Fantastic spot. Location is fabulous, up in the hills above the beach, you can watch the sunrise with a view to the ocean in the east and then watch it set over the hills in the west. At night the stars are fantastic and you can hear the kiwi call.
The house is sheltered from the wind and north facing and (as long as it’s not overcast) is full of sun all day. We were there in the middle of winter and it felt like summer up at the house. The concrete flooring and double glazing help retain the heat, so even once the sun goes down the place stays really warm. Incase it does get cold, a small oil column heater is provided which quickly warms the place up.
The house isn’t quite as isolated as we expected, there is a neighbouring house just behind it. Maybe with time, planting between the two properties will help create visual separation. At first I felt it would ruin the secluded feeling, but actually, the way the house is nestled into the hill, once your inside, you feel completely on your own and secluded, it’s just as you arrive and leave that you’re very much aware of the neighbour. We met the neighbour on the shared driveway at one point and he was super lovely.
The kitchen has everything you need to cook basic meals with a two burner gas stove and a few pots and pans. We were provided with plenty of tea towels as well as bath towels.
The bed wasn’t to our liking, the mattress was very very soft and the pillows were very thin. This is a personal preference thing - so it’s difficult to judge - but I would recommend bringing your own pillows at least. Though the bed wasn’t ideal, it wouldn’t stop us returning. Everything else is so amazing that it certainly outweighs this.
Overall, I would highly recommend this place and would return!