Roslyn's place is definitely beautiful; we were so excited when we arrived and it looked just like the pictures! A management company is used to handle check-ins/outs and any issues with your stay. Check-in was easy, receiving the information just ahead of our stay. When we arrived we realized one of the fans (which would have definitely been nice to have!) was broken and the beach towels that were supposed to be there, were not. I emailed the property manager and she graciously (and quickly!) offered to bring beach towels to us and also apologized about the fan.
Positives about the place:
- beautiful space
- great location. it was a very easy walk to Oneroa (which is a bigger town area on the island). Easy walk to Cable Bay and Mudbrick, two beautiful vineyards! It was also an easy walk to the ferry terminal if you don't have much in the way of baggage. We walked there one day to meet up with a wine tour company (they would have picked us up, but we were happy to take the 25 min stroll). Also an easy walk to Oneroa beach, which we found to be beautiful.
- Inclusion of car definitely adds to the value. We didn't take advantage of this, but in hindsight wish we would have taken an island drive!
- Beds were comfortable and the sheets and towels were all nice and clean.
Negatives:
- HOT! It was quite warm while we were there (mid 80s F or circa 30 C). When we arrived at the house and unlocked it, we were hit by a wave of heat. No A/C, which we knew, but it ended up not being ideal. The only windows are the walls which all pull open. This allows for a nice cross breeze and the house cools down quickly enough, but you can't leave it open when you're out! Two fans were provided, but the oscillating fan was broken. Apparently they'd just had it to be fixed, so they had attempted to fix the problem ahead of our stay. At night, it was a comfortable enough sleeping temp with the bedroom wall open and the shade down (which kept out most bugs).
- Bugs. I realize that insects are part and parcel with a warm-temp island, but the two insect repellent canisters were out of batteries and repellent. We ended up buying a plug-in repellent for the bedroom to prevent mosquitoes, mostly. Downside to a house of this design is that it didn't lend well to hanging out there when it was dark in the evenings (and the towns had become sleepy). To have lights on inside, with walls open, just drew allllll the bugs in. We ended up hanging out on the deck, with the lights off inside. Not terrible as the deck is lovely, but maybe not ideal.
- The rental felt a bit more commercial than the other 3 AirBNBs we stayed at in NZ. As it turned out (by chance more than anything), the other accommodations were individually owned/managed and had more personal touches (including some breakfast items). This wasn't really a negative for us, but something to point out for those that might be looking for more of a "guest house" feel.
Overall, we enjoyed our stay in Waiheke but weren't quite prepared for the uncomfortable heat (on the island, in general, not referencing the house). We did get a bit of a tan at the beach, though!! I would recommend this house when the weather is a bit more mild, for sure!! And it would be extraordinarily romantic and cozy when it's cool enough to need a fire!