Ika and Chris are the sort of lovely and interesting folk you always hope to meet - they were friendly, helpful and very generous hosts and we felt at home and at ease straight away. The cottage is just as described - self-contained and very cosy even when it's snowing outside. Its also a unique hand-built home, beautiful inside and out, utterly clean and tidy, very well-appointed and in a stunning country / big mountains / big rivers / big chickens setting.

We explored the farm, immediate surroundings and the huge mountains / rivers / forests / sausage rolls, coming and going as we liked - we wish we'd had more time to just hang out and chat! Honourable mention to Bob the dog - always looking out for us.

Close-by is Arrowtown, home of the best food ever, and both the Remarkables and Coronet Peak are visible from the doorstep. Ride a bike and jump off the original bungy bridge. Explore the gold mining history a bit further down, or Queenstown 10 minutes down the road. Don't go anywhere and read a book, I know I did.

This has to be the ultimate place to stay in the world, surely. Certainly it was beyond any of our experiences or expectations. 11 Stars.

-Max, Dennis, Jono and Kiri.