A clean and cozy house just minutes (walking) from the ocean, with separated living quarters, nicely equipped common spaces, friendly host and friendly cats.
That scratches the surface, at least. Patrick is a charming host, who takes pride in his house, and enjoys sharing it with others... and we quite enjoyed sharing it with him. With a ~25-40m drive to Auckland CBD, and closer shopping centers for all the daily needs, it can serve as the first night of your trip, or the home base for an extended North Island stay, while enjoying the calmness of the local residential community in the evenings.
Three highlights to other potential guests, looking for insights. First, there's some stores in "walking" distance, but a car will be convenient. (Fortunately, there's ample street parking.) Second, the common areas are a wonderful part of this home, and also represent an opportunity to interact with others in the house, be it cooking a meal, or having some wine on the upstairs patio. Third, the cats (and dogs) are all friendly and well behaved, though the cats are .. well .. cats, and are free-ranging within the common areas. If you enjoy the company of cats, these furry felines may just claim you as "theirs". (Pro tip, Kiki is a real snuggler, and may try to sleep curled up next to your face if you let him.)