New adults-only mountain cabins promise a night you'll never forget

Forget five-star hotels. Tonight, it’s a billion stars. Quite literally. We’re snuggled in a glass pod with the Milky Way as our nightlight.

It’s crazy to think our Solar System is hurtling around the Milky Way at around 800,000 kilometres an hour. And within our Solar System, Earth is racing around the Sun at around 107,000 kilometres per hour.

With all those crazy forces at play, thank goodness gravity has got me firmly ensconced in my comfy bed.

My wandering thoughts are interrupted by a shooting star. , my mind always runs wild thinking about the celestial expanse above. So, what about meteors? I grab my phone to find out a few facts.

Most people associate meteors hitting Earth with the dinosaurs, but only 115 years ago – in 1908 – roughly 80 million trees were flattened in a remote part of Russia. Although a bit of a mystery, one of the leading theories is that an asteroid blew up in the sky after entering the Earth’s atmosphere, causing the carnage below. Mind-blowing.

I quickly tuck my phone away, and vow not to look at it again. Here, it’s best to be in the moment.

Welcome to the Haurapa PurePod in Central Otago, one of two new cabins near Cromwell. PurePods are world-famous glass cabins, placed in some of the most spectacular locations around the country. There are now 12 scattered from Rotorua to Stewart Island, with plans to grow significantly.

The pods are also packed with technology (behind the scenes) that takes care of your comfort, with huge solar panels, windows that open with the flick of a button and temperature control.

Unlike glamping, here you’re always warm, and have a flush toilet and a hot shower with panoramic bathroom views. It’s billed as the best shower view in the world – and it’s hard to argue against it.

The exact location of the pods isn’t revealed until you book – we just know it’s somewhere close to Cromwell. Like a treasure map that arrives by email, we’re given instructions on where to find it and asked to arrive before dark. That’s because, like all PurePods, there’s a short nature walk to reach the cabin.

After arriving in Cromwell, we follow the GPS to a Bannockburn farm overlooking the Pisa Range – a dramatic backdrop of rugged ridges and rolling high country.

The short walk from the car park is a scenic one, weaving through schist outcrops until the cabin comes into view.

Despite a fresh dusting of snow on the surrounding mountains, the cabin is toasty. If it’s cold, you can dial up the heat via radiators. If you’re too hot, you can electronically open the windows or open the sliding doors and put up bug screens. It’s perfect for all seasons.

We’ve opted for the breakfast and dinner package, which includes a generous cheese platter on arrival. Dinner is in the fridge, including a huge portion of succulent local steak with garlic butter, alongside vegetable kebabs, and corn. It’s all ready to go – you just need to heat it up on the barbecue. Dessert is a delicious brownie.

After dinner, we watch the Pisa Range glow in the warm light of sunset. The vast tussock slopes are golden in their natural state, and now shimmer even more intensely.

With no TV or tablets, we head to bed as soon as it gets dark – like humans did for millennia before we stayed up late looking at screens. It’s bliss.

However, it's difficult to drift off to sleep when the Milky Way is staging such a breathtaking display. In the first hour, we see more than 10 shooting stars, before losing count and falling asleep.

By morning, we don’t want to get out of bed. And you don’t need to – the beauty of being in a glass room is you can watch the mountains come alive from under the blankets.

After breakfast, there are some big choices to make. These PurePods have state-of-the-art electric bikes available for rent. The is found at the end of the driveway, which makes for an unforgettable day out. I think it’s the best single day ride in New Zealand.

Or you can take it easier, and explore the local vineyards, which offer some of the finest cellar doors in the country. We had a bite to eat at Carrick Winery, with magical views over the Kawarau River. Their delicious food is matched with organic wine – and is unmissable if you’re in the region.

The second night, we tried Tāima PurePod, which sits on the same farm but in a completely separate location. I like the views at the second location a little better, but the comfort of the pod doesn’t change.

I’ve come to realise the magic of PurePods isn’t just the amazing cabin or views –it’s the moments they create that you’ll remember forever, like stargazing from bed. This little glass pod is 100% pure magic.

A night for two at Haurapa PurePod or Tāima PurePod starts from $690 per night. You can add a breakfast and dinner hamper for $199 per night. E-bikes can be added for $115 per rider. See:

The pods are about a 50-minute drive from Queenstown Airport, or just over five hours' drive from Christchurch.

Air New Zealand has direct flights to Queenstown from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch with connections across the domestic network. Jetstar has direct flights from Auckland and Wellington to Queenstown. See: ;

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