Karaka Bay Lodge

A beautiful sanctuary in an amazing location. We had pre- booked our accommodation thankfully as we were caught like many in a DOC camp site in the middle of one of NZ’s wildest storms. We turned up before our check in time wet, cold and bedraggled! The staff kindly allowed us to check in then and there. It soon became our refuge and we quickly made the best of the bad weather. The staff were incredibly accommodating and friendly.

The rooms needed a mozzie net.

Like the island, this location on that island was isolated. Plenty choice for bathing, fishing, hiking, etc.

Because of extreme weather conditions, no ferry or flights possible. After the 5 nights we had to book another night and spend a 7th night in the car because of the interrupted and changed ferry sailings. An unexpected experience.

Super schöne Lage

Nichts

We had a mixed experience here. The room itself was fine and adequately clean, and overall it felt like good value for money. The views were also lovely from our cabin. Aside from these issues, I feel this accommodation has a lot of potential and could be a great option if there was a stricter hygiene/cleaning regime in shared spaces, enough pest control and clearer communication in the listing.

However, we had a bit of a bad time in the kitchen on our first morning. We saw a big dead rat in a trap under the cooker in the kitchen, and maggots on a chopping board, which understandably put us off our food and made us uncomfortable using the facilities. So much so that we actually ate out for breakfast and dinner the following day. We didn’t really encounter any staff or manager around to give them a heads up.. but two days later the rat was still unfortunately in the same place. I don’t like to leave these reviews but I think it’s important for others to know and hopefully this review will improve things for future guests. Also, we were unaware when we booked that the accommodation is part of a Christian community, which may be important information for some guests to know in advance.