We cannot put into words how much we enjoyed our stay at the GEM homestay! We got a prompt response from the Taylors when we first enquired and they were incredibly helpful with any questions we had - particularly about weekend travel, car hire companies, public transport and SIM cards. This helped us to make plans before we arrived and to settle in very quickly. Kersti and Dwayne very kindly greeted us at the airport and even took us on a short tour of the area so we could get orientated. The entire family were extremely friendly and welcoming, and made us feel right at home.
The homestay is located in Lower Hutt, making access to nearby Wellington very easy. After a 20 minute walk to the train station, we’d take a 25 minute train into Wellington with stunning views of the harbour along the way. When we had a car, travelling in was even easier.
The homestay is attached to the main property but is self-contained with its own front and rear entrance, and includes a parking space. The apartment has two large bedrooms, a well equipped kitchenette/dining room, and bathroom with a washing machine. Everything was very clean and in working order. We could also use the garden area and hang up our clothes on the line outside. The homestay was very well stocked with a variety of food items, meaning we definitely did not need to worry about doing the shopping immediately - we were beyond grateful for this after a very long weekend travelling! The apartment had everything we could’ve asked for and was more than we could ever have expected.
During our stay in New Zealand we travelled around the country on the weekends, and the advice and recommendations from all the Taylor’s was invaluable. They went above and beyond to help us in our travels, even offering to pick us up or drops us off at the airport if they were available.
We definitely recommend this homestay - it is comfortable, clean, homely, and the Taylors are such a friendly and welcoming family! We will miss you all but hope to see you again!