Places like this are hard to review because they’re so amazing!! I’m from Wellington but have lived away for a while...I knew what to expect with staying somewhere so remote on the south coast, and enough to know that it’ll always surprise you!
The house is really warm and snuggly, even during howling northerlies and southerlies (I hope you’re lucky to have both too)...we had to open the doors to let it cool down if the sun had been streaming in all day (never a bad problem to have, and there’s always a breeze to be caught).
There were no issues with using solar power only, but we were quite conscious not to go crazy with leaving lights or chargers on, either. Steve and Christine left some firewood for us before the weather was about to pack in, but as mentioned above, the house is snug, and we slept with windows open....I’m sure a fire is perfect during winter, though.
Getting there with directions was simple enough, but it’s probably best to have a 4WD. We had a Tucson, and it was ok for the trip up and down, but did struggle a little on the steeper sections. Nothing serious, but if you’re a nervous driver something robust might make the trip more pleasant. No real issues with needing high clearance though, just something with good tyres and a bit of grunt.
The house itself is so beautifully done. We were very conscious that it was a well loved home and treated it as such. This isn’t an impersonal apartment experience, more like tramping and staying in a beautiful lodge.
The only issue is that the south coast can be a bit of a 4WD highway at times! Nothing crazy, but cars and headlights and other humans stuck out when you have a bay to yourselves (and seals).
We only met Steve and Christine once but they were incredibly lovely and welcoming but really respected our privacy too. I absolutely love to stay here again, and thanks again for having us!