommodation for two in the atmosphere of the early settlers wagon, while discreetly maintaining all the modern comforts you would expect in luxury accommodation.
Wagons are always situated in rural environments which offer stunning views of our beautiful country while still being close to towns, restaurants and shops etc.

Room Types Available

• Twin Share Ensuite
• Queen Ensuite

Facilities

• Coffee/Tea Facilities
• Bath Tub
• Hair Drier
• Laundry
• Stereo/CD Player
• TV
• Satellite TV
• Air Conditioning
• Selection of CDs and DVDs
• Farm style evening meals available
• Kitchen Facilities 

Hours of Operation

0700 - 2200

Directions

From Christchurch airport turn right into Russley Road continuing down Carmen Road, through Hornby and then turn left into Halswell Junction Road at the roundabout.Travel to the end of this road and then cross the intersection into Sparks Road. Turn right into Sutherlands Road, go to the end of the road and turn left into Cashmere Road. Wagonstays is on the lefthand side of the Road. From the city take Lincoln Road then Halswell Road until Sparks Road, then follow the end of the instructions above.

White Cliffs, Australia

White Cliffs has to be one of the 'must-see' destinations in Outback NSW. Imagine a township in the middle of the desert where the best accommodation is underground, a township full of interesting and unusual characters, where everything you need to know can be found out by visiting the general store and where thousands of people hoping to make their fortunes over the last century, have turned the surrounding hills into a lunar landscape pock-marked with mines.





Like all opal mining towns there is a definite last frontier sense about the place.

White Cliffs came into existence in 1889 during a year of drought when four kangaroo shooters were hired to reduce their numbers on the Station. The roo shooters found opals and realising their possible value, sent them to Adelaide for appraisal by Tullie Cornthwaite Wollaston.

The stones interested him so much that he decided to make the journey into the Outback to investigate further and subsequently purchased the first White Cliffs opal, thus starting the field.

White Cliffs came by its name as a description of the white rock which every miner had to dig through to get to the opals.


William Johnstone arrived in 1892 to set up the first store and hotel but the town didn't really grow until 1893 when news of some good finds drew miners to the area, which began the development of the town's infrastructure. By 1897 White Cliffs had about 1,000 people.

Building materials were scarce and expensive and the heat in summer was extreme resulting in miners converting their old shafts into homes. The hills were made of solid sandstone rather than earth so the dugouts were in no danger of collapsing and the temperature was constant.

By 1900 there was an underground bar at the Centennial Hall and today there are around 140 dugout dwellings dotted around the town

Mining reached its peak in 1902 when about £140,000 of opals were found and large numbers of miners were still here until about 1914 when declining opal deposits and the beginning of WWI saw the town reduced to its present day size.



Today the permanent population is around 200, rising to about 500 in winter with the arrival of gem seekers. In 1987 the total production of opals from the White Cliffs fields was estimated to be AU$150 million.

Over the years there have been remarkable opals found in White Cliffs such as opal 'pineapples' and opalised shells.



The most unusual find was the opalised remains of plesiosaur found in 1976. It is nearly 2 metres long and believed to be around 100 million years old. For years it was on display in White Cliffs until being removed to Sydney.

Jules Undersea Lodge, usa

Jules’ Undersea Lodge, named after the author of the famed maritime tale 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, is the world’s first underwater hotel. Originally built in the early 1970s as a groundbreaking research lab off the coast of Puerto Rico, the Lodge has been in business in Key Largo, Florida since relocating there and opening its hatch to the public in 1986.


Truly an innovative concept, Jules’ Undersea Lodge claimed status as the world’s only underwater lodging available to the public until recent years when ecotourism has become all the rage. Many celebrities have enjoyed a stay including Steve Tyler of Aerosmith, John Fishman of Phish (of course) and former Canadian Prime Minister, Pierre Trudeau.


Visitors to Jules who are not certified divers will go through a 3-hour crash course in scuba diving before shacking up in their room for the night. After all, the entrance to the hotel is 21 feet underwater on the sea floor. If you are a diving enthusiast, the Undersea Park is your Mecca. In addition to the scuba crash course, the staff of Jules’ Undersea Lodge offers extensive scuba certification courses and diving excursions.


After diving down and resurfacing through the wet room entrance, residents can doff their scuba garb and enjoy all the conveniences of modern life 21 feet below the surface. Patrons marvel at unobstructed views sea life in their natural settings through 42 inch windows. Completely stocked with modern conveniences like air-conditioning, hot showers, a stereo and a DVD player this hotel is perfect for the romantic getaway or the adventurer who truly desires a unique experience (and, yes, the Lodge is fully stocked with compressed air). Once underwater, visitors do not have to resurface until they desire. Dinner and breakfast are provided by the world’s only “mer-chef” and delivered promptly at 6:00PM (dinner) and 8:00AM (breakfast). I would recommend a stay at the Undersea Lodge to anyone with an adventurous spirit. For those seeking a truly unique wedding experience, why not take advantage of the wedding package?

Utter Inn
Underwater hotels are still largely a product of a vivid imagination. Several are in the planning stage or are currently under construction. A man named Mikael Genberg definitely had a vivid imagination when he constructed his Utter (Otter) Inn in Vasteras, Sweden in 2000. An artist and sculptor, Mr. Genberg chose to focus on “making art for the public” when he built the Utter Inn.
This one-room inn offers guests the chance to sleep 3m below the surface of Lake Mälaren about 1km from shore. The Inn resembles a large buoy with the appearance of a Swedish red house with white gables. For an extra charge Mr. Genberg will deliver dinner to tenants, otherwise, guests are on their own.




The room offers panoramic views of the lake and an old switcheroo with the fishes. Instead of looking at fish in an aquarium, guest of the Utter are in the aquarium with the fish looking in. The Utter is truly a singular experience that few have known. However, it is a wildly popular destination during the summer months. Reservations well in advance are recommended.
Hydropolis
One of the underwater hotels currently under construction is the Crescent Hydropolis of Dubai. Dubai has become notorious in recent years for its fabulously modern architecture. It seems the wildest architectural dreams become reality here. The Hydropolis furthers this notion. At a cost of some $550 million, the luxury resort is being built on the Persian Gulf floor – 66 feet below the surface. When completed, the project will cover 27 acres and compose of an above ground “land station” connected by a 1700 foot transparent train tunnel to the undersea hotel which resembles the shape of a jellyfish. The 220 suites will be bubble-shaped, with clear glass comprising both the sleeping area walls and the bathtubs. I suppose modesty must be checked at the front desk also. Anxious sea-dwellers will have to wait until 2009 before making a reservation. You may even want to have a look at some existing Dubai hotels before diving into the ocean for Hydropolis.






Poseidon Undersea Resort
Another underwater hotel set to open in 2009 is the Poseidon of Fiji. This resort is being built 40 feet underwater. Another 5-star resort, the Poseidon is the brainchild of American submarine engineer Bruce Jones. Mr. Jones was heavily influenced by the novels of Jules Verne and movies like “The Amphibia Man” (obviously).
Each guest will have a personal Triton submarine at their disposal for exploring within the lagoon. For excursions to the area’s depths, tours on a 16-passenger luxury submarine will be provided. Activities are also available on Poseidon Mystery Island which has been artificially constructed for the resort’s purposes. Though still under construction, room rates have been set. A standard 550 sq. foot suite can be had for about $1500 a night. But why stop there when you can reserve the whole of Poseidon Mystery Island for a mere $3,000,000?



Visitors will be able to see everything from their rooms through transparent acrylic walls and even feed fish swimming by. The luxery hotel is set to open by the end of 2008.