Little Greenie Ecohouse is a bit off the beaten path and incredibly worth the trek to get there. The joy of this property is its perch on a hillside with sweeping views of Wainui Bay and the Abel Tasman area. Through the 180-degree sweep of floor to ceiling windows, this view permeates almost every aspect of living in this open concept house. Even from bed at night, we could view stars moonlight over the bay (though there are blinds for those who prefer total darkness).

Little Greenie Ecohouse is situated on a larger property with several other accommodations, extremely well designed so that once you arrive at the house, the perch feels completely private, as if you were the only people on the entire rainforest hillside. The interior is clean and modern, with the best appointed kitchen of all the places we stayed in both Australia and New Zealand. There is an indoor shower, but trust me, you will spend hours in the outdoor bath (very romantic with a glass of wine and some chocolate). The only seeming "inconvenience" of the eco-design is the compost toilet, a glorified indoor outhouse, but we discovered it was stunningly odorless (incredible ventilation design work) and realized it was no inconvenience at all.

The house is a quick 5 minute drive to the quiet Western edge of Abel Tasman National Park (hiking, beaches, etc.), and 30 minutes from Takaka, a somewhat bustling town stepped in hippie culture, with a nice selection of cafes and shops, full size grocery store, and evening opportunities to hear live music.

We did not meet Lawrence in person, but he was easy to work with.