Alex’s place was our base for our first few days in NZ. The decor was lovely and beds 10/10 comfy, perfect for us jetlagged travellers! One day exploring the city was plenty for us - Botanic Gardens and the laidback coffee culture were highlights. We would also highly recommend doing a day trip to Akaroa if you have a car! It was amazing - a stunning extinct volcano with bright blue waters, a pretty French-style town and tons of wildlife to see! On our boat cruise with Akaroa Dolphins we spotted albatross, terns, seal pups and the tiny Hector’s dolphins. Fantastic! Only thing to mention is that “breakfast provided” was very much on the light side - individual UHT cartons of milk and a few fun size cereal/some muesli - we ended up buying extras as there were 4 of us and it wasn’t enough. However great location and we would stay again. Thanks Alex!