Blagdon - New Plymouth
You had me at lazyboy.......I'm not sure there's anything better than arriving at your accommodation to discover lazyboys after you've just spent hours in the car and done lots of walking!
Linda's bach is a small but perfectly formed unit, it has everything you need and nothing you don't. The garden is fully fenced, except the driveway gates sit a little high on one side, so I chose to block a section of it with some pavers that were in the garden. I don't think George would take the chance to squeeze through the gap, but as the road is quite busy, I wasn't willing to take a chance.
The only downside to this place is the fact its on a reasonably busy road, and also quite near a corner that intersects a few roads so there is traffic noise. I got used to it, and I come from sleeping in almost silence in my neighbourhood. The mornings tended to be the noisiest and thats probably due to the fact I was staying on weekdays and people were off to work, and the rubbish trucks were doing their collections. It certainly wouldn't put me off staying, but is something you should be aware of.
I booked through AirBNB, but if you're not familiar with it, Linda also has her bach listed here:
https://www.holidayhouses.co.nz/properties/60786.asp
The elusive Mt Taranaki can actually be seen from the bach, just standing at the driveway you can see it in all its glory. You also get a glimpse of the water from the deck. Linda has kindly offered up the vegetable patch for anyone staying too, and while we didn't use it, it certainly had plenty on offer. The bach is also very close to a block of shops for all the essentials you might need. The access to the bach is through a key lock system, Linda provides the code before you arrive so theres no need to worry about exchanging of keys, or hoping its still in the letterbox when you arrive.
Pets are by arrangement here, so make sure you check your dog is ok to visit with you before you book. This is one ill be visiting again for sure.
Check out 'North Island Adventures' for more details on this particular trip.
