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Sunny, Sheltered And Minutes From The Beach

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Reviews

7.4 out of 10
Good
2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 4

Popular amenities

  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Balcony
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Balcony or patio
  • Dryer

Explore the area

View map
Auckland, Auckland
  • Place, Bethells Beach
    ‪8 min drive‬
  • Place, Waitakere Golf Club
    ‪9 min drive‬
  • Place, Crystal Mountain
    ‪17 min drive‬
  • Airport, Auckland (AKL-Auckland Intl.)
    ‪50 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 4)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Queen Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Kitchen
Balcony
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Sunny, Sheltered And Minutes From The Beach

The Rainforest Retreat is a house surrounded by the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park. This listing is for the adjoining 2 bedroom house. There is a 4 bedroom house next door which can be rented in combination subject to availability. Please note that we have recently added a good internet connection providing 50 Mbps, sufficient speed to work from the premises or watch a movie. There is a smart TV which received digital TV via WIFI. There is a brand new Bosch washing machine and Bosch dryer underneath the house.

This house is located a 5 minutes drive from Bethells Beach, lake Wainamu, caves and sand dunes. The location is 15 minutes from Swanson train station which operates regular trains to/from Auckland CBD. A drive to Auckland CBD will take about 35 minutes.

The house has recently been renovated and offers accommodation for up to 4 people. It is north facing, sunny, privately secluded and surrounded by stunning nature in tree tops. There is a 4 bedroom house next door which can be rented in combination subject to availability.

Body boarding, sand boarding, bush walking, fishing and bird watching are just some of the activities to be found on the doorstep.

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House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM

Check out before 11:00 AM

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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

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Events

No events allowed

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Pets

No pets allowed

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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Property # 9898999
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
This property uses a grey water recycling system
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property

About the area

Auckland

Waitakere, a neighbourhood in Auckland, is home to this holiday home. Waitakere Ranges and Bethells Beach reflect the area's natural beauty and area attractions include Crystal Mountain and Bruce Ritchie Performing Arts Centre. Massey Leisure Centre and CraftWorld are also worth visiting.
View more Holiday homes in AucklandOpens in a new window
Map
Auckland, Auckland

What's nearby

  • Bethells Beach - 8 min drive - 5.4 km
  • Waitakere Golf Club - 9 min drive - 6.9 km
  • Crystal Mountain - 17 min drive - 14.7 km
  • Kumeu River Wines - 18 min drive - 20.2 km
  • Waitakere Ranges - 24 min drive - 28.0 km

Getting around

  • Waitakere Station - 13 min drive
  • Auckland (AKL-Auckland Intl.) - 46 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Swanson Station Cafe - ‬14 min drive
  • ‪Swanson RSA - ‬15 min drive
  • ‪Piha Rsa - ‬33 min drive
  • ‪Cafe Redwood - ‬14 min drive
  • ‪Picollo Pizza Pasta - ‬14 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Sunny, Sheltered And Minutes From The Beach pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Sunny, Sheltered And Minutes From The Beach?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Sunny, Sheltered And Minutes From The Beach?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Sunny, Sheltered And Minutes From The Beach located?

Located in Waitakere, this holiday home is within 9 miles (15 km) of Bethells Beach, Waitakere Golf Club and Crystal Mountain. Kerr Farm Wine and Babich Wines are also within 9 miles (15 km).

Reviews

7.4

Good

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 0 out of 6 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 4 out of 6 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 6 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 6 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 6 reviews

7.8/10

Cleanliness

7.8/10

Check-in

9.0/10

Communication

6.8/10

Location

7.0/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

6/10 Okay

Beliaeva N.

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Check-in, location, listing accuracy
The house is modern and tidy, though an air conditioner would hugely help in hot an super humid conditions.We had some issues with checking in and out as we were given the code from the wrong key box on check in and it took some time to get hold of the hosts to open the right house.It would also be useful to clearly reflect in the property description that the dense bush surrounding the house does not have any walking paths. We were hoping to walk around but though pleasant to observe and abundant with beautiful birds that we loved to watch, the bush was literally impenetrable. The driveway was too steep for our car to drive in and overall the street is quite challenging to drive so the spot feels very isolated, which can be perfect for someone but too much so for us.
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2026
Verified

8/10 Good

Tulloch M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Secluded gem

We had a lovely stay. A private, secluded haven in the bush, just a short drive from Bethells beach. Very new, modern accomodation with a beautiful outlook onto bush and the valley beyond. The check in process was seamless.It could benefit from having a microwave, and the television didn't appear to work (not that we were desperate to watch tv in such a nice location).
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 18 Feb 2026
Thank you for your lovely review. We are so pleased you enjoyed the private bush setting and the beautiful outlook across the valley. It is great to hear that the check in process was seamless and that you appreciated the modern feel of the accommodation. Just to clarify, the television is a Smart TV and operates via the internet for streaming services rather than traditional broadcast channels. We will also take your suggestion about a microwave into consideration, as guest feedback is always valuable to us. We would be very happy to welcome you back for another peaceful stay.
Verified

