Friendly, homely and welcoming. We arrived late after a gruelling drive and Tony went to the trouble of booking us onto the Tongariro shuttle for the next day even though the booking offices were shut, and made us free of his kitchen to cook a late supper. It was nice to talk to fellow guests - mostly there, like us, for the walks - over breakfast and to sit out on the wide verandah with Tony and his friends in the evening watching the Southern Cross rising. Although the lodge is on a main highway the traffic noise was not at all bad. The lake is glorious and very close! Rooms are not large, and ours was very hot when we arrived - but Tony himself commented on this and provided us with a fan. Simply appointed with shared showers and loos, so as clean as the last person who went in but this was never a problem for us. Ask Tony for golden kiwi fruit for breakfast - a luscious discovery for us! Would definitely recommend for the welcome and the personal interest taken in his guests’ comfort.