THE PRESS - While Grasmere Lodge excels in relaxation, it doesn’t exactly fail to please when it comes to inspiration and exhilaration either. The winter season at the lodge includes a plethora of outdoor pursuits which take in the entire gamut of possibility when it comes to the South Island’s crisper climates.

With Porter Heights just 20 minutes drive away, one might be forgiven for thinking that skiing is the be-all and end-all of activity during Grasmere’s winter. However, the reality is far more diverse. Grasmere Lodge is a mecca for hikers looking to mix the heights of luxury with high-country trails, while cyclists of all levels can get on the saddle thanks to the lodge’s complimentary suspension mountain bikes, and its network of flat tracks and rugged down-hill opportunities.

According to owner Tom Butler, the Southern Alps also lends itself to the more traditional type of saddle as well, thanks to the natural horsemanship of owner and instructor Heather Harrington. “While the sun is out on a calm winter’s day it is actually very pleasant to be out on horseback. It’s not too hot and it is certainly not too cold. It is a fantastic way to see the countryside on the horses,” he says. “Heather trains the horses in natural horsemanship, which basically means there are no bits in the horses’ mouths, and it is a very friendly way to treat the horses - very much a mutual respect between rider and horse.”

Families are also catered for with a farm drive and 4WD tour, as well as a nature walk. However, as far as many of Canterbury’s fathers and sons are concerned the big guns of Grasmere Lodge’s outdoor potential are exactly that. “Whether it be possum shooting or just clay pigeon shooting we have found that there has been a vast increase in the popularity of it for fathers and sons.”

With all this on offer it’s hard to think of anything Grasmere Lodge lacks. However Butler says there is one thing. Not that anyone seems to mind. “We have got no cellphone coverage, although we are completely wireless capable throughout the property, but it does mean if a guest owns a company or a business the pestering cell phones aren’t ringing all the time,’ he says. “So the solitude of that is quite special.”