The riverside cottage is an easy 10-15 minutes drive from Rotorua itself, just off the main road. Don't be disturbed by the somewhat rough looking cluster of houses. Once you get to the end of the driveway and the cottage itself, you will see that it is very much as described and per the photos. We felt very safe, and this was helped by the friendly guard dogs; the two big rotweiller dogs who were very happy to see us when we arrived. Joanne welcomed us to our cottage and we immediately realised that she is a very interesting, kind, helpful person with great values. We left as good friends after a few wonderful relaxed chats over coffees.
As for the cottage itself, it is very comfortable. It has a small but adequate kitchen with all the essentials (no microwave however). Joanne did offer us an extra heater as soon as she realised that we had one cold night where the heater in the lounge wasn't quite up to it. We had some nice easy walks to the lake front.
We would definitely come back and stay at Joanne's cottage, which is why we have given it a five star rating.