8/10 Good

Christine W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nice property, excellent kitchen, overall OK

Disappointed there was no outdoor furniture.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 18 Feb 2026
Thank you for your feedback. We are pleased to hear you enjoyed the property and especially the kitchen. It is great to know the overall stay met your expectations. We are sorry you were disappointed about the lack of outdoor furniture. We understand how important it is to be able to relax outside, particularly in such a beautiful setting, and we will review this to see how we can improve the outdoor experience for future guests. We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
Verified

8/10 Good

Justin A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

peaceful and secluded

This is a pretty nice house once you get there, but the road is narrow and very steep and not being allowed to drive down to the house made loading and unloading the car a chore. Future renters should note there is no air conditioning, no bug screens and no microwave. Otherwise, we had a great time and really enjoyed the area.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 10 Mar 2025
Dear Justin, Thank you for your feedback! We're glad to hear that you had a great time and enjoyed the area. Regarding the driveway, we do allow guests to use it upon request. It is quite steep, and to ensure vehicles don’t get stuck, we provide guidance on how to navigate it safely—specifically reversing down. We’re happy to explain this in detail for future guests who wish to use the driveway. We also appreciate your input on the amenities. We will consider supplying a microwave in the future to enhance convenience for our guests. Thanks again for your stay, and we’d love to welcome you back!
Verified

6/10 Okay

Peneli F.

Liked: Communication
Disliked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy

It was a great stay but not really happy with it overall.

Bugs always came in flying through out the night even with the windows closed. A possum came in through the sliding door climbing on the kitchen counter and it was nerve racking to deal with it, I was happy with how sascha messaged so quickly with any information I needed. There were bugs in one of the rooms but overall it was really peaceful,I did hate how my car had to pack a distance away from the accommodation knowing how the driveway was steep. It was okay but could do with a good clean outside with the spider webs, lawns and yeah! Thank you for having us.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 18 Feb 2026
Thank you for your detailed feedback and for your kind words about the communication. As the property is located on a ten acre native bush block within a regional nature park, wildlife is part of the natural environment. Possums are present in the area, as they are throughout much of the surrounding bush. They are generally harmless, vegetarian animals, although not beneficial for native trees, which is why they are actively controlled by the local council. A possum would only be able to enter if a door was left open, as the house is secure when closed. We understand that encountering wildlife indoors would have been unsettling, and we appreciate you raising it. Being surrounded by bush also means insects are part of the ecosystem. While we do our best to manage this, occasional insects can be expected in such a natural setting. Thank you as well for your comments about the exterior and parking. We will continue maintaining the grounds and ensuring the property is presented as well as possible for future guests. We appreciate you staying with us and are pleased you were still able to enjoy the peaceful environment overall.
Verified

8/10 Good

Makayla V.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Pros and Cons

This property has a lot of potential. I will list the good and bad about it.The location is amazing, close to the beach and a beautiful view. The kitchen is nice and big and bedrooms are exactly as pictured. Good size fridge and clean on the inside. The owner was very sweet and offered us vegetables from their garden in the back.Now the not so great things.The part I’m probably most unhappy about was the fact that the drain in the shower was clogged when we arrived. This wouldn’t have been a complaint if the owner or manager had come and fixed it like they said. We were promised that they would come by and fix it the day after we called but it never happened. We could only run the shower for minute at a time before it would get close to overflowing.This was especially frustrating when we would have a beach day and everyone needed a shower. Next was the inability to cool the home at night. It was fine during the day because we could open the windows and it would cool off just fine. However, night was a different story. Mosquitoes would swarm in like crazy because there are no screens on any windows or doors. This would be a different story if there were at least a fan in the bedrooms but there was only a single fan in the living room. It was bearable if we were home most of the day and could leave the windows open but if we weren’t home we came back to a sauna we were unable to cool. I will say again the property itself has a lot of potential if those things are fixed.
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 18 Feb 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback. We genuinely appreciate both your positive comments and the areas you highlighted for improvement. We are pleased you enjoyed the amazing location, the views, the spacious kitchen, and that the bedrooms met your expectations. It is also lovely to hear you felt welcomed. We always enjoy sharing produce from the garden when available. We sincerely apologise for the shower drain issue. That should have been resolved promptly, and we understand how frustrating this would have been, especially after beach days. The drain has now been fully cleared and attended to, and we have reviewed our follow up process to ensure this does not happen again. Regarding ventilation and mosquitoes, we appreciate your feedback. Insect screens have now been fitted in the kitchen, and we are currently reviewing further improvements, including options for air conditioning to improve comfort during warmer nights. Thank you again for your honest feedback. We are committed to continual improvement, and we hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a much smoother experience in the future.

About the host

Hosted by Wendekreisen Reservations

Host profile image

Languages:

English, German

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