Family- friendly Cobb Houses give backcountry experience
Enjoying board games in one of the Cobb Houses last weekend are, clockwise from left, Ralph Parker, Suzanne Thompson with Ella Dickson on her lap, Kirsty Parker, Leo Dickson, Paul Parker, Joe Parker, Ben Barker. Photo: Neil Wilson.
Situated in the unique Cobb Valley, adjacent to a host of family-friendly outdoor activities, Golden Bay’s two community holiday houses offer comfortable budget-priced accommodation.
The houses used to belong to the New Zealand Electricity Department but they came to the community from the Department of Conservation in the late 90s, through good work by Willie Butler. Known as the Cobb Houses, they are administered and maintained by the Golden Bay Community Workers for the benefit of the community.
It costs $10 per night per adult and $5 per night for children to stay in the houses and they each sleep 12 people in a mixture of bunks and beds. The houses are fully equipped with mattresses, crockery, cutlery, pots and pans, fridge, stove, microwave and fireplace. Dry firewood is also provided. Guests must take their own food and bedding and bring out their rubbish.
Within easy striking distance of the Cobb Houses are walks of varying degrees of difficulty.
Last weekend the Parker and Dickson-Thompson families from Nelson were using one of the houses as a base to explore the Cobb region and to extend the outdoor experience of their children.
“We’ve only just started tramping as a group because our kids are big enough now,” explained Ralph. “Our first trip was to Whariwharangi in the Abel Tasman just before Easter and the kids coped so well we thought we’d come up to the Cobb and try the trip up to Sylvester.”
In the end, the group went as far as the snow just short of Lake Sylvester last Saturday. Then they built a snowman, had a snowball fight and returned to the comfort of their Cobb house, knowing they were assured of a bed each – something that cannot always be guaranteed in tramping huts.
After steady rain all night on Saturday, it looked as though board games and indoor fun might be their lot on Sunday, but in the early afternoon the rain lifted to allow them to do some more outdoor exploring and fishing at the head of the lake. They say they’re coming back to the Cobb to go to Fenella Hut next.
Ralph said that the families had enjoyed their “fantastic” weekend.
“The houses are a great asset. The community is lucky to have them.”
Neil Wilson
