The coffee is good, the kids are climbing trees with abandon, there are reminders of southern hospitality everywhere — and he is thrilled to be a Highlanders man again.
"It feels good to be back," he told the Otago Daily Times.
"It’s been a nice transition coming back from France. It’s been like a period of planning, not too full-on, and a chance to get back into the rhythm of things in New Zealand rugby.
"Yeah, it feels bloody good to have the Highlanders logo back on."
Lynn has joined the Highlanders as attack guru in a beefed-up coaching team under head coach Clarke Dermody and new director of rugby Jamie Joseph.
He returned to Dunedin after nine years in France, where he finished his playing career — which included 36 games for the Highlanders — before embarking on a coaching spell that culminated with taking glamour club Lyon to third in the Top 14 as head coach.
A homecoming was always on the cards, and he did not have to think too long about accepting the Highlanders’ offer.
"French rugby is on the up and up. Everything’s growing — crowds are bigger, the money is bigger, the interest in the game is huge.
"So, yep, it was hard to leave that. But we knew we wanted to get the kids back to New Zealand, and see family and friends, so that didn’t make it that hard.
"And for me, I am massively driven by always learning, and trying to be as rounded as I can, and I knew that if I stayed in France any longer, it would have been harder to come back.
"I’d like to go back there in the future, but I wanted to be back, coaching Super Rugby, see a different way of doing things, with different players. It’s a whole new challenge, which gets me going."
The post-World Cup lament has been that rugby has got far too defensive at the top level.
That was a fair concern but there were still lots of opportunities to generate some attacking buzz, Lynn said.
"International rugby is very different to Super Rugby. It’s a little bit freer here, it’s faster, maybe a little bit looser.
"Rugby kind of goes in cycles, and defence has in general had it over attack in the last four or five years. Lots of rugby league coaches came in, which brought in that sort of suffocating rush defence.
"There are ways to attack differently to break that down.
"It’s about putting our most dangerous players in positions to touch the ball the most, and using our strengths in the wisest way possible."
Lynn wants to develop the Highlanders’ decision-making skills but knows that will take time.
It will be a period of change for the team following the departure of talisman Aaron Smith and first five Mitch Hunt, the absence through injury of Thomas Umaga-Jensen, and the introduction of outside backs Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens and Timoci Tavatavanawai.
The initial priority with the new attacking weapons would be getting them comfortable in the southern environment, Lynn said.
He has seen plenty of the Highlanders’ most unknown newcomer, veteran Welsh first five Rhys Patchell.
"He’s an attack-minded 10. He’s got international experience, and he’s a real student of the game.
"What we want from him is to impart a lot of what he’s learnt, bring some of his ideas, and play with that attacking approach."
Outside the camp, expectations on the Highlanders will be fairly low in 2024.
Lynn can handle that but believes the investment in youth, the return of Joseph and the overall direction of the club will give the fans plenty of reasons to smile if they have patience.
"We’re all about our people. We want to inspire our people. How that will look at the start might be different to how it looks eventually, because we’re playing a long-term game here.
"The key thing is we want to put out something that people will go, yep, they are playing for us and this is good to watch.
"Jamie is going to bring so much experience to our environment and leadership. I really like he is there to challenge us but support us as well."
Lynn and wife Becs have settled in Mosgiel with 9-year-old daughter Sophie and 6-year-old twins Remy and Leo.
The youngsters are keeping up their French lessons but getting right back into life as Kiwi kids.
The Highlanders officially assembled yesterday, and just like that the 2024 campaign has begun.
All Blacks prop Ethan de Groot is getting a well-earned holiday but otherwise all the contracted players plus some various add-ons have gathered for fitness testing, strategy sessions and team bonding.
The Highlanders have confirmed their first preseason game will again be a clash with Moana Pasifika in Queenstown. It will kick off at 6pm on Friday, February 2.
