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Dawson Falls Mountain Lodge

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  • Manaia Road, Kapanui
     Taranaki, New Zealand
    +64 (6) 765-5457Website
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UK Flower Girl
UK Flower Girl
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
1
Review
4
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Editor Pick

Dawson Falls Mountain Lodge

  • September 26, 2006
  • Rated 4 of 5 by UK Flower Girl from Market Weighton, England
Dawson Falls Mountain Lodge

"The Lodge with Altitude"

The Dawson Falls Mountain Lodge was built in 1896 and restored in 1982. It is at 902 metres above sea level and offers a quiet, relaxing, stress-free stay. It is situated near Dawson Falls and a Department of Conservation Visitor Centre. It is perfectly located for walks on Mt. Taranaki.

The King bed honeymoon suite is situated at the back of the lodge overlooking the mountainside and all points east. A door led out to a small shared deck area that was perfect for gazing at the stars of the southern hemisphere. My eyes had never seen the Southern Cross before this night! The entire room was done Swiss-style with wonderful carvings and hand-painted wood.

The lovely old-style freestanding bathtub didn’t live up to expectations. The "rain shower" showerhead should have been enjoyable, but it was set too low and Tom couldn’t stand underneath it. A bright pink shower curtain, going ¾ of the way around, topped off the entire showering experience. Tom came out shaking his head. "What is wrong", I said. "Have a go, you will see". By the time I was done I understood.

Much of the lodge’s heating and lighting comes from a unique hydro DC generator installed in 1934 which gains its power from the Kapuni River. There are plugs in the room on a/c power to charge batteries/computer and run a hairdryer. Because of the DC power, you can flip a switch above the bed and it warms the bed for you. I don’t know exactly how this works, but it certainly works.

The common area contained a library of information about New Zealand. The hotel itself has more history than I can condense here. Book after book lined shelves around the room and comfy furniture in cozy corners allowed you to relax and read to your heart’s content.

The hotel boasts of a sauna, plunge pool and gymnasium. We didn’t have time to partake the one night we stayed, but we went to take a look in the morning anyway. All I can say is that you shouldn’t choose this hotel because of these wonderful, modern facilities. An ancient plunge pool and sauna are located under/behind the house. We had a look just before we left (I wish I would have taken photos). Scary! And the "gym"—with ancient equipment—Ugh. It reminded me of a stationary bicycle had back in the late 70s with some free weights that have seen better days.

Overall, this is a very peaceful, quiet place to stay. The exquisite scenery can’t be beat anywhere in the area. Although there are a few downsides to the place, the ambience and character of the lodge outweigh this by far.

From journal A Journey to Mount Taranaki

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