SiloStay New Zealand – Sleeping in a Grain Silo Has No Right to Be This Good

A grain silo probably isn’t high on the list.

But sitting beside State Highway 75 in the tiny Canterbury town of Little River is SiloStay, where somebody looked at the humble agricultural silo and thought, you know what that needs? A queen bed, bathroom and balcony.

Strangely enough, they were right.

From Farm Equipment to Funky Accommodation

SiloStay is around 50 minutes by road from Christchurch and sits on the route towards Akaroa and the Banks Peninsula, making it exactly the sort of place we like at Drive Stay Play — somewhere the accommodation is quirky and cool and becomes part of the road trip.

The idea came from Stuart Wright-Stow, who wanted to take an industrial agricultural structure and turn it into something genuinely useful, sustainable and different. The result is a collection of purpose-designed silo apartments that look wonderfully odd from the road but are surprisingly clever inside.

There’s also an accessible ground-floor silo accommodating up to three adults plus an infant.

The sustainability side isn't just marketing fluff either. Wool insulation, LED lighting and a wood-pellet heating system are among the ideas incorporated into the development, while the design itself picked up architectural awards in 2014.

Little River Is Part of the Appeal

Little River isn't a place packed with massive tourist attractions, and that is what I loved about the place.

Right next door you'll find Little River Gallery, showcasing New Zealand artists and craftspeople and currently open seven days a week.

Then there's the Christchurch to Little River Rail Trail, which finishes right here. The full trail runs roughly 60–65km through Canterbury countryside, wetlands and alongside Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere and Te Roto o Wairewa/Lake Forsyth. You certainly don't have to ride the entire thing to enjoy it.

For dinner, try The One Next Door — which is quite literally next door. It serves casual meals including burgers, pizza and grill-style food, with weekend trading currently listed. Given you can walk there in considerably less time than it takes to argue about who is driving home, it suits SiloStay rather nicely.

Breakfast or coffee is equally easy at Little River Cafe and Store, just a couple of minutes away.

Who Would Love It?

Couples are the obvious fit, particularly anyone doing a Christchurch–Banks Peninsula road trip, but SiloStay should also appeal to cyclists, architecture and design tragics, younger adventurers and travellers who are thoroughly bored with beige hotel rooms.

It's quirky without being gimmicky — and that's an important distinction.

DSP Pro Tips

Make SiloStay part of the journey rather than simply driving down from Christchurch, sleeping there and buggering off again. Spend some time around Little River, walk or cycle part of the rail trail, visit the gallery and then continue through to Akaroa the following day.

Also remember that mobile coverage around Banks Peninsula can be patchy depending on your provider, although SiloStay has free Wi-Fi.

And finally, if you're travelling as a couple, book one of the two-storey silos. There's something wonderfully ridiculous about standing on your upstairs balcony with a morning coffee and realising you're sleeping in something that normally contains several tonnes of wheat.

Find out more - SILOSTAY, LITTLE RIVER, NEW ZEALAND