Good old fashioned bach with comfy beds. Great views out to the harbour. Close vicinity to walking tracks and swimming beaches.

Very relaxing. Enjoyed the lights of Lyttelton whilst sitting outside. Loved the bright starry sky.

Actually, I'd rather go less than 1 star, but, I'm afraid, the rating system doesn't allow it. Booking made from UK for 03.01.17 to 10.01.17 Reasons for booking – wedding celebrations in Diamond Harbour + holiday highlight Actual length of stay – less than one hour + a spoilt holiday Plenty of photographic evidence from my camera https://sites.google.com/view/out-the-window/home We did not expect grand, modern or masses of space - however we did expect clean, neat and tidy. We arrived in the afternoon expecting at least these basic requirements. What we found was sub-standard. The property smelt awful (damp, rotting vegetation, insect/rodent infestation or a combination). Newspaper on the floor greeted you when entered into an overcrowded dingy, dusty, dirty and cobwebbed “living” room. Insects roamed the carpets. The dining room “housed” the electricity board. This required a professional electrician to ensure it complied with Health and Safety regulations (would have been condemned if in UK). There was no outer protection. Bedroom one was very dingy, smelly and dirty. Sheets and bedding appeared used. Bedroom two was of similar appearance but with an additional “put up” bed running across and over the main one. Very cramped, untidy, smelly and dirty. Bathroom was disgusting. The toilet was filthy with a black stained bowl and dried urine over the seating area. To say there was basic bathing facilities is an exaggeration. The whole room was inadequate, dirty, damp and dingy. All the windows were dirty which was a pity as it spoiled the beautiful views. The Kitchen was by far the worst we’ve ever come across, VERY unhygenic, • refrigerator - handle was black and mouldy and had stains all over, black and unacceptably dirty/rusty at the bottom – required replacing • cabinets were dirty with food and other stains – all needed a wipe down • dishwasher was smelly and “full” (didn’t check whether items were clean) • waste bin very dirty and not emptied - contained remnants of rotting food and Christmas crackers – required a good wipe over with disinfectant or replacing • vegetable rack contained rotting onions and bin bags • cooking equipment, ie microwave (needs replacing) and cooker were very dirty with lots of stuck on splashed food and crumbs together with rust and black mould, disgusting • Kettle required cleaning and preferably replacing • Toaster was rusty and required replacing • Coffee machine (Cascade brand) was covered with cobwebs, unhygienic and looked totally unusable – required replacing Disinfectant and cleaning materials are cheap and readily available and well affordable within the cleaning fees charged. The general property upkeep was poor and the untidy woodwork attracted woodlice together with flies and ants (and there was evidence of other pests). All wooden frames required attention. There were cobwebs and insects in every single room. Plastic bottles and rubbish was strewn amongst the garden flowers. This property would have been perfect for our requirements. It was close to where we needed to be, idyllic surroundings and perfect for walking but far too dirty. This review has been forwarded to the New Zealand Tourist Authority and TripAdvisor together with various other sites as we believe this property is not suitable for holiday rental.