First off, my group loved our stay at Mark's place! There were 11 of us (the maximum), staying at his place for New Years, and we had a great night!
One of the best things about staying at Mark's was that communication was easy. Prior to our trip, we had developed a open communication line with him. He was honest and thorough in his expectations for the place, and the description he has of the place was accurate. He was down to earth and very helpful with loading our numerous bags and people on and off the boat. Upon arriving, he gave us a tour and gave us a run down of the place itself before leaving us to it.
Mark's place is beautiful. The view was breathtaking and the decor was wooden and modern, and what you would hope to experience at a retreat! We found everything we needed at his place and had plenty of space to move around and be comfortable despite there being so many of us. The BBQ was perfect as we had bought sausages. We spent most of our night in the spa and out on the deck where there was a great view of Raglan and the ocean/bay and we could see fireworks all along the town. Some of us walked down to the private beach, which was only a minute or two down from the property!
We spent the first day in Raglan, eating fish and chips on the wharf (possibly the best fish and chips I've ever had?), and kayaking before checking in in the afternoon. Would definitely recommend checking out the shops over in Raglan at some point if you are in the area too.
All in all, our trip was wonderful, Mark is a great guy, the place and location are perfect, and we'd definitely recommend staying at his place. Cheers Mark!