I had the best time at Cass Bay Retreat. The cabin is modern and clean. Claire is a wonderful host - responsive and welcoming. Breakfast items (including bread, cereal, milk) and toiletries (such as soap, shampoo etc) are a thoughtful and useful touch. Wifi internet is included and works. The bed is big and the linen is high quality making for a very comfortable night's sleep. The window seat in the bedroom is a great place to sit, take in the view, and relax. The deck has a table setting so you can have drinks/meals out there and enjoy the view -- which is every bit as wonderful as the photographs show - it truly is stunning (especially at dawn and dusk). I travelled solo and without a vehicle but it was easy enough to get to - you can get the 28 bus from Christchurch bus interchange (via Lyttelton, and return). Walking from the cabin into Lyttelton will take around 40mins-1hour depending on walking speed and route (you can walk the roadway which is well lit with a wide footpath, a good option is you're walking home after dinner; or along the coastal path below the roadway which is very beautiful and perfect for day time hours when you have light and time). If you're around on the weekend, Lyttelton has a Saturday morning farmers' market which is worth checking out. There's also plenty of flyers Claire makes available with information about the local region and its attractions. I highly recommend staying at Cass Bay Retreat and taking the opportunity to enjoy the view from the cabin and walk around the bay. I only wish I'd stayed longer!