Sky Scape, Aoraki / Mount Cook Region, South Island, New Zealand
Skyscape is the brainchild and labour of love of Bevan and Bridget Newlands, who opened the first Skyscape villa on their Mackenzie Basin farm in 2017, with two additional villas added in 2020. Their Omahau Hill Station covers 6000 acres of hill country near the country town of Twizel, and is a working farm with sheep and beef cattle. On the northeast corner of the station, in a 60 acre area dedicated to regeneration of the native flora and fauna, the three skyscape villas are built into the rolling hillside, separated from each other and hidden amongst the swaying tussock grasses, and offering a private tranquil retreat hidden from the world.
We are in villa 2, the first-built of the three villas, but all share the same design and similar views across the valley. The architecturally-designed accommodations are eco-sensitive, utilising locally sourced materials and passive design, and are recessed into the ground, to blend in with the surrounding environment. Although off-grid, the clever design and thoughtful inclusions mean the villas are impressively comfortable and luxurious.
At the rear of the villas, the earth-roofed kitchen and bathroom are covered with green-yellow tussock grass that blends seamlessly with the surrounding vegetation. Natural stone and polished concrete steps lead down to the secluded outdoor courtyard, where a low stone wall surrounds a seating area with chairs and umbrella, and a stunning steel and cedar open-air bathtub with views across the valley. The huge tub can be filled with water from a nearby spring, heated to piping perfection, for gloriously private outdoor bathing as the sun sets over the mountains and the stars begin to speckle the sky.
The villa itself is small, just 35 square metres, but perfectly formed. The crowning glory is the bedroom and living area, with its glass walls on three sides, and a soaring ceiling composed entirely of glass. In the centre of the room is the supremely comfortable king bed, perfectly positioned for stargazing. Other furnishings include a breakfast table and two chairs, as well as an easy chair with side table. The villa is light, bright and modern, with polished concrete floors, white linens and sheepskin floor rugs, and stainless steel and grey accents. There are USB charging points beside the bedsides, air-conditioning, and climate-controlled heating with radiators that automatically come on in the evenings. The glass sliding door entrance can be opened to double width, left entirely open or with the retractable flyscreens in place. There are also blinds for the windows and for part of the overhead ceiling, but to be honest, these would appear to entirely defeat the purpose of such unique accommodation! Admittedly, the room is likely to get quite hot on a sunny summer day, and the blinds may help under these circumstances, but we would recommend getting out and about during the day to explore the superb Aoraki Mount Cook region, returning in time for sunset and the cool of evening.
Behind the glasshouse-style front room, there is a luggage nook and wardrobe recess with fluffy white bathrobes, the kitchen and the bathroom. The kitchen is petite but well equipped – there is a bar fridge, sink, double gas hob, kettle and toaster, as well as lovely cutlery, crockery, glassware and cooking equipment. In the cupboards and fridge are the included continental breakfast elements – muesli and weetbix, yoghurts, poached fruit and fresh fruit, full cream milk, orange juice, tea and plunger coffee, bread for toasting, butter, and locally made jam and honey. There are also a range of items purchasable from the mini-bar – beers, ciders, red and white wines and soft drinks. Of note, the kitchen contains the only powerpoint in the villa, which is needed for the toaster, but can be used sparingly for other devices so as to not to overwhelm the solar-powered supply (on the days of our stay, we used it to charge camera batteries and laptops, with no issues at all).
The bathroom is simple but chic, with grey walls and bright white tiles. The heated towel rail comes on automatically in time for morning, and the water is fabulously hot and plentiful. The hosts make note that there is no hair-dryer, for the same environmentally-sustainable reasons, but there are shower caps and eco-sensitive amenities available. There are also eye-masks, as the villa does get very bright as soon as the sun peaks over the horizon, in case a little bit extra morning sleep-in is needed. But there is much to be said for emerging with the sun, wrapping oneself in a fluffy robe, making a plunger coffee and starting to fill the hot tub, drinking in those all-encompassing views as the dawn breaks across the valley.
Practicalities aside, while Skyscape is a beautifully designed and thoughtfully equipped tiny home, the experience here is far more than the lovely furnishings and even the divinely comfortable bed. It is about being ensconced in the natural environment, secluded and private, enjoying spectacular views of the surrounding New Zealand countryside. And by night, taking a front row seat to the stars as they unfurl across the southern sky, in one of the world’s best dark sky reserves, beholding the majesty of the surrounding stars, and if you are lucky like us, maybe even the aurora australis as it dances across the sky.
In a country of special places, Skyscape is a very special place indeed.
Practical Aspects
Skyscape is located a ten minute drive from the Mackenzie Basin town of Twizel, a base for hiking, biking and scenic flights. In Twizel, there are several options for coffee and meals. Alternatively, if ordered in advance, Skyscape can provide dinner platters, either a charcuterie plate of cheese, salami, smoked salmon, pickles, chutneys, bread and crackers, or a large salad of salmon, feta and vegetables for two.
Skyscape is also a fifty minute drive, along the shore of the gloriously bright blue Lake Pukaki, to the village of Aoraki Mount Cook. Here there are numerous hiking trails that lead into the mountains, including the easy but very popular Hooker Valley Pass and hikes along the Tasman Glacier Lake, as well as more challenging but less crowded treks such as the Sealy Tarns Track or the hike to Mueller Hut.
Finally, the next town along from Twizel is Lake Tekapo, on the shores of its eponymous and luminescent lake, and home to the photogenic Church of the Good Shepherd as well as eateries and bars. But even more importantly, it is the base for the Dark Sky Project, the tourism arm of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, the largest dark sky reserve in the world. Dedicated to reducing light pollution and preserving and promoting the visibility of the night sky, the Dark Sky Project offers several tours, the most immersive of which is the astronomer-led tour at the nearby mountain-top Mount John Observatory. This includes guided stargazing by the naked eye and through 9 inch and 16 inch telescopes, looking at constellations, star clusters and nebulae, but on the night of our visit, all these impressive sites were almost overshadowed by a spectacular display of the aurora australis, with pink and green tendrils arcing into the night sky in a breathtakingly beautiful (and unexpected) performance.
