Guest Book Comments

{We don't want to over-promise with some of the enraptured comments here! We can't promise you the best holiday you ever had, just that we will do our best to make it so. }

Amazing place! We were short of nothing. Everything we needed was here. We do a lot of trips and stay at many places, but this by far exceeded our expectations. We have loved every minute here. Thank you so much!! [Auckland]

Thank you for a lovely stay in your wonderful home! The jacuzzi was amazing and just what we needed for a relaxing get-away. [Auckland]

An amazing place to stay with so much more than we expected. Thanks and all the best. [Leeston]

Great place, up for Food & Wine festival, Paihia. Great weather. Be back again. Thank you. [Auckland]

Thank-you so much for the excellent and tidy facilities. This was one of the most relaxing holidays we've had in a long time! Awesome house, full of treasures! [Auckland]

Amazing girls weekend away for the sissys 30th birthday. We all felt safe and had everything you could ask for. The privacy was amazing! The weather was amazing as wel! And the whole time we were reaxed and felt like we were at home!! Thank Alan and whanau for an awesome stay. We will definitely be back again. [Kaeo, Kaitaia]

Thank you very much for making everything so comfortable and ready for us to use. We truly enjoyed our stay in Russell and hope to be back soon. [Auckland, Antwerp]

Truly is a magic place. Weather amazing, fast trips to town for those who can't walk well (3 mins). Lovely spa hot tub. Roomy showers and te lift (our favorite) this was a dream place for us to stay. The bed was so comfy. [Whangarei]

Thanks for a wonderful stay. Great weather, friendly people and a relaxing stay. Awesome house for a family. [Matamata]

We all had a great time. Lovey weather & lots of swimming. Awesome accommodation, we can't wait to come back. [Auckland]

What a fantastic accommodation, beautiful set up. Loved the spa after a long trip. Great that we could wak to town. Would love to come back. [Auckland]

Superb accommodation, too much to do and see in one trip. We will be back! Thanks for the warm hospitality guys. [Auckland]

Thanks you for a wonderful stay. The children loved the lift. We appreciated all the towels. [Christchurch]

Thank you for another hokiday week in Russel. Once again the weather turned it up for us and we were able to relax. [Auckland]

Thank you Karen for a beautiful stay on Jos's special weekend. We all had a lovely stay - and "We will be back"!! We had such an Awesome weekend. [Whangarei, Auckland]

Love this place, the view was amazing if I had a house like this it would look amazing. Thank you so so much for the stay hopefully we'll be back! (written by Ella age 10) [Auckland]

Great family weekend at Terracotta Gardens. Lovely home to relax and enjoy lovely Russell. Thanks for having us, we'll hopefully be back! [Auckland]

Fab girls weekend away! Thanks from the Whangarei Walking Mamas. [Whangarei]

Wonderful weather! Lovely family stay - thank you to Alan and Karen for their sharing of this property. We will be back! [Auckland]

Great place! Fulfilled our needs. Well appointed and central to our needs. Will tell our friends about the place. [Auckland]

Absolutely wonderful "home from home". A lovely location and view but the best is the attention to detail by the landlord and a very clean house. Had a great BBQ and the spa pool was cool & yet hot! Try the beach by walking up the bank & down the other side, it's great! Thank you to you! [Waikeke]

Thank you, Alan, for your very comfortable house. [Australia]

Fantastic place for our family stay - grandparents, family and aunty. 2 year-old loves the beach and hot tub, aso going in the lift to see Nana and Poppa in the morning. Well appointed - love the tissues and liquid soap thank you. Also thank you Alan for your help with the BBQ etc. [Auckland]

A great place to stay that has accommodated all of us with space to spare. Russell is beautiful and kept us busy from dawn to dusk. Loved Long Beach and Izzy (aged 6) loved swimming on the beach at Russell. All loved being here. [UK]

We have had a lovely relaxing 5 days here at Terracotta Gardens. Even though the first 2 days were wet we were able to amuse the children with cricket in the garage and dips in the hot tub. After that it was beach/water activities enjoyed by all! Lovely roomy house. [Auckland]

Big family gathering - a wonderful and refreshing time for 3 generations of [our family]. We all loved the house and Russsell. Swims every day at Long Beach. Boating, walks, coffee and good times. Thank you - we loved it! Lift was amazing. [Auckland, Cape Town]

Great stay. Lovely weather. Lots of beach and swimming activities. Our 5th visit to Terracotta Gardens over the years. A very relaxing week for us all. Best wishes, Happy Christmas. [Auckland]

