My partner and I stayed for 5 months with these lovely people (and sweet dogs). We had a warm welcome and the best stay we could ever wish for. Some weekends we went away, but we always looked forward to come back ''home'' again, because that's how we felt after such a long time with this family. The bedroom and the private bathroom are both big and clean. Sharon let us use the kitchen (which has everything a chef wishes for ;p) which was very convenient. In summer you can chill at the pool or go for a nice walk to the beach. Normanby is a peaceful and quiet area a 10 minute drive from Timaru. So make sure you have a car! It is a bit far to walk to town (1.5h one way) and there is no bus connection.