Nicola was friendly, generous and was present to welcome us to the studio. She was easy to chat with and very helpful.
Regarding the studio:
Pros:
1. There was an air-con unit in the studio which was essential during summer up north.
2. Breakfast ingredients such as bread (gf incl.), homemade muesli, fresh milk, honey, butter, marmalade, strawberry jam (very yum), homegrown tomatoes, plums and avocadoes were provided. We did not have to eat out for breakfast because of that which was greatly appreciated.
3. Everything we needed to make simple meals or heat up food was there.
4. The location was close to Kerikeri and Whangarei (few minutes drive) and centrally located between east and west coast.
6. Chromecast allows you to play on the TV from your device. Plenty of DVDs and books to entertain yourself when the weather turns sour.
7. Very nice touch with the flowers that looked like they were from their garden.
Cons:
1. The walls were very thin so we could hear the tapping of rain throughout our sleep.
2. The ac unit makes quite a loud noise resembling a diesel generator. If you put it on 'sleep' mode it does go quiet eventually, with that loud sound coming back on intermittently. Something to note if you're a light sleeper.
3. The blue rug on the floor looked like it has seen better days. We don't have the habit of wearing shoes indoors. Wished we brought indoor slippers.
4. Even though it was just two of us the studio felt tight for space, requiring us to move furniture around to have better use of them like the dining table and chairs.
5. There is no mirror in the bathroom so for male visitors wanting to have your morning shave, you will need to pop in and out of the bathroom because the only mirror in the studio is on the wall between the fridge and the main entrance.