Upside: location and view are wonderful, washing machine a bonus, Tapeka track is fantastic, guinea pigs and weka are very cute.
Downside: the oven didn't work, limited kitchen space to prepare food, the (old) microwave doesn't heat well, the toilet seat was broken, front window frame is broken (the window almost fell off the frame when we opened it), clothes line is not suitable for more than a few socks and undies, slow and intermittent wifi at best, non existent wifi at worst, $25 return ferry fees (for a car) each time you leave Russell (expensive if you have a few day trips planned).
I'd definitly recommend Tapeka Bach for a couple of days at most (if you don't need consistent wifi) as the location is great and there a handful of restaurants in Russell i.e.: you won't need to cook in that kitchen. I didn't feel the facilities were functional to make a longer stay comfortable.