Matthew, Ellen's husband, met us on arrival and showed us around the apartment. He is a really nice guy, very friendly and welcoming. All communications were with Ellen, who was also very pleasant.
The apartment was clean and bright with simple, but completely adequate furnishings. The beachy decor was lovely. Our double bedroom was so quiet and the bed was very comfortable. Our 2 girls shared the double sofa bed and didn't stir all night, so it must have been pretty comfy too.
The pool was too chilly for me but the kids loved it, especially with a very warm spa at the end of a swim.
Matthew kindly hand picked some movies for us, so we enjoyed a couple of movie nights. We weren't tempted by the local eateries and the kitchen facilities were good, so we ate in. There was a BBQ there too and an outdoor dining table to the rear of the apartment.
The location of the apartment is just perfect, with unbroken views out to sea. We watched 2 whales frolicking together for maybe half and hour on our first evening, which was pretty magical. There is a kids' playground a five minute walk away.
The ocean swimming at Lake Cathie is a little too open for us, but there were patrols on the beach all day, so the option to swim was there. Lots of kids were swimming in the lake. Nearby, Bonny Hills was great for a dip and a long walk along the beach.
We loved our stay here and would highly recommend this listing to others.