Days of Stay: January 10th to January17, 2023 (SUMMER)
Absolutely loved staying here for 7 nights!
Incredibly well priced.
Huge detached guest house.
Tons of room and wonderful bedroom spaces.
Great kitchen.
Fantastic water and water pressure in shower.
Air conditioner works great.
Dishwasher, YES! Washing machine, YES!
The curtains were fantastic.
LOCATION
Location ended up great, too, even though it was a 17-minute drive to town that often turned into an hour because either coming or going we would stop in at the French patisserie, the Pembroke Café. Located right by the bridge that kids love jumping off of.
The cat. Is fine. One reviewer mentioned not being able to open windows cause the cat would come in. This was not true for us. Doors? Yes, keep them closed, but windows can be opened. (We’re not cat people.) Is there pet/cat hair in the house? Yes, saw evidence on couch and pillows. However, NO pet hair on bed in either of the rooms and beds. So, we’re golden.
Owners were responsive, nice, and even though they live right next door they weren’t intrusive at all. I needed oven gloves and more dishwasher packs and both items were on our doorstep the next day when we came home. (Heads up, do bring your own paper towels, aluminum foil, and detergent if you will be needing them.)
NEGATIVES
No screens on windows. This is an all around plight of New Zealand to not have screens on windows. David is insisting I make a comment about this on each of our reviews in hopes that one day New Zealand will catch onto the whole screen-technology is fantastic. It really would seriously save tourists from the anguish of hiding behind closed windows and doors from flies, moths, mosquitoes, and sand flies.
The wifi was on/off. This is not a deal breaker for us, but since there are no cafes/restaurants nearby it makes it challenging to look up hikes and restaurants and other things to do during your stay if you don’t have cell coverage. Workaround is to go to town and log onto the wifi there. Mostly it was on for us, and when it was, it was a perfectly fast connection.
Mattress. It was a bit too lumpy/soft/springy for us, as well as being old and dipping in the middle. I would roll onto the husband. Every movement one makes the other feels. The down comforter is wonderful. It feels cozy. That part I loved. It’s just when you’re 40+ every tiny bit of discomfort turns into aching pains. So, we are in disagreement with other reviewers who thought that bed was fantastic and comfortable.
HIKING
I did the Grandview Mountain Track from the Nook Road parking lot and this Vrbo is just 10 minutes from that trailhead. Fantastic. Highly recommend the hike. Few people. Amazing views. And if you’re lucky, like me, you’ll catch a paraglider sailing and circling above your head at the summit and shouting down a friendly “hiya” at you.
David and I hiked to Rob Roy Glacier which was roughly an hour and a half-ish drive from the Vrbo to the trailhead. Read our AllTrails review. Also, a bit of a must-do hike in Wanaka area.
We skipped Roys Peak this time cause we did it back in 2019 and it’s a very exposed switch backed trail with ungodly amounts of people. Great views. But David’s toe is injured and it’s a hike we have done so didn’t feel the need to relive the heat and the people. (Even though that hike does come with amazing views.)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
We rented bikes for 8 hours and cycled down the coast of Wanaka Lake. Bike rental shop we used was Bike Lounge as it was the least costly, but highly rated.
We rented a double-seater kayak and booked a mission with Paddle Wanaka where we got to ride their water taxi to the peninsula and from there we got to kayak to Bull Island then Ruby Island then back to Wanaka main waterfront.
MORE DETALS ABOUT THE HOUSE
Kitchen is pretty well stocked. The favorite thing was that it had lots of BIG BOWLS which we used for salad. The freezer doesn’t have an ice maker. Just one tray to use to make ice. Fridge is plenty big. There is a CrockPot. There is a big grill, however, we didn’t use it cause it had cat hair on the grill. Which puzzled me endlessly. Like, HOW did the cat get inside the grill and under the metal cover to then leave cat hairs behind on the grill grate. Also, why would it do this?!? That or somebody grilled something super hairy. I didn’t bring this up to the owners cause I didn’t like have a major need to be grilling.
If you’re not traveling internationally you may want to bring beach towels and a beach chair. These are not supplied. (I’m not saying they should be, just something I pack into my car when I roadtrip in the US.)
As mentioned above. Do bring your own paper towels, detergent, and aluminum foil. Tissue/Kleenex in the event you don’t like using toilet paper to blow your nose.
The bathroom has an adorable toilet paper holder, but my gosh it is a dangerous thing to have. I nearly cut the sh*t out of my hands trying to pull up on the toilet roll to use as a tissue and not for the toilet. That prompted me to not fill the roll once it emptied and I even put a towel of it. It’s just really sharp.
Bathroom counter space and drawer space are both great. Shower is great. Big enough. Water pressure is great. Water temperature is great. Water quality is great. Let’s just say I thoroughly enjoyed my showers.
Towels are big and wonderful and clean.
The washing machine works great. While NZ doesn’t have window screens they DO have clothing drying racks. THANK GOODNESS for this European mentality. The US Vrbos/AirBnBs just about never have them. Actually, can’t think of a single one we’ve been to that had one. However, I did have to use athletic tape to remedy the sharp, pointy metal prongs on the drying rack. Sadly, I only did this after I scratched the living heck out of one of my Patagonia shorts. I’m pretty bummed about ruining my shorts, but they are a bit prissy of a material. I’m pretty sure if I breathe on it the wrong way it would get damaged.
The curtains and shades for the windows and sliding doors are fantastic. Really blocked out the light which is a plus when you’re trying to sleep in past 7:30 AM in the summer or trying to get to bed earlier than 11 PM when it finally gets dark. However, if you do a long day of hiking out in the heat you can zonk out like me… shades closed or not. (Photo taken by my loving husband around 9 PM. I hiked. He didn’t get to.)
thehikingbookworms.com 