Te Awa Lodge

“Better Late than Never .... Lovely Hosts, Lovely Suite, Lovely View”

Americans who stay here will be forgiven if they think they are in the calm rolling hills of Eastern Montana or the beautiful farmland of Southwestern Virginia. Notice I didn't say the Rockies or the Cascades -- this is Northland New Zealand and the terrain, while spectacular in its own way, is ... more

Americans who stay here will be forgiven if they think they are in the calm rolling hills of Eastern Montana or the beautiful farmland of Southwestern Virginia. Notice I didn't say the Rockies or the Cascades -- this is Northland New Zealand and the terrain, while spectacular in its own way, is not the New Zealand of the movies with its soaring peaks. And if you make the very short 7-minute drive over to the eastern coast, you will swear you are at Boothbay Harbor or Camden in Maine. Wherever you think you are, you will be right at home with Colleen and Ashley, as warm hosts as one will find anywhere. Typically a knock on the front door will bring Ashley, who will escort you to your suite, like to be found in a separate building constructed specifically for BnB guests adjacent to the main house. Take a look our your back patio and enjoy a brook that, while it doesn't actually babble, might as well be right out of a movie. The bed was comfy and Colleen leaves tasty treats as a welcome gift. Breakfast is served in the main house and usually includes a ham so good I joking threatened to walk off with it. The nearest town is Paihia, a combination beach town and tour boat harbor, with plenty of bars, restaurants and boat ride options. During our too-short visit we took advantage of the pricey-but-absolutely-worth-every-penny plane ride over to Cape Reinga, which otherwise would have been an exhausting day-long car trek. The views from the plane -- especially Doubtless Bay -- are so spectacular that the word "spectacular" doesn't quite get it. Up near the tip of northern New Zealand it reminded me of ... well, nothing I've ever seen before, so I guess I will say it will always remind me of charming, friendly Northland New Zealand. Thank you Ashley and Colleen for a lovely stay.

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“A great start to our tour of New Zealand”

Colleen and Ashley gave us a warm welcome after our trip up from Auckland by car. The accommodation, breakfast and hospitality were first rate, at their beautiful location by the river. They even dealt with the motorway toll fees for us on their computer. They were also able to give us tips on vi... more

Colleen and Ashley gave us a warm welcome after our trip up from Auckland by car. The accommodation, breakfast and hospitality were first rate, at their beautiful location by the river. They even dealt with the motorway toll fees for us on their computer. They were also able to give us tips on visiting the local tourist attractions, especially as our visit happened to coincide with Waitangi Day. We can highly recommend this B&B to other travellers to the North Island.

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“Soooo nice”

Staying at Appledore was a relaxing and “hyggelig”/ cozy experience - very nice room, beautiful surroundings and the nicest hosts. At any time this is a place to recommend. And you don’t need the tourist information because you are told about all the “must see’s” in the area - a big extra bonus

“lovely Riverview away from the bustle of Paihia”

The room was ok, good size with a nice bathroom and a kitchenette. It trended to get very hot and stuffy in the afternoon, with no airflow. The view overlooking the river is lovely. The walls are very thin, and the layout is unfortunate, so that it tends to be very noisy. you hear absolutely ever... more

The room was ok, good size with a nice bathroom and a kitchenette. It trended to get very hot and stuffy in the afternoon, with no airflow. The view overlooking the river is lovely. The walls are very thin, and the layout is unfortunate, so that it tends to be very noisy. you hear absolutely everything from the neighbouring room. Breakfast provisions are very average.

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