Loved staying here!! Beautiful suroundings, such a clean, warm home & the hot tub a perfect start & end to the day. 20 years since I've been in Russell and it's all as I remember. Will be back again next time with kids and dogs. Loved it here. Thanks so much. Loved seeing Mahjong here. Russell is where I learnt to play with my grandma. [Mt Maunganui]

What a beautiful home - absolutely LOVED! our stay here. Pixie the dog loved the sunny deck. Russell is our now favourite place. Many thanks. [Auckland]

This place is amazing!!! So peaceful, beautiful surroundings, fantastic house and wonderful hosts. Thank you so much [Auckland]

What an amazing house in a beautiful town! We have really enjoyed our stay. Thank you so much. [Auckland, Australia]

Had an amazing weekend here in this beautiful home, so in love with our stay here in Russell. [Whangarei]

Lovely holiday, lovely home, fabulous garden. Many thanks. [Dunedin, Paparoa, Dargaville]

Our extended family have enjoyed our stay very much despite torrential rain [Cyclone Cook]. We would love to stay another time. Despite the rain the middle generation walked from Paihia around to Russell via Opua. We recommend the Swordfish Club. [Auckland, London UK]

Thank you for having us in your wonderful home! We had a really fun, relaxing stay in your home and in Russell. Would absolutely love to come back again! All the gang from Melbourne. [Aus]

VIsiting our son and girlfriend from the UK. Bay of Islands, and Russell in particular, absolutely beautiful tropical paradise. Terracotta Gardens is a fantastic house; so well equipped and very spacious. Gardens are beautiful as well - tried to spot a kiwi but alas failed! (Alan organised everything else but didn't manage this one!) Loved the lift. Enjoyed watching a dramatic sunset from the upper deck. Love to come back again (before we're too old.)
[To see kiwi - do the Russell Nature Walk at night. Otherwise listen for their call at night but you have to distinguish them from all the weka - very noisy birds.] [UK]

Thanks so much for having us in your delightful house. Everything has been thought of - from facilities to location. Amazing deck, awesome views, great hot tub. We could go on. We're all very sad to be leaving and hope to come back again in the future. [UK]

Heavenly stay. I will remember the view from your deck for a long time. Bliss! Thank you for having us at such late notice. [UK]

Fabulous location. Loved the lift, a great asset. Lovely clean house. We enjoyed it very much. Thank-you. [Whangarei, Hamilton]

Fantastic location and great sizd place for our whole family! We had a gread stay. Thanks for the hospitality and all the great advice. [Auckland, UK]

Wonderfully equipped homely comfortable house! Kind hosts. We have had a lovely relaxing time here in beautiful Russell. Many thanks. [Auckland]

We have really enjoyed our stay here. Hopped in the spa and didn't get out for about 8 hours. Loved the location and the privacy this setting provides. Thanks for having us, we'd love to come back soon. [Auckland]

Christmas Getaway. We love this place. Alan was very helpful. We enjoyed the B&B. We loved hanging out on the deck. The elevator was so cool, we loved the yards and my husband saw a kiwi in the bottom yard. We met the dog and loved spending our Christmas here. We did a yacht tour. It was awesome. We are from SK, Canada spending Xmas here with our daughter and boyfriend who have been living here in NZ for 15 months. We love Russell & our B&B [Breakfast is DIY]. Thanks so much. [Auckland, Canada]

[Note that there are weka in our garden, not kiwi. They look similar but have a short beak and are active during the day when kiwi are sleeping. They are also flightless and are rarer than kiwi but common only in Russell. You can see kiwi in Russell by taking a night walk at Russell Nature Walks.]

Great place, not enough time here, just a moment in time, Many Thanks. [Auckland]

Really nice stay in a beautiful home. Perfect place for exploring. Alan a good man and made us feel welcome. Spa awesome. Weka fun. Will be back for sure. [Auckland]

Girls Weekend. Great weekend away! House was lovely to stay in and owners really nice. Awesome weekend relaxing on the deck and a visit to the tattoo place for Souvenirs. Will definitely be back! [Auckland, Whangarei]

Thank you for a lovely stay that had to be cut short unfortunately. Very comfortable. [Whangarei]

Thank you for a super comfortable and relaxing 3 days. We compliment you on ensuring that everything we needed was provided. Very well equipped indeed. [Auckland]

Thanks for the stay. Cheers for cleaning the spa and allowing dogs. All the best. [Rotorua]

Cheers for the swell holiday. The place was immaculate, the lift revelatory and the deck perfect for beers in the sun. [Auckland]

