About Us
About the property
The Pear Orchard Lodge sits slightly elevated within an idyllic rural 5.5 hectare setting in Hope, just outside of Richmond. It is overlooking the Waimea Plains with its orchards, wineries and market gardens.
The property includes paddocks where we raise some sheep and beef cattle, a small home orchard with a variety of fruit trees and home to our free range chickens, a gully and wetland area with regenerating native bush and bird life, a large pond, loved by our ducks and geese, and of course the pear orchard with its rows of Taylors Gold and Beurre Bosc varieties.
A cluster of buildings forms the heart of the property: the old farmhouse built in 1910 where Timo and Olivia live with their three children, various barns, outbuildings, the lodge and the cottage.
About the lodge
While purposely rough and rustic on the outside, the interior of the lodge building is light and airy, with a mix of vintage and repurposed furnishings. The design of the building is inspired by the old barns seen in the Tasman area with their patchwork of old corrugated iron, hand-made wooden detailing and overhanging roof lines.
One of our priorities in building and operating the lodge is to minimise its environmental footprint as much as practically possible: by recycling building materials, milling our own timber for flooring, decking furniture and other uses, double-glazing and insulation, clever design and use of solar energy for heating, efficient appliances, rain water harvesting and by utilising treated wastewater for irrigation.
We minimise and mitigate our carbon emissions through various measures, including native replanting, the use of renewable energy and an electric vehicle.
Meet the team
Timo
Architect/urban designer-turned-farmer/lodge owner, Timo designed the Lodge and is our frontman for day-to-day operations. Originally from Germany, Timo is as happy as a clam to live in the Nelson region. He is passionate about tramping, sustainability, chainsawing and all things smoked. He is also responsible for keeping Wayne, our sourdough starter, alive.
Olivia
Olivia is a real South Islander, originally from Christchurch. A keen forager and hoarder of all things antique and vintage, Olivia was responsible for the interior fit out of the lodge. She looks after the website design, and since moving to the country, has taken to preserving and jam making.
Coco
Coco is the Lodge Dog. She is a keen ornithologist and is unfortunately completely useless at herding sheep. She loves to chase balls though and her main tricks are "shake hands" and "high 5". Coco is NOT allowed on the lodge lawn or inside the lodge or cottage buildings.
