We sent a request to Barbara the day before we would arrive in Mt Maunganui, and she was very kind to accept on such a short notice. Barbara and her husband are very kind and gave us plenty of suggestions on things to do in the area once we arrived there. The house is beautifully decorated and the bed is very comfortable. There is not much soundproofing between the upper and lower levels of the house though, so each movement (literally each footstep) on the upper floor creates quite a bit of noise down below. Nevertheless, we liked this place and would be happy to come back if we have the chance to do so in the future.