What a lovely stay we had! The condo was even bigger than the pictures led us to believe, and being steps from the beach was such a treat for our son. The tub was huge and deep and the water was hot! Fast wifi, stocked kitchen, and amazing, relaxing deck. There are lots of clean beach towels in the hot water closet at the top of the stairs! The book of local recommendations was awesome and totally on point. The coffee table was huge and perfect for board games and large puzzles. Check-in and check-out (lockbox) were seamless and easy! We met the owner Glenn (an Air New Zealand pilot—cool!) who was very kind and accommodating—he leant our son a pail and some shovels to take down to the beach, and set up the drying rack for us to dry our laundry. Chloe and Deb were the ultimate hosts—and Deb went SO above and beyond in helping me out. I was having bad allergies since arriving in New Zealand, and she recommended a specific pharmacy, pharmacist *and* medication (highly recommend Rainey at the Mount Pharmacy at 132 Maunganui Rd if needed!). My trip was totally saved! I actually took a tumble on a hike later in the trip and the staff there cleaned and dressed the wound for me—amazing!
Note to parents: if you plan to keep little ones in the bedroom with the twin beds, you should know that the bedroom door opens right next to the top of the stairs that lead down to the bottom floor. We had planned to put our 4-year-old in there, but were worried about him falling down the stairs in his middle of the night stumbling for the bathroom. There is no door at the top of the stairs (it’s open with a railing), but you could probably “blockade” it with a piece of furniture if necessary? Anyway, definitely not a reason not to book, but helpful info to have. Also, the apartment has AMAZING light, but it meant that our son woke with the sun every morning . The blinds don't really block the sunlight in the morning, so if you have a sensitive little sleeper, you might want to think of a way to jerry-rig a dark curtain over the windows (maybe a dark sheet taped up with painters tape or something? shrug!)
We were so relaxed and would definitely stay again!!