Pia and Andy are about the best hosts I could imagine encountering via AirB&B. Their place was as depicted/described in the photos and text (and just what my family was looking for), and they went well above and beyond the call of duty to welcome us, deal with the only issue that came up (an out of the usual internet connection issue), and make us feel comfortable and at home. We visited over the New Years holiday, but months earlier, when we were planning our trip, Pia was super responsive about the logistics and super helpful about what else we could and couldn't realistically do in and around Auckland. Coordinating the key pickup the evening we arrived was very easy, and when rain required us to adjust our plans they were great about suggesting alternatives based on local knowledge we couldn't have accessed any other way. So they were AWESOME hosts, and that added a ton of value we never could have found via a conventional hotel type setting.

Their apartment is as literally on the beach as the photo suggests, and the views of Rangitoto are as beautiful as the photo suggests. The unit was clean, and sized quite nicely to our 4-person family. There's a table area perfect if you want to cook in (which is my family's style), and plenty of dishware to allow a family of 4 to prepare and eat all its meals there with no more dishwashing than we would do at home. There were sufficient pots, pans and utensils, and I gave Pia suggestions on some additional spices and other kitchen items (she's already checked several of them off the list of suggestions I left.

That bath/laundry room was fine for a 4-person family, and at least on a sunny day the front part of the unit gets plenty warm in summer to allow you to dry your clothes on the collapsible drying rack provided (again, perfect for my family's style and there was a dryer as well but we didn't really try it). There were loads of towels. The beds were as comfy as any hotel we would have stayed in.

Last but not least, the location is great: (1) a full service mall with a fine grocery store (including fresh produce) is an easy 10-minute walk; (2) Takapuna, with loads of restaurants, a Sunday farmer's market, etc. is an easy walk by beach or road (or beach then road if you want to avoid the rock part of the beach, but don't do that).

Whether you want a base to launch from, or a place to chill and just relish the beach (or choice, partly weather driven), you will not go wrong here, and you will have a wonderful set of hosts.

Apologies for lapses in grammar/spelling - not proofed.