Once again, many thanks for a stay we all look forward to - heading into the last leg of the Tour of Northland. The boys are refreshed and raring to go!!! [Auckland]

A very enjoyable visit to Terracotta Gardens. Very comfortable and well-equipped house, excellent for a family holiday. Good weather has topped it all off. The new museum at Waitangi is well worth a visit. The Waitangi site has a lot to offer. Russell is a lovely town - our 4th visit here. It offers everything one needs. Good eating places, shops and places to sit and watch the world go by! Thank you for sharing your house with us. [Yorkshire UK, Auckland]

We had an amazing time in your beautiful home away from home. Everything we needed ... and then some. Love, Love, Loved the Hot Tub!! We'll certainly be back, tell friends (and anyone who'll listen) [Auckland]

We had another great stay for our 10th Anniversary. Our granddaughter loved the lift. Our dog enjoyed the deck. Russell is still a great place. [Auckland]

We would like to say thank you for a comfortable and enjoyable stay in this great special house. The views are lovely, as is Russell and the surrounding areas, which we explored. The beach is lovely and the dog really had some great runs! We from Auckland will be back! Sorry to have to leave such a beautiful and tranquil place.
You have every reason to be proud of such a beautiful garden. [UK, Auckland]

Thank you for letting us stay in your lovely home. It's been a home away from home! Would love to come back soon. [Auckland]

This is our second visit to this lovely bach! Clean, homely and close to all of the cafes, restaurants and beaches. Couldn't recommenc it enough. Love Russell and the Bays. We will be back! [originally UK now Auckland]

What a wonderful time we had here. Beautiful accommodation, clean safe and secure. If you want somewhere to toally relax we highly recommend. Only down-side - one piece of jigsaw missing!
Places to eat: Tuk Tuk - Amazing!
Hone's - fabulous wood-fired pizzas.
Spice Route (Indian) - massive portions - fab taste.
In fact everywhere we ate we were not disappointed. [UK, Auckland]

Thank you so much, we had a wonderful time! Great house, beautiful gardens. The children loved the lift and everyone loved the spa. Thanks for being so hospitable. [Auckland]

We were here from England/Auckland for a long weekend. Our friends were married in the lovely gardens and we've had a fabulous time staying in this beautiful bach. We would definitely come here again. A beautiful home from home with stunning views. We enjoyed the five minute walk to Long Beach and Russell Town. The whole trip has been amazing! Thank you! [England, Auckland]

What a fantastic spot and a lovely house. Perfect. Would love to come back one day. Enjoyed the boat trip to the Hole in the Rock but alas no dolphins this time. Many thanks. [Cape Town SA, Portsmouth UK]

Amazing house, had a great time. [Auckland]

Fantastic weekend, beautiful place, will be back. [Auckland]

Was just a perfect weekend! Thanks for having us. [Auckland]

Delightful stay in this beautiful home. Enjoyed exploring Russell, Paihia, Cape Reinga. Hole in the Rock trip is a must see. The restaurant next to the Duke of Marlborough hotel is a stunning little place with great food and service. Will be back in summer to see more! [ex Cape Town now Auckland]

I've only been here forty five minutes and I already love this place. [Auckland]

You have a beautiful house. We once again had an awsome stay! The spa was amazing. Our lil dude had a great time laying in your spacious lounge. Mitzy loved the garden and was dying to meet your dogs. Warrick is jealous of all the kids' comments about the lift so we are now going to have to hire out the whole house. Thank you for turning the heater on and next time we will try to make the ferry on time (but don't count on it!) [Auckland]

Wonderful place, casual and spacious. Thanks. [Napier, Wellington]

Thanks for letting us stay in your beautiful house. We all slept peacefully despite the heavy rain, loved the hot tub and had 2-3 soaks! And practiced our "Are we being served" lines in the lift. We enjoyed the weka calls and the beautiful fragrance in the garden. Nice firm beds. Happy times for all! [Auckland, Fielding, Taranaki]

Superb accommodation for four couples - beautiful, clean, tidy, all that is needed for a wonderful long weekend. Beautiful gardens, great deck and BBQ; all-in-all a marvellous place - highly recommended. [Auckland, Wellington]

We would like to congratulate and thank you for having such a wonderful home where friends and family can gather. Everything is so immaculately clean and very well equipped. It is such a beautiful setting and spacious home. W have loved our time here. Two of our group completed the Cape Brett Challenge and we visited Rawhiti for the first time. Thank you and your support team for enabling us to have a fabulous weekend. This place can so be highly recommended. [Mangawhai]

What a fantastic place! The perfect spot to explore Russell and the Bay. Thanks. [NZ, UK]

