The Beetles wrote a song about the Long and winding road....it could have been about any road in NZ, but particularly the road to Waikawau. But, it was totally worth it! It did take nearly four hours with only a couple short stops from Auckland Airport (Google predicted three). Once there you could be a thousand miles from anywhere. Barbel's house is right next door, so while it's not remote, Barbel certainly was discreet and we only interacted when it suited, at which point she was great company. Definitely avail yourself of Barbel's cooking....unless you intend to self cater (which we did for breakfast and lunch).....the nearest alternative source of food is an hour away in Coromandel! And why wouldn't you plan to have dinner provided for you when you get back from a long walk or afternoon at the beach....home grown and home cooked - delicious. The place to go if you want peace and quiet without being totally isolated. Already looking forward to a return visit!