Our hosts greeted us at their main house before showing us to the cottage where we would be staying. They gave us a honeymoon arrival gift, which was nice! They also brought over milk in the event we wanted to have some of the optional breakfast. They showed us everything in the house, and asked us about our evening plans. They gave us recommendations on places to eat in Rangiora, but advised against driving to Christchurch because of the distance. I tend to agree; this is more of a country getaway than a place to stay near the city, as it is well into a rural area.

The cottage was clean and very well kept, surrounded by beautiful trees and a cow pasture. Though there was no internet (as listed), the TV worked just fine. We did notice that there were no curtains over the kitchen windows, which looked right into the bed space (except for the bathroom, there were no interior doors). It was a bit disturbing to have no privacy while sleeping. Also, towels were provided, but there was no floor mat outside of the shower, so the floor was slippery after one of us showered. The cottage seems new, but not quite finished yet. All in all, our hosts were very kind, and we enjoyed our stay.