Awsome holiday home. Everything we could wish for. [NZ]

We have had a lovely time here in Russell. The house is a great family base and our 3 girls (6,8,10) have really enjoyed the novelty of the lift and loved the hot tub. The garden is lovely and loved the native bird life too. We got to see dolphins which was amazing and the Hole in the Rock, beautiful bays and islands too. Still as beautiful up here as we remmeber, last visit 15 yrs ago. Hopefully will return one day. Also recommend the museum in Russell - small but good. Thanks for letting us use this great house. Great place to stay. Love the hot tub. I liked going to see the hole in the rock and saw baby dolphins. Thanks for letting us stay. [Worcestershire, UK]

Many thanks again. Book us in again for next year!! Cheers. [Tour of Northland cyclists]

A lovely stay. Beautiful place. Quiet and restful. Great boat ride to the "Hole in the Rock". Highly recommend. Wineries pretty good too! Thank you Russell for some lovely memories. [Dunedin, Christchurch]

Thanks for allowing us to use your lovely house. Our dogs loved the big deck. Everything we needed was there. We love Russell! [Auckland]

Once again we had a lovely week at your place - which we now think of as "our special place" in Russell. It was fabulous getting our adult children and their partners together. We had people coming and going for various adventures on the water. It was lovely to meet you - we hope we can come again some time in the future. Many thanks. [Nelson]

Lovely house and hosts. House was so clean and homely and spa was a real treat! Will be recommending to others for sure! Thank you. [Auckland, Palmerston North, UK]

The lift was nearly always full because I was always in it and every time it gets used I will try to get in with them on the ride" - Daniel - Age 8

We had a very nice stay, we enjoyed the garden and spa. Will definitely remember this stay in Russell Our eight year old son summed it up for us all. He was hopping down the steps and running down the grass exclaiming "Ths place is awesome" [NZ, SA]

Lovely house with an amazing setting. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and made some lovely family memories Thank you. [NZ, Holland]

Awesome house! Spa was amazing after Cape Brett walk. Elevator was lots of fun. Hopefully we can come again. [NZ]

Thank-you for an amazing stay, beautiful surroundings, lovely house, home from home. The kids loved the elevator and the spa pool. Lots of wildlife. Fun holiday for all of the family. Will definitely be back again. Thanks.
We've had a great time here with our family, watching wildlife and beautiful scenery. Back to Scotland next week with many happy memories. Will be back. XX [NZ, Scotland]

Thanks for great weekend at terracotta Gardens. Loved your garden ... lots of work has gone into it. [Australia]

Wonderful location for the start of our belated honeymoon and 6 month anniversary. Felt entirely at home and comfy from the moment we entered the door. Rainy days were a great excuse to enjoy it even more! Spa was amazing as the rain hit the roof. We will certainly be back. Thanks so much. [Auckland, England]

Great stay thank-you! [Auckland]

Beautiful house and a lovely setting to meet up with our NZ family! [ANew Forest, England]

A lovely location, with bueautiful views! Homely, clean house. Warms up nicely on cold winter evenings. Long Beach is very beautiful, and loved by our Husky. The spa tub was a great touch and helped with relaxing us on our holiday! [Auckland, England]

This is undoubtedly the best holiday rental in Russell if not NZ. The most accommodating and helpful hosts - spacious comfortable house with room for all to be comfy and a spa pool to boot! Thank you Alan for renting us this outstanding house and for your warm hospitality.

Thank you so much for a delightful stay. Your hospitality and care during our vacation couldn't have been better. We loved the spa & wonderful lift! The garden is great and walking to Russell is sublime. We recommend Rawhiti & Elliot's Bay for sightseeing. Thanks again! [NZ, US]

Lovely, spacious, comfortable home - stunning, sunny weather & Long Beach is gorgeous. Russell is a relaxing holiday spot.

What a find!! Can't believe how lucky we were to find this beautiful home in Russell. Just right for a relaxing holiday with all the family. Plenty of room for everyone and so well equipped. Hope that we can come back one day but its a long way from London!! [NZ, London UK]

Thank you for a lovely house to rent. We had a very relaxing time. Some stunning walks in kauri forests, good places to eat out. The spa was a bonus we just loved.
Hopefully we can come back again. [Wellingon]

A truly beautiful part of NZ here in Russell with accommodation worthy of its setting.
Thoroughly enjoyed our stay, enjoying the views from the terrace and the comfort and ammenities of Terracotta Gardens. Many thanks for everything. [Napier, Norfolk UK]

