So there are hosts, and then there is Jonathan. I loved his place. Very secluded and quiet. It reminds me of a typical skiing room rental. Lots of wood everywhere. When you come out the front door you have an amazing view of Mount Whakapapa! You have a standard double bed, with linens and an extra blanket. There is a wall heater as well. At first I wasn’t sure about the outdoor bathroom, but once I used it, I was totally fine. It sorta felt like another room attached to the house that you needed to go outside to get to. It’s freshly built, the floor is tiled and I didn’t feel out of normal using it. In fact, having it away from others was a bit more comforting, if you know what I mean. Also, there is a shared bath/shower within the house, so it’s not like you’d have to go outside to wash your hands, or take a shower. Honestly my stay with Jonathan felt like I was visiting my cool uncle. The town of Rangataua is a very small town so you don’t see many people near by. But the next town over (Ohakune) has more people and the usual markets, banks, restaurants, etc. My trip was in December so it was the summer there, and I believe the two towns get more skiing tourists during the winter. Since they do get snow in the winter, it doesn’t get that hot in the summer at all. Jonathan totally went out of his way to show me the sights of the area. Even as far as driving me around Mount Whakapapa and through the lake Taupo area! I can’t promise he’ll do it for everyone, but the fact that he did shows how interested he is in making your stay great. Speaking of which, there is a paved road that takes you to the Turoa ski lodge extremely close by. One other thing to mention is, there is a train that will pass by, but very rarely. When it does, it seems like the quietest train ever. No horns. When I did notice it, I was up and around, but by the time I really tried to listen to it, it was gone. I was never woken up by it. So with that, when I come back to New Zealand, and I will, I will definitely book again.