Pauline was welcoming and kind. She gave us some recommendations on a nice walk by the river and nearby places to get food. Incredibly helpful and knowledgeable about the area. She let us use her washer and dryer for mid-trip laundry. Unit was more or less as advertised. Exterior was adorable. Interior was cute, but a bit cramped and rustic. It rained during our stay and we couldn't keep the windows open long or the bugs would get in (as expected being so close to river), so the unit became quite musty. We were warm enough, but never quite dried out. The place is a little small for three people with luggage. Perfect for two! Bathroom was smaller than expected. The main bed was comfortable, but, I'm sorry to say, the foldout was not. Kitchen was adequately stocked for our purposes. Wifi was hit or miss. Cleanliness left something to be desired. We did not get used to the sulfur smell of the water, but that was common to the area. Well water was provided in the fridge. Short drive to Turangi (everything closes at 8:00pm or earlier!), 30-45 minutes from Taupo, depending on traffic. The road noise commented on by some other reviewers was present, and Pauline provides a white noise machine which we ended up not using. It didn't bother me, but if you are sensitive to the sound of truck traffic bring earplugs or headphones. Decent place to stay if you are doing the Tongariro Crossing.