Changing it Up - Room Names Get a Revamp
We’re changing things up a bit at Breakers Boutique Accommodation. We’ve been doing heaps of maintenance and renovations/redecorating over the last couple of years and thought it was also time to give our guest room names a makeover too. We’ve decided to make them more in theme with our beautiful nature that we are lucky enough to be surrounded by.
Breakthrough room – this is our smaller room upstairs in the main house and it has been changed to Koromiko.
Koromiko is a native shrub found in the South Island with pretty little white or lilac flowers. It is an important plant in Māori medicine and a favourite for the bees and bumblebees in our garden.
Breakwater room – this is our larger room upstairs in the main house and it’s new name is Kowhai. The Kowhai tree is arguably one of the most well known native trees in NZ and with its brilliant bright yellow flower it is our unofficial national flower.
The Kowhai tree is a delightful tree to have in the garden and popular with the native birdlife, in particular the Kereru (native wood pigeon), Bellbird and Tui who love to feast on the flowers. Māori hold the Kowahi Tree in high esteem, as they value the durability of its hard wood and many medicinal properties.
Sunset suite – one of two rooms in our garden annex building and Sunset is now known as Nikau. The Nikau is NZ’s only native palm tree and the most southern member of the palm family. They are generally only found in tropical or sub-tropical climates, and we are lucky enough to have them growing in our garden and they are prolific all along the Coast Road.
The Nikau sprouts large clusters of mauve flowers with bright red “fruit” which take about one year to ripen. They are a favourite with the native birds, particularly the Kereru (wood pigeon). Through the ages they have always been important to Maori life where the leaves were used to thatch houses, to wrap food before cooking, to weave into hats, mats, baskets and leggings for traveling through rough undergrowth. The hard berries were made into necklaces or eaten when green. The immature flower can also be cooked and eaten – tasting a bit like cauliflower.
Driftwood suite – the second of our two rooms in our garden annex building. This is also our disabled friendly room with sliding shower in the bathroom and railings by the toilet and in the shower (wet walk-in shower). Driftwood is now renamed Koru.
The Koru is known as the symbol of life. It features in many Māori artworks based on the shape of the unfurling of the fern frond. The Koru symbolizes the way in which life both changes and stays the same – symbolizing new beginnings, new life, growth, strength and peace.
It took us a while to choose new names. We wanted them to be fitting with our surroundings and relevant to where we live. Set on 2 acres of native bush and landscaped gardens we have Koromiko, Kowhai and Nikau plants in our gardens and heaps of ferns so have the joy of often seeing the Koru. Native plants are important to the eco-system of Breakers as we love to encourage bird live and bees so we figure if they like visiting us hopefully you will all like visiting us too and enjoy staying in our rooms named after some of our favourite native plants.
Jan and Stephen run Breakers Boutique Accommodation on the Coast Road, West Coast, New Zealand. They are a beachfront b&b, overlooking the Tasman Sea. They enjoy getting out and about and exploring the West Coast and sharing their discoveries and their backyard with their guests. Don’t delay, book to stay today. You will be made most welcome.
