Hostess with the mostest

Samantha Winn

Hostess with the mostest riding high

Pukekohe-born Samantha Winn’s life was all about horses until she and her yachting enthusiast husband decided to change tack. Their latest venture, a five-star bed and breakfast luxury lodge out of Drury, has just won two industry awards for excellence. ANGELA KEMP visited.

Quail Lodge is a two-bedroom private lodge nestled high in the foothills of Drury. It has sweeping, panoramic views of Auckland, taking in Pukekohe, Glenbrook, the Manukau Heads, the Sky Tower and beyond. It’s simply spectacular.

The lodge is next to the family’s architect-designed home amongst two acres of garden from which visitors can watch gliders soar above Auckland Gliding Club below.

It’s easy to see why Samantha fell in love with the property three years ago and persuaded her husband, Hamish Ross, to move.

She says she has always loved entertaining and the opportunity to run a private lodge for paying guests was too good to miss. Now, the couple are thrilled to have won both the 2021 Rising Star B&B Award and the booking.com Traveller Review Award 2021 for consistent, outstanding hospitality.

Judges described Quail Lodge as ‘an immaculate property in both presentation and hosting’. The accolades have come less than two years since the lodge opened.

Samantha grew up on Chelsea Farm in Rutherford Road, Pukekohe. Her father David Winn, a past president of Counties Racing Club, bred thoroughbreds so unsurprisingly horses became Samantha’s life.

“From a very young age I slept and breathed horses. After school I competed in everything — dressage, show jumping and eventing,” she says. “I rode competitively to a high level, ran a riding school and produced young horses for the international market.”

Samantha is well known in Franklin and beyond for her special skill of teaching middle-aged riders to get into the saddle for the first time.

“I have always taken great pleasure in hosting and entertaining. My equestrian background taught me to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of excellence.”

Husband, Hamish, is more used to riding the waves than a horse. A keen yachtsman, he is a world expert on all things America’s Cup and has been the legal advisor for several America’s Cup teams. in Whitford before moving to St Heliers where they renovated a house overlooking the sea.

Hamish wanted to take a step back from the America’s Cup so they bought a kitchen manufacturing company in Papakura for him to run.

“After seven years the commute was getting worse and I began looking for properties out here,” says Samantha. “I had to twist Hamish’s arm to get him to move but he admits I was right. We both just love it here.”

In December last year, Samantha threw a party for Hamish’s 60th birthday and surprised him, and most of the 80 guests, with a marriage proposal.

Quail Lodge can accommodate up to four people and has a large kitchenette and an elegant lounge. Breakfast is served in the lodge or on its private deck and looking at recent reviews, Samantha’s whitebait fritters come highly recommended.

A HOME TO ROOST

for years and I’d said, ‘no’ for a variety of reasons. But then I thought this was the perfect opportunity. They were Canadian and were supposed to be having a beautiful Canadian white wedding but they couldn’t go home.

“I gave him this big speech and at the end gave him a card with a marriage licence in it. He looked at it and didn’t say anything and fi nally everyone was asking, ‘well, what does it say?’

“He said ‘it’s from the Department of Internal Affairs and it’s got my name on it and her name on it, so yes, yes, yes, I’d love to marry you’.

“He hadn’t read the date and his mouth just dropped when I said I was going to get changed as the wedding was happening now.”

Samantha adds that Quail Farm has hosted three weddings plus Hamish and hers. “They wanted to be married somewhere where they could take their dog and stayed for two days.”

In the dark days after last year’s Covid lockdowns, Samantha ran a successful ‘set your own price’ deal to encourage bookings.

“As long as it didn’t cost me money, I would accept it. I fi lled the lodge every weekend I wanted.”

With the move to Drury, Samantha says she feels as if she has come home again; the views from the lodge reminding her of her childhood in Pukekohe. And, while she still gives the occasional dressage lesson, she’s more than happy keeping her feet on the ground and giving her guests the best time she can. Samantha named Quail Lodge after the birds which had made their home on the property.

“But as soon as we moved in, they disappeared, never to be seen again!” she says.

With such stunning views, it’s doubtful guests will notice the absence of quail but will appreciate the plentiful kererus swooping around.

Quail Lodge can accommodate up to four people and has a large kitchenette and an elegant lounge. Breakfast is served in the lodge or on its private deck and looking at recent reviews, Samantha’s whitebait fritters come highly recommended.

Describing herself as ‘a good home cook, not a chef’, Samantha is also happy to serve guests dinner in the lodge or if they prefer, they are welcome to join her and Hamish for a family meal in the main residence. Reviews of Samantha’s dinner menus, are also fi ve star.