Jackie promptly responded to our spur of the moment request to stay the night while our place underwent renovations. Key info about location and access was forthcoming, making check-in a breeze.
While communication was effective, one drawback was parking and access. The property sits at the end of an approx. 50m (steep) shared driveway and does not allow for visitor parking, meaning we needed to park on-street. And to access the room itself we had to circumambulate stairways surrounding the main building—with a couple of aluminium gates to keep you guessing. This would pose a serious obstacle to anybody under the influence or in open-toed footwear, or both. Thankfully we did not succumb to such obstacles. Please be advised this is a location fit for the physically able!
Views toward Christchurch dominate this stay. Be ready to absorb the heady orange hue of mitre ten mega and the deep forest green of countdown ferrymead.
But what stole our hearts was the neon glow of burger fuel. At just a hairs breadth away, an amalgam of tasty takeaways are available. And you'll need them, as the room has no cooking facilities. But what it lacks in cooking gear it makes up for in refrigeration. The room has a mini fridge to store your brown lemonades, powerades and water to keep you hydrated for the marathon up and down the driveway.
The respectable propulsion of the shower is a welcome relief after a hard descent of the driveway. ethical lotions and potions abound. And the coarse quality of the towels provided means you can leave your tedious exfoliation routine for another day.
step out into a room filled with radiant warmth provided by a no-frills bar heater. fall into the embrace of a warm queen bed. approach the edge of slumber. RUMBLE CLUNK RUMBLE! Jolt into the now - is it an earthquake? No. Its the stark reality of being in the lower storey of a wood panel structure.
As you were.