The Shearers' Quarters gift and coffee shop - a slice of retro rustic heaven for all
April 14th 2010 02:08
Hidden away on a quiet back road in the tiny hamlet of Seadown, just north of Timaru, in the south island of New Zealand, the Shearers’ Quarters gift and coffee shop is a slice of retro rustic heaven which offers a great day out for visitors of all ages and tastes.
Cafe aficionados can sip their brew of choice on a comfy armchair beside the log fire in the old silo, at a chunky table in the disused shearing shed, on the wide, shady verandah or in a secluded spot in the sunny garden. The Shearers’ Quarters has a tranquil, uncrowded space with a nostalgic country flavour for every season. The coffee is superb and a good range of teas is available too. The food is rich and generous; it took two kids and three adults to conquer a slice of chocolate mud cake and a further two adults and two kids to dispense with a caramel oat slice.
Housed in the abandoned shearers’ quarters which give the business its name, the gift shop provides hours of happy hunting and foraging for lovers of arts and crafts. There is a wealth of local treasures here, including ceramics, bags, accessories, kitchen and table ware, as well as exquisite hand knitted and homespun woollen jerseys and absolutely irresistible babies and kids’ wear.
For the young and the restless, there’s a mini-golf course behind the building and when they’ve conquered that challenge, in the back paddock, there’s a driving range.
Just off the shearing shed section of the cafe, there’s a playroom to keep the little kids occupied Out front the garden is perfect for hide and seek, while outback, Popcorn and Alice, the donkeys, a couple of alpacas, some nosy goats and a fat, lazy old kunekune pig are there for the patting and the feeding.
The Shearers’ Quarters is also available for functions and on that beautiful, sunny autumn day when I sat sipping my cafe latte and doing my bit with that slice of chocolate mud cake, I couldn’t help thinking wistfully of a romantic wedding ceremony in the garden and a banquet at a long table on the verandah of the old shearing shed.
In an age when barns, sheds, stables, churches, banks and even post offices have been born again as gift shops and cafes and in a region rich with crafts, coffee and great food, the Shearers’ Quarters gift and coffee shop is a stand out.
The Shearers Quarters is located at 932 Seadown Road just north of Timaru in South Canterbury, the South Island of New Zealand
The Shearers' Quarters cafe
Cafe aficionados can sip their brew of choice on a comfy armchair beside the log fire in the old silo, at a chunky table in the disused shearing shed, on the wide, shady verandah or in a secluded spot in the sunny garden. The Shearers’ Quarters has a tranquil, uncrowded space with a nostalgic country flavour for every season. The coffee is superb and a good range of teas is available too. The food is rich and generous; it took two kids and three adults to conquer a slice of chocolate mud cake and a further two adults and two kids to dispense with a caramel oat slice.
The gift shop
Housed in the abandoned shearers’ quarters which give the business its name, the gift shop provides hours of happy hunting and foraging for lovers of arts and crafts. There is a wealth of local treasures here, including ceramics, bags, accessories, kitchen and table ware, as well as exquisite hand knitted and homespun woollen jerseys and absolutely irresistible babies and kids’ wear.
The cosy cafe in the old silo
For the young and the restless, there’s a mini-golf course behind the building and when they’ve conquered that challenge, in the back paddock, there’s a driving range.
The sunny verandah
Just off the shearing shed section of the cafe, there’s a playroom to keep the little kids occupied Out front the garden is perfect for hide and seek, while outback, Popcorn and Alice, the donkeys, a couple of alpacas, some nosy goats and a fat, lazy old kunekune pig are there for the patting and the feeding.
The romantic garden
The Shearers’ Quarters is also available for functions and on that beautiful, sunny autumn day when I sat sipping my cafe latte and doing my bit with that slice of chocolate mud cake, I couldn’t help thinking wistfully of a romantic wedding ceremony in the garden and a banquet at a long table on the verandah of the old shearing shed.
In an age when barns, sheds, stables, churches, banks and even post offices have been born again as gift shops and cafes and in a region rich with crafts, coffee and great food, the Shearers’ Quarters gift and coffee shop is a stand out.
The Shearers Quarters is located at 932 Seadown Road just north of Timaru in South Canterbury, the South Island of New Zealand
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