We stayed at the house for 10 days with our two little kids. The house is spacious. The location is quiet. The beach is a short walk away. There are also two playgrounds and a lovely restaurant called Citadel within walking distance. Zoe is very friendly and accommodating. There is a tenant downstairs but we never heard any noises. Overall it was a good stay.
A couple of things worth noting:
1. The house is located in Castlecliff. This is stated in the listing description. However, the map on the listing shows the house in the city of Whanganui. This happened because the host did not provide the address in the listing so the approximate location shown prior to booking is off. Address is not automatically made available after booking is confirmed either. I had to email the host for the address.
2. The living room has a propane heater. I don’t know about NZ but this is illegal in the US for good reasons. It’s is a carbon monoxide hazard. US regulation requires outside venting for propane heaters. This is also problematic with two small kids crawling everywhere. I had to watch them at all times, couldn’t even step out of the room to use the bathroom.
3. The floor was dusty, especially under tables and chairs. I spent a day cleaning, which I don’t usually do when staying at Airbnb’s.
4. No dryer