We had a great experience staying at Te Puna Wai Lodge over New Year 2012. Stayed in the Haulashore apartment with great views and a really well appointed kitchen. The location was very good; only a short drive to the City and a pleasant walk to some really nice restaurants on the water. The lodge has a lot of character and the lush gardens provide a great ambience for holiday makers.
We decided to look after our own breakfeast so co-host Richard made sure we had a large bowl of local fresh fruit waiting for us each morning. Would highly recommend.

Te Puna Wai is a wonderful restored and decorated older home - great character, views and rooms. A booklovers paradise as well. We were in the Haulashore suite which is definitely worth the splurge.

Te Puna Wai was one of two "splurge" accommodations on our month-long vacation. We loved it and considered it very good value. We used it as a base for visiting the Marlborough wine region to the east, the scenic coast to the west, and Nelson itself. We were treated to the upper floor with a huge room and over-the-top bathroom (heated floor, old-fashioned bathtub, and separate modern marble shower). There was a spectacular view overlooking the bay. Flowers abound on the property. When we went for breakfast, the table featured fresh flowers, a fresh fruit compote, and fresh linens. We had our choice of hot or cold main course. Most notably, Richard and James pushed us to take a water taxi into Abel Tasman national Park. This enabled us to walk several miles on the Abel Tasman Coastal Track, one of New Zealand's nine Great Walks and a highlight of our trip.

Staying at Te Puna Wai is a fabulous experience, and totally made my stay in Nelson. I stayed for 4 nights when in Nelson for my friends' wedding and didn't want to leave! The house has been beautifully restored and decorated to a very high standard, with everything you could need (really comfy bed, hairdryer, free wifi, CDs, guidebooks, maps and information etc) and I really enjoyed my stay.

The location is perfect, sitting in a great position above Nelson Bay and I enjoyed exploring and finding my way into town. Although I visited in July, the weather was gorgeous and warm in the sun most of the time, and I was able to enjoy the panoramic view of Nelson Bay from my private veranda and terrace - bliss!

Breakfast was really good - I opted to make my own as I was staying in the self-contained Haulashore apartment with fully equipped kitchen, which was stocked with everything I needed for a great (3 course!) breakfast. The room even came well-stocked with drinks that I was able to help myself too - I thought it very generous of James and Richard to provide local beer and wine and spirits for their guests.

James and Richard are fantastic, friendly hosts, and even flew the St Andrew's Cross for me when they realised I was Scottish - a really nice touch which made me feel even more welcome! I hope to return to Nelson in the not too distant future and will definitely stay at Te Puna Wai again - I can't speak highly enough of the place and really recommend it!