Wallingford Homestead

WORDS David Trim

PHOTOS Supplied & Pippa Marffy

Who knew that one of New Zealand’s oldest homesteads is in Central Hawke’s Bay. And who knew that it is still part of a working farm? To investigate we sent David out to spend a night near Porangahau in a wee place called Wallingford. There he was spoilt with some of the best hosting and dining to be found in Hawke’s Bay, all amid a typical sheep and beef farm.

It’s a beautiful spring day to be arriving at Wallingford Homestead. The country is full of life: healthy lambs are just starting to lose their playful nature; the bulls are looking impressive, while they view you with somewhat less impressed looks. The grass is abundant and the trees appear set for growth. Sometimes I forget how much concrete and glass there are in our cities, and being a horticulturist and lifestyle farmer in my past life, I am drawn to the countryside. It’s in my DNA. While I’m driving the hour-long journey to Porangahau, I instinctively notice the changes in soil types and the variety of livestock, and spot the permanent scars from Cyclone Gabrielle. I always feel at home surrounded by farmland.

From the porch you can see right across the valley

Then we arrive at Wallingford Homestead – a huge farmhouse perfectly positioned in the most wonderful setting amongst 170 acres of working farm. Mature oak trees guide us down the driveway, while a variety of huge trees curve around the homestead to form a staged backdrop, angling us to the front, facing the sunny skies of the northeast.

Arthur, the black-and-white collie, races Jeanette to the door to be front and centre of the welcoming as we walk up the brick steps to the ‘Hello Room’. The only noticeable sound is wind in the high trees. We opt for a grand tour first up, and Jeanette leads us through the homestead, while we feel and marvel at the amalgamation of homeliness and heritage.

Jeanette is the host who loves her work, and when you have such a property to be host of, there is a fine balance between being guided and being left alone to explore and submerge yourself in its beauty. The whole team have this same culture – of being available to help, while leaving you to find your own space and enjoy the property how you need to.

Wallingford is one of New Zealand’s oldest homesteads, once being part of a 40,000-acre station. Over the years, several subdivisions whittled the station down to 8,000 acres, then in 1935 the homestead, along with 2,000 acres, was carved off as one title. The 1853 original house, having partially burnt down in 1895, was rebuilt by the owner at the time – J.D. Ormond. The house just kept on increasing in size as each new child was born (they had 12!) until it had fifteen bedrooms and a hallway long enough to bowl a cricket ball along, and they probably did. It gained a reputation as being the largest single-storey house in the Southern Hemisphere.

The grand piano, key to the Ormond family’s self-entertainment when the family would gather round enthusiastically singing, is still in the homestead and now stands in the dining room. These days the homestead, sits on a terrace that opens out to views across the valley.

As Jeanette shows us to our room, we find ourselves gazing at everything: the photos, pictures, memorabilia, the floorboards and the structure of the homestead.

There is a place where imperfection becomes perfection. It happens in music when you compare a record to a CD, it happens in art and it happens in nature. This homestead of over 130 years is just another example of perfection through imperfection. The open fireplaces and the wooden floors, for example, are features less used in today’s world, yet here they are perfect.

Now that we have mastered the sprawling hallways and common rooms, Jeanette and Arthur lead us on a walk to the truffière (truffle orchard), situated on a lower terrace, just above the stream that winds its way through the property. This is no small undertaking, with 1,700 oak trees currently cultivating Périgord truffles. It’s a beautiful location, with lush grass underfoot – no grazing can take place in the truffle orchard.

It is said then halls made for a great indoor cricket pitch!

With our tour complete, Jeanette moves on to her list of chores for the day, and we sit and gaze at the valley with all the serenity it provides. It now feels like I have arrived home after a long absence. Sitting on the porch, I realise that it’s so very quiet and peaceful and all that is required of me is to just BE … nothing to DO – no lists, no phone messages and no pressure.

The cottage gardens fill the grounds beautifully, adding colour, texture and variety among the open grass spaces. Flowering foxgloves have caught the attention of bumble bees, and I have never before seen so many healthy super pollinators in one place – this is a great thing. Rosebuds are beginning to open, and the more you look at the gardens, the more you see. Raised vegetable gardens and a small orchard keep produce flowing into the kitchen, where Chris takes full advantage of the onsite food source.

Chris and Jeanette are both foodies through and through and have created a luxury dining experience, drawing on their love of fresh foods and their experience of high-end Sydney restaurants, where they made a name for themselves. The degustation dinner with matched wines is simply fantastic and will most certainly awaken your taste buds and raise your curiosity about flavours.

Jeanette says, “Chris is the most amazing chef in the world, but he’s such a modest person.” She tells the story about when they hosted their first dinner service at Wallingford, a crowd of food enthusiasts in from Wellington for a nine-course degustation. At the end of the night, he got a standing ovation from them all.

Chris makes everything: the pasta, truffle ice cream using the feijoas, mandarins, plums and figs from the garden. All produce from the gardens goes into making something – ice cream, pastries or jams.

The dining room offers a choice to hide away or be more sociable. There is no expectation here other than what is right for you. It feels like a catered large family gathering, somewhat intimate without the family dramas that normally accompany family reunions.

A five-minute walk up the road takes you to the small Wallingford Church, St Peters Wallingford. It’s worth the walk just to see the elaborate stained-glass windows. This was perhaps the community hub at one stage, as many farm hands would have been employed to run the original 40,000-acre station.

The homestead and surrounds remind me of my childhood, growing up on a farm and spending time with my grandfather on his farm. Sitting on porches, listening to the birds and the occasional locating ‘where are you?’ chatter between a lamb and its mum.

It’s a reminder that life can be simple. Animals find it simple, but somehow, we humans complicate things. Whether it is the childhood memories or the peaceful serenity of Wallingford Homestead, my stay has been amazing and I feel it has restored something in me. I will return to the everyday activities of my world with great memories and a feeling of having my overall wellness enhanced by simply being there.