Beautiful & Unique - The Chapel at the Olive Grove
As unique as you can get! This gorgeous 1870's wooden chapel has been lovingly transported and restored into perfect holiday accommodation. The space is perfectly set up as a couples getaway providing an ideal escape from day to day life. Located just 5 minutes drive from Russell, the Chapel at the Olive Grove is close enough to town to enjoy all there is to offer and it also has a Kitchenette and BBQ for those wishing to stay in for a quiet, romantic evening together.
The chapel was built in 1875 in Kawakawa, Bay of Islands by Irish coal miners and was formerly know as St Francis Xavier catholic church. It is listed as a Category 2 Historic building with Heritage New Zealand and is constructed of 1 inch thick rough sawn Kauri planks. It was moved to the site on the olive grove in 2012 by a local couple after it had fallen into disrepair and was no longer in use. It has been lovingly restored and set for its new life as holiday accommodation amongst the olive trees.
Because of the high ceiling and thick wooden walls the Chapel is lovely and cool in the hot summer months and we have an airconditioner/heatpump for added comfort.
Please do note that there is no TV. There is good wireless Wifi and a portable speaker if you would like to bring your own devise and streaming services to use
COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Should you be unable to travel for your confirmed booking due to a Covid-19 level change we will happily rebook your dates to a suitable time in the future at no extra charge and can do so as many times as needed
What a great find for us. It was exactly what we were looking for as we were visiting for a friendâs wedding. We would definitely highly recommend this place!
Such a beautiful space, everything was spotlessly clean, little kitchen has everything you need and we loved using the BBQ and enjoying the grounds around the chapel. Highly recommend !
A very unique style of accommodation, a very well restored 1875 chapel converted to a compact accommodation space. Small kitchen, but adequate for your needs. Nice outdoor area overlooking two ponds, heaps of bird life.
Overall, a great place to stay.
Gorgeous location and place. Perfect for a coupleâs getaway.
Hard to communicate with property owner/manager owing to need to create an account with the VRBO platform which we didnât want to do. And there was no other option.
I loved staying at the Chapel, it was very private and quiet apart from the occasional sounds of birds outside. The heat pump made it nice and warm in winter. It had everything I needed and it was a nice distance between the ferry and Russell. I wondered whether it would feel weird staying in a former church but it only gave off good vibes. Definitely would recommend and stay again.
My partner and I had a perfect stay in this beautiful place. Bad weather on the first day but happened that sleeping in a chapel on a stormy night is quite an extraordinary experience :)
This is more than a unique place. This is memories.
Highly recommended
Very lovely place. Super quiet. Very handy location at equidistant from the car ferry and Russell. Hassle-free check in/check out process. Highly recommend
Hi I'm Kelly and I run Bay of Islands Hideaways. My husband and I have 3 young children and are lucky enough to call the Bay of Islands our home. I firmly believe when travelling that you truly get to know and appreciate a place so much more when you can stay and experience life like a local. Because of this I love the opportunities that holiday home rentals can provide for both myself and those staying in the houses I look after. I take care of several properties in the area and get great enjoyment from meeting new people from all over the world and sharing in their experiences of our beautiful area. As a family we love to get outside as much as possible. Whether its pottering around home in our garden, heading out to the beach or getting out on the water for some fishing
Russell just has everything you could possibly need for a great time away. There are world class restaurants right on the waterfront with a to die for view of the sunset nearly every evening. There are wonderful activities and attractions all within easy reach with historic places such as Christs church and Pompallier house right in town and out in the bay dolphin watching, sailing and islands tours leaving every day
Its not everyday you get to stay and experience a small piece of Historic New Zealand. The thick Kauri boards provide excellent insulation for cooling in summer and warmth in winter. The layout is just so romantic but also spacious meaning that even though it is just for 2 people there is plenty of space to move around.