About Us

Awatea (pronounced: ah wah tay ah) is Maori for daybreak, dawn, first light or sunrise.  We chose this name because our bed and breakfast and self contained accommodation site is located on a hilltop situated among 26 private, rural acres on the western side of Tasman Bay and thus attracts the first rays of the morning sun rising over Marlborough and Nelson ranges to the east - as you can see below.

Our building site has commanding views of most of the Tasman Bay area, including Nelson to the east, and the Motueka River Valley.  The Arthur mountain range, Heaphy (walking) Track and  Mt. Campbell are to our west, and the area is the gateway to the pristine Abel Tasman National Park, beaches of Golden Bay and Kaiteriteri, orchards and vineyards of the Motueka River and Moutere Valleys, trout fishing on the world famous Motueka River, and a host of water activities (canoeing, kayaking, tubing, etc.).

Awatea Tasman Bay is the name given to a boutique bed and breakfast and self-contained accommodation business which is owned and operated by John Hutton and Scott Starling (your hosts pictured above) who want to share a bit of New Zealand with their own friends around the world, as well as any other visitors who want a taste of luxury as they stay in comfortable, quality surroundings of a private, quiet, and relaxing nature, while surrounded by stunning natural beauty of mountain, river, bay, and forest.

Our Eco-Friendly Principles

Awatea Tasman Bay was developed in an eco-friendly and sustainable way, and continues this achievement in the day-to-day operation of the accommodation business in the following ways:

1.   we collect, sterilise, filter and use rain water for our domestic purposes;
   

2.   we use our own creek water for landscape irrigation and toilets;
   

3.   we have a worm-based composting system (more information on Biolytix) for treatment of all our household grey and black water, which is then distributed on-site to help water our lawn;
   

4.   our solid timber buildings (more information on Intalok homes) are made of plantation timbers grown in New Zealand, thus providing a natural carbon sink and reducing greenhouse gases;
   

5.   we have used extra insulation (spun fibres from recycled glass) to reduce our power requirements (and our electric power is from hydro-electric generation);
   

6.   we use pellets made from discarded sawdust from local timber mills for our room heaters;
   

7.   our buildings are designed to provide abundant natural light in every room;
   

8.   we have planted over 2,200 sequoias (redwoods) and douglas fir trees, as well as over 1,500 plants (mostly native species) in another attempt to do our share to green the planet and reduce greenhouse gases;
   

9.   we employ the precept reduce, re-use, and recycle (all paper, plastic, cans, and glass we no longer need) and encourage our guests to participate;
   

10.   we compost all of our kitchen scraps and garden waste;
    

11.   our buildings are designed so that natural air flow is used to cool our rooms in summer;
    

12.   our guest toiletries (more information on Health Pak) and our cleaning products (EcoStore product information, Ecover product information) are selected for their minimal environmental impact and no animal testing.
    
    

We would be happy to share our experiences in re-generating the landscape (including before and after pictures)!

Our Commitment to You, Our Guest

We want you, our guest, to enjoy a relaxing escape from your other worldly cares.  By providing you with the opportunity to stay in a scenic, country/rural setting, although only a few minutes from the local township and many interesting, challenging, fun-filled activities.  We hope to contribute to a memorable New Zealand holiday, which we hope you will recall fondly for years to come (and come back again).

Last but not least, Awatea Tasman Bay is a gay friendly establishment and we welcome gay and lesbian (LGBT) guests.

Once you’ve experienced the special views from your own private deck overlooking the Motueka River Valley and Tasman Bay, we think you’re sure to come back again and again, and will recommend our boutique accommodation to your friends when they plan their next New Zealand holiday.

Our Dog & Cat

We have two pets; a miniature fox terrier dog called Molly and a marmalade tabby cat called Ginny. Molly is an outside dog and has a kennel called Casa Verde! Ginny lives inside the Guest House ~ she is not allowed in the guest bedrooms or in The Cottage.

If you have any allergies to dogs and/or cats, please let us know when you book so that we can make sure our pets do not cause you any discomfort during your stay.

Others

Jim Kolbe and Hector Alfonso (pictured to the right), who live in Washington DC, also have an interest in Awatea Tasman Bay.