We have just spent 2 weeks in NZ south island in March/April and this was one of our favourite places. We had a fairly easy but very scenic drive straight out of Christchurch airport and were there in 2 hrs, sunset at 7:30 so got in on dusk without any issues.
Very cosy, no TV which was good for our kids (aged 2 and 6) . Felt like a proper home.
We were able to do some good short walks for our young children and would be excellent if you wished to base yourself here for longer all day or overnight walks. Hopefully will do that when children are older.
The main issue is that you have to clean place thoroughly before you leave as there is no cleaning service. This was made more difficult as it was raining hard and kids were stuck inside. All in all though was a great place to spend a couple of nights or more if doing more extensive walking in the area.