Dawn and Peter have created the most perfect little coastal getaway, such a short drive from Auckland. I did a spontaneous trip from Australia on a long weekend and Dawn and Peter were incredibly accommodating for such short notice (less than 24 hours!) - despite travelling themselves at the time. They answered all questions very promptly and the place was so well set up when I arrived. It was a cold and stormy weekend which was absolutely perfect for the trip I had in mind - I'd collected some fresh local produce on the beautiful coastal drive from Auckland and enjoyed taking my time creating a delicious degustation featuring the best the area had to offer (including some great local wine). I searched the CDs provided and selected Ray Charles to accompany my cosy feast in front of the fireplace and then lay back with a good book and listened to the rain outside.

The area is surrounded by beautiful walks so in the periods when the sun came out, it was easy to quickly pop out to explore the countryside and find waterfalls and the huge old Kauri trees - a rare find these days. This truly was a perfect weekend away and I am so grateful that it was available at such short notice - I would highly recommend this trip to anyone (and have been to all my friends in Sydney!). I should note, it is an incredibly easy drive from Auckland - I hired a car and made it there in 2 hours without a map (and the most beautiful drive I have ever done - better than Big Sur in California!). I definitely plan on coming back. Thanks Dawn and Peter!