Off the grid: A pod-hopping journey to the wild heart of New Zealand's South Island

Gazing up from the comfort of my bed, the night sky was a mottled canvas of stars. A dazzling show of constellations, shooting stars and the occasional satellite whizzing across the heavens. Outside, the wind blew through the tussock grass. Something small – perhaps a skink, or maybe a rabbit – dashed past. Somewhere outside, sheep were sleeping, or perhaps watching too.

I was spending the night in a PurePod – a remote, five-star, backcountry hut, constructed mostly of glass. There are currently eight scattered across the South Island in New Zealand. 

Each is located in a dramatic landscape, allowing for a complete immersion in nature and the landscape, and the opportunity to pod-hop across the country. Inside, the pods are modern and luxurious, but the true extravagance is blissful isolation and views that run for miles – out to sea or across farms, valleys and vineyards. Totally immersed in the landscape, the pod is designed to take guests completely off-grid – there are no plugs, electricity or Wi-Fi and an information book includes an apology to anyone able to locate a 3G signal.

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This is the Kiwi concept of luxury, which offers something quite different from the global standards of six-star facilities, degustation menus and private butlers. It is space and remoteness that defines the exclusivity of New Zealand’s most high-end accommodation.

There was no one on hand when I arrived at Manakau PurePod, set on farmland 20 minutes by car from Kaikoura. I followed instructions to leave my vehicle at a secure parking area and donned a pair of gumboots that had been left for me at the gate to hike the final 10 minutes to my pod for the night. 

At first sight, the pods are simple rectangular glass and steel box structures – they are designed to be modern but unobtrusive in the landscape. Mine was small, but the crisp white bed, small dining table and lounge chairs on the deck outside provided plenty of opportunities to settle in and enjoy the views. Although the PurePods are self-catering, prepared dishes can be arranged that need just a few finishing touches to produce a three-course meal. That evening I enjoyed a tasting board of smoked and soft cheese, then a garden salad and venison steaks cooked on the Weber barbecue outside. 

Later, looking up at the night sky, I fancied I was sleeping inside a giant snow globe. The pods, with walls, ceilings, doors and even floors made of glass, are set on foot-high foundations that give the impression of hovering slightly above the earth. Each pod is hidden in a location so remote that no one – not even the landowner – can see you. The bed head, bedside table and chairs are clear plastic, and even the bathroom walls are glass, leaving guests to shower in a totally private but utterly exposed environment. Other than a timber wall that separates bedroom and bathroom, nothing is allowed to disrupt the view.

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Each pod is also an incredible feat of sustainable engineering: the water is spring-fed, solar panels provide heating and power, and waste water is filtered through a treatment system powered by earthworms before being reused into the land.

Waking up on the first morning, looking out across fields and mountains as far as the eye could see while enjoying the fresh ground coffee, home-made muesli and fruit compote left for me, it felt as though I was staying in a room that had fallen from the sky. Manakau PurePod sits on a working farm, which was completely cut off by the devastating earthquake of 2016, with no roads in or out. Since reopening, this has been one of PurePods’ most in-demand locations. 

The land, dominated by the massive Seaward Kaikoura mountain range, is owned by Tony Blunt, a third-generation farmer who will often pop out to greet new arrivals as they drive in, particularly if the streams leading on to the property are swollen – the road in requires the fording of three streams and culminates in a narrow wooden bridge, and he likes to be sure guests feel confident.

New Zealand, a land of earthquakes and volcanoes, is particularly vulnerable to the whims of nature. My next stop – the craggy Banks Peninsula, three hours’ drive down the earthquake-scarred coastline – is a remnant of two massive eruptions eight million years ago, which raised the land 5,000ft above sea level.

Atop all this dramatic scenery sits one of the newest PurePods – Pohue. After an hour of twists and turns from Christchurch, then a blood-pumping 25-minute walk through shrub and farmland (leave luggage out of sight in the car and carry only what you need), I arrived for another night in the great outdoors.

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Crossing a moss-covered fence line, I caught my first view of home for the night – a pod tucked beneath a stand of macrocarpa trees, fenced off to prevent the local sheep from wandering too close. The view was of muscular hills, rocky outcrops, and the deep blue Port Levy Bay below. The aspect of the pod allows for a sunset through the back wall, then a sunrise through the front. The inclusion of a birdwatching guide, planisphere and telescope provided the perfect activities to while away the evening, before a meal of local salmon and new potatoes grilled on the barbecue, then slices of baked cheesecake.

At dawn, a flock of sheep appeared as greenfinches warmed their breasts in the new day light. It was another glorious scene to wake up to.

For my final night, I headed to the Waipara Valley, one of the country’s best-known wine regions. Waipara benefits from hot summers and low rainfall. The result is clay and limestone soils that produce world-renowned pinot noir, riesling and chardonnay, with more than 100 vineyards and 30 wineries in the small valley.

Located above the chardonnay grapes of the organic and biodynamic Greystone vineyard, the PurePod of the same name puts visitors at the very heart of things: I drove directly past the cellar door to reach the PurePod and was later invited to an impromptu wine-tasting to select that all- important bottle for the evening. Dinner included Canterbury rib-eye steak and roasted wedges with chargrilled vegetables to be cooked on the barbecue. There was also a delightful local cheese board of blue brie, cumin gouda and pickles.

Although built to a template, each PurePod offers a remarkably different experience – whether it’s a chance to experience New Zealand’s wild forces of nature or the pleasures of local gastronomy.

Here in wine country, I was no longer isolated from the world but amid one of New Zealand’s most cherished industries, with the vines out back and the Waipara valley ahead. It was an entirely different perspective on the country.

I turned the lights off at dusk and, with a fine wine in hand and exceptional view beyond, settled in for another off-grid night under the stars. 

PurePods sleep two adults and cost from ￡308 per night; three-course dinner and breakfast from ￡78. PurePod hopping itineraries from ￡1,750pp, including dinner, breakfast, car hire and internal flights. For more information, see: newzealand-indepth.com