Mary was a great host and a very kind person. She even drove us into town and bought a fan so we would be more comfortable. That said, people keep reviewing her home as quirky and unique, and unfortunately that ‘charm’ was lost on us. Though the bedroom was well kept and the bathrooms were fine, the rest of the house was a mess. Dusty Star Wars LEGO creations and other knick-knacks were scattered everywhere, which left us feeling uncomfortable anywhere but our room. Mary also leaves the doors unlocked in her home and though it’s great she trusts her community, it made us nervous to think of leaving our valuables when we went out. This meant we carried our passports, etc with us throughout our trip. Finally, though this room may be comfortable for the average temperatures Queenstown sees, it was very hot for our stay. We didn’t sleep at all the first night as every time we opened the windows the room would fill with bugs (we had the bites to prove it) and if we closed the windows it became even more of a sauna. Mary was kind enough to purchase a fan for us the next day, but this did little for us as it just moved hot air around (window not an option due to bugs).
Overall our stay was not as great as we had hoped, and in the end we left a day early to find a more comfortable place to stay.