We were made to feel beyond welcome in this amazing place! The last few km uphill gave a clue that lovely views were possible, but to pull up behind Joanne's flat, you wouldn't know what you were in for. Joanne was there to meet us and was so so welcoming! Then she led us around the corner to the small cottage they have built on the hilltop...

The place is stunning. What strikes you immediately is the view, all the way down KatiKati and the bay of plenty and out to the islands beyond. The photos cannot do the views justice at all, yet neither can my prose. Suffice to say it was one of the may times on during our New Zealand honeymoon that we have both said "wow".

But the charm of the place does not stop with the view. The whole building has been designed around it so you can see it from huge windows, wherever you are. The wooden decking and beams add to the natural feel of the place, whilst inside, the living areas are spacious and very well kitted out. The kitchen has everything you could want, dishwasher included, and most appliances play you a tune they are so happy to be used!

Jo had kindly given us 2 bottles of wine, some chocolates, fresh eggs and avocados (!) from their farm, and lots of bubble bath and products for the baths (I'll come to those soon). What we really liked was how Jo provided more than we needed. There was coffee and tea in individual bags on display, just like a hotel. But then there were dozens more backups in the cupboard in case you ran out. The same was true of the shower products. Finally, when we left, Jo gave us more of their amazing eggs (the best I've had for years) and more avocados than we could eat in a year!

If all of the above doesn't convince you to go, then take a brief look at the photo of the bathtubs before reading this bit.... We've never been anywhere with a feature like this. For a honeymoon couple, it was probably one of the most romantic times we have had. Once with the sunset, once under the stars. Truly magical and, indeed, the icing on a very well baked cake!