About
Fantail Hill
​Fantail Hill
Fantail Hill is situated on the hills above the sea in Thames, Coromandel Peninsula on a five acre block of regenerating New Zealand native bush. The property backs onto the Coromandel Forest Park and is adjacent to the Karaka Valley waterfalls.
Fantail Suite
The two bedroom private Fantail Suite is perfect for one to four people and includes bed and generous breakfast, sea views and a hot outdoor spa pool amongst the bush.
Past our subtropical gardens and the spa pool, you enter through an archway of native tree ferns into a network of bush trails that connect with the Karaka Valley waterfalls to the north. Mount Karaka, Crosbies Hut and many other hiking trails are nearby, which eventually connect with the famous Pinnacles track.
Birdlife
The property is a haven for birdlife and apart from the many Fantails (for which we are named), we have Morepork (Ruru) the NZ native Owl, Tui, Bellbirds, Grey Warbler, Californian Quail, Kingfishers, Pheasants and Swallows.
We aim to be responsible and respectful guardians of the land (whenua) we live on and take into account the Maori concept of kaitiakitanga which means caring and protecting the environment for future generations.
Fantail
(Piwakawaka)
Spray free
With this in mind, our long term project has been to remove noxious and invasive pest plants without using toxic chemicals. We have been doing this with the help of friends and sometimes WOOF’ers (Willing Workers on Organic Farms).
Since 2016 we have planted many fruit trees and put in two vegetable gardens, we do not use artificial fertilisers and all our fruit and vegetables are organic and spray free.
Some of our pollination beds and fruit trees at Fantail Hill B&B
​Sustainability
Our sustainability practices at Fantail Hill include;
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Rainwater collected in a tank for domestic use
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All food scraps and garden clippings are composted and recycled to be used as fertiliser on the gardens
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We only buy Fair Trade organic coffee for ourselves and our guests
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Our bread is homemade using organic ingredients and an authentic sourdough process, any bread we buy is made in a local artisan bakery using the same sourdough process
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We use Eco Store products in our home and in the guest suite which we get refilled in reusable containers from our favourite local eco-market ‘ReStore’ www.re-store.nz
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For your comfort, we aim to use 100% cotton and linen on our guest beds and in winter pure merino wool blankets
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We have two raised bed gardens, one for root vegetables such as Kumara (sweet potatoes ) and one for salad vegetables
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Organic fruit orchard, growing plums, peaches, nectarines, bananas, lemons, limes, oranges, blueberries, quince, crabapples, loquats and feijoas
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Flower beds planted with heritage species of flowers especially to attract pollinators (flying insects that pollinate the fruit trees)
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Re-wilding part of our lawns into wildflowers and natural weeds which feed pollinators and create a protective mulch for the ground through the hot dry summers
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Removing pest plants from the property and re-planting with NZ Native plants and trees
We are also working with the Pare Hauraki Native Nursery which is a local Iwi (Maori tribal) project to regenerate our region back towards the original plants that were here in the past.
In their words: “The Moehau project team aims to replant and revitalise our tupuna maunga*, while also creating employment, education, and cultural revitalisation opportunities for our people. Our eco-sourced seeds are carefully selected from the Thames, Coromandel and Hauraki Districts, ensuring that our plants are well suited to the local environment."
* ancestral mountain
Community Involvement
Fantail Hill also takes part in Community involvement, collecting items and donating time to the local Thames Charity ‘Children in Care’, for families in financial need or women and children fleeing Domestic Violence.
Your hosts
We are Siegfried and Carmel plus our loveable Swiss Shepherd dog, Mia.
We have local knowledge of - and can advise you on - nearby Thames and Coromandel Peninsula attractions. We speak both English and German.
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Siegfried worked as a Chef and Event Organiser for many years in Europe, always with the dream of running a small B&B in New Zealand.
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Carmel is a Kiwi who was working as a Business English coach in Germany when she met Siegfried, they returned to New Zealand together and found a beautiful spot in their favourite region - the Coromandel Peninsula.
