This is one of the best AirBnBs we have ever stayed in (and we've stayed in a lot, all over the world)! That's not to say it didn't have minor niggles, but what it did have, it had in spades:
The view - from the main bedroom balcony, the deck and the front garden you look out over the bush down to the sea. At sunset it is even more stunning!
The garden - a lush sub-tropical paradise awaits you! From the beautifully flat lawn out the front to the banana grove around the back, there are surprises around every corner. A winding path takes you up and around the back of the house, through native trees and shrubs, past succulents and bromeliads, down into a herb garden and out to the fruit trees.
The Persimmon tree - from your bed in the main (upstairs) bedroom) or down at the hexagonal table on the deck you can sit and watch as native birds descend in numbers to gorge on the fruit. One morning we woke to find a very fat Silver Eye tottering around on the balcony floor, unable to keep upright it was so full. It almost keeled over, blinking very slowly, as if drunk! It was fine though as 10 minutes later it managed to fly away.
The log fire - a huge fireplace was laid ready for us when we arrived, with logs stacked up alongside - very welcome as it was winter and the temp dropped to 0 overnight!
The beach - only 3mins walk down the road to one of the most beautiful beaches on the Coromandel. Go down to watch the sunset or take a dip at your leisure!
The space - if 6 double bedrooms, 2 lounges, a TV area, a dining area, a kitchen and a laundry is not enough for you, I don't know what is! As there were only 2 of us rattling around, we closed up one side of the house and only used the rooms we needed.
The interior - from bespoke and antique pieces of furniture to art, craft and pieces of family history on the walls, it was incredibly homely and comfortable.
A couple of points to note: if there are more than 6 of you, you'd be wise to ask for/bring long a few more oven & serving dishes as there were only a few available; if you are coming in winter and using more than 2 bedrooms ask for more heaters (there were only 3 in the house altogether).
While the house isn't modern and luxurious, that was not what we were looking for. It has so much charm and comfort and it ticked all of our boxes. We just loved it. We'll be back for sure the next time we're in NZ (in fact we're already planning to invite our friends and their family)!
Thanks Tim & Vivien for your sharing your family house with us.