A spontaneous Sunday trip to Te Horo wound up being the ultimate Honeys day out. “Te Horo? What’s there?” Well, this article will cure your curiosity - and have you grabbing a girlfriend and heading north before you can say “with milk please”.
A glorious, windless Wellington weekend had me feeling adventurous and the promise of a beach trip for Miss 3 had us heading north for a day out of the city.
I had heard about Ruth Pretty, the cooking school and classy catering service but for a long time I didn’t realise there was a quaint shop and charming tea room attached too.
A pot of loose leaf t leaf T or l’affare coffee and a generous slice of cake from a beautiful selection will set you back just $7 per person. If you’re after a refreshing thirst quencher, give the Springfield Lavender Lemonade over ice with mint a try.
Find a spot in the stylish glass covered conservatory to enjoy your treats and then duck through the hole in the hedge to take a walk around the property and discover a flower garden, chickens, cows and more.
Ruth Pretty is a charming experience, and I can’t wait to get back there to enjoy a sophisticated Honeys afternoon tea. Check out our upcoming event here.
As we left, we spotted the sign for Lavender Creek Farm and decided to take a detour to check it out. Remember it’s the middle of July right now so the lavender fields did not offer the striking purple contrast against the country backdrop you might expect at the right time of year but it was enough of a teaser for us to lock the idea of a second trip firmly in our minds for the spring time.
The small shop at the farm was delightfully homely, and the scent of lavender overwhelmed the senses, in nothing other than a wonderful way. I loved learning about the distillation process, and browsing the shelves lined with lavender everything - from room mist, lotions and soap to lavender honey, tea, sweets and more. We picked ourselves up a bottle of lavender essential oil for our diffuser, a jar of lavender honey and a small but generous bag of culinary lavender to attempt to re-create Lavender Lemonade at home. I'm going to try Ruth Pretty's recipe linked here.
We departed Lavender Creek Farm somewhat zen and made our way back across the state highway towards Te Horo beach for a final play with Miss 3 - drawing in the sand with driftwood, being chased by the waves and collecting rocks.
Our spontaneous Sunday trip to Te Horo delivered more than I ever expected - and now I know exactly what to do next time we are craving a day long escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.
