Bay of Islands Cottages

The location was amidst a lovely tropical setting, with flowering trees, shrubs and plants all around us. There were lots of tuis, piwakawakas and silvereyes that would be feeding and sitting near our back porch. There was a nice table and chairs where we would sit and watch the birds and the ocean bay all during the day. Part of the back porch was covered to protect from rain and part was uncovered to allow us to sit in the sun when we wished. The star gazing was fantastic too. The kitchen area was big enough to allow us to cook a roast in the oven that we ate from during the 3 days of our stay.

The walk from the car park to our room was a bit steep, so be aware. The rooms were a bit chilly to our preference, even with the host providing an oil heater in the bedroom. We had brought a small portable fan heater, so that made our stay comfy.

Lovely secluded location but easy drive to Russell for amenities. Friendly and helpful owner who gave us recommendations for places to dine in the evening. Lovely additional touches such as home made biscuits and granola and delicious fresh bread and muffins for breakfast. Lovely to see a friendly Weka bird checking us out at breakfast 😊

Property is a little tired and it would have been nice to have comfy chairs to relax in when inside.

The homemade breakfast was lovely. Peter was welcoming and friendly. Clean fresh linen.

The property was a little dated.

Quiet and secluded with a lovely view.

The photos on booking.com of breakfast bare no resemblance to what was offered. No cheese, fruit on first day only . The rest of the time sliced bread and muffins. The photos are old as the garden is now very mature and overgrown . The lodge needs updating to today's standards. The place was advertised as Russell but in fact is a good 15min drive to Russell which impeded on our eating out .