We have just returned from our fantastic trip to New Zealand, where we stayed for 5 nights at the Boatshed, a lesser-known accommodation in an area known mostly as a Kiwi summer resort. We as Americans were an anomaly, at least in the shoulder springtime season of October, and we were approached several times by warm yet curious New Zealanders, who spoke loudly at us because I guess our American-accented English was nearly unintelligible to them.
The Boatshed was a perfect retreat for us after 32 hours of flying and several time/date changes. Also, the weather was rainy for the first two days, precluding a lot of planned outdoor activities and drawing us closer into our cosy digs there. We were glad we had decided on the "Penthouse" room, at the top of the main building which is like a large house and is in a residential area a block from the beach. The whole place is only 7 years old and seems brand new. The rate was comparable to others with a fraction of facilities... more