The Shearers' Retreat was a great break for us, helped by the fact that it's child-friendly as we had 2 boys (aged 4 and 12) with us-we stayed in 4 places over 10 days, and this was the only place with blocks and books for children plus plastic plates and cups. Celia, the host, dropped us some eggs and looked out for us from her home so she could introduce us to Snow the lamb that we bottle fed and Sophie the brown horse, with which my nephew had a short ride. She was also very patient in explaining many other animal-related questions we had like why a lamb's tail is removed, and offered tips on where to visit around Rotorua as well.
Other simple and thoughtful touches were 2 plump pillows per person (a luxury as some places had a pillow each or 2 very thin ones), an abundance of towels and toilet rolls in the cupboards, all detergents stocked up, a clean and odourless fridge, the well-organised shelves. There were books around too, some of them for children. With chooks around, it's understandable that the deck isn't always 100% clean but that's just nature and all other areas were spotless.
For those who like taking photos, the place is a playground with cows, horses, lamb/sheep, chooks, the long driveway etc all at the doorstep. On a clear night, it's nice to spend time under the stars in the silence, surrounded by sounds of nature. All in all, of the 4 Airbnb's we stayed in during the trip, the 6 of us (4 other adults) enjoyed The Shearers' Retreat the most.
Thank you again for the hospitality, Celia!