We've had a lovely time here in Russell. Wonderful town and Terracotta Gardens is very comfortable - everything we could want!
Thanks for the loan of the dressing gown, ALan, and for your help with the phone. [NZ, SA, UK]

We had a great time here with the whole family. Rained for 2 days but we didn't get cabin fever - plenty of space for eeryone.
Lovely spot and great walks. All the teenagers had their own space and it worked really well. We'll be back!! [Tauranga]

We have had a wonderful girls week away in the Bay of Islands. Relaxed mornings with leisurely walks around Russell then spending our afternoons at the beautiful beaches. Terracotta Gardens had everything we needed. Thanks so much. [Devonport, Auckland]

It was a fantastic stay over Terracotta Gardens. We love the garden, the spa and especially the elevator! (Naughty people!) Thank you Alan for all the hospitallity! And we are looking forward to come again!
It is no place like home, but here is a place really like home! XXOO Auckland

It was a great holiday we had here! Very nice house, garden, birds with all their sounds, terraces, view!!
The girls had a good ride on sum horses at 222.thefarm.co.nz for not too much money. We also had there a kayak-trip (a little adventure because of a very dark sky and thunderstorm!) But we survived.
Thank you, Alan, for all your hospitallity! [Heemskerk - The Netherlands]

What an amazing place to stay - clean, homely and lots of fun. Will miss the "lift" and the spa. We could not have chosen a better bach. Thanks for everything. We will be back.
We had a wonderful stay at Terracotta Gardens - lots of space, amazing views and everything we needed. We found it clean and neat. What a beautiful garden! The elevator and the spa were just wonderful. Thank you. We will be back. [Whangaparoa, Queensland]

We have all had a wonderful stay in Russell. A highlight was definitely the lift - very entertaining. We look forward to coming back! [Tauranga]

Your house is immaculate and the landscaping awesome. How do you manage to mow those steep lawns? [Our local "Russell Moas" keep them pristine.] I got some much needed exercise climbing 89 steps six times. I am from Vancouver, Canada and it's not likely I will find my way back here again. Nevertheless the memory of this all too short visit will not be forgotten.
This is a good Bach. Thankyou. I am cool and I am 13 years old.
Beautiful attention to detail - especially in the backyard! Really enjoyed our stay. Thank you! [Canada, Auckland]

Very spacious and well-furnished house. We thoroughly enjoyed our time here. A house for all seasons!! We had a great time even though the weather was not that great. The gardens are impressive and the facilities are excellent. The elevator provides further amusement if needed. the pool was perfect as well. We hope to come back soon! Thanks! [Auckland]

A pleasant stay in all of its aspects. We love being here and wiill come again. May be next time I'll bring my parents' family to enjoy it here. Things we like the most: Privacy, just as we hoped; good furnishings; garden. I won't list the rest as I like it all. Hope to be back soon. [Auckland]

It was a special weekend for us. Having had a very busy year it was so nice to recharge. Being both ours and our son's anniversaries it was a good moment and we were pleasantly surprised by the vastness of the house and grounds and the comfort to be enjoyed with space to spare. Disappointed to have to leave so soon we hope to return to Terracotta Gardens sometime soon. Thoroughly beautiful and peaceful. Grounds to be proud of. Well done. [North Shore]

Terracotta Gardens was everything we had hoped for and more! It was perfect for our needs and we were able to relax, rest and recharge. Our stay was way too short! Thank you for a great break. [North Shore]

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. What a gorgeous spot. Loved having lunch in the garden and looking out over the harbour. We'd love to come back! [Ashburton]

Love the house but the lift was awesome. It was the best holiday ever. [Pukekohe]

Wonderful stay in this amazing house! Shame about the weather, but the elevator brought out the child in all of us! Wonderful meal at The Gables and a great base to explore. We'll definitely be back. [Christchurch, U.K.]

We had a great time in your beautiful house. Everything you'd ever need is here and it was great to be able to bring the dogs with us as well. Thank-you so much. [Auckland]

Thanks for letting out your amazing house. We had an amazing weekend. [Auckland, U.K.]

Thank you very much for the wonderful stay we had here. Great house. Would recommend this to any friends or family coming to Northland! P.S. Love the lift - really fun LOL. Thanks so much for everything. I love Russell it is my fav place. [Auckland]

Awesome onvernighter on Tour of Northland. Will be back next year. [Auckland]

A great house. Had a wonderful time. Wish we could stay longer. [Auckland, U.K.]

A very comfortable stay. Wish we could stay longer! Thank you for making it so comfortable. [England]

Had a great time - house and views are great - loads of room and everything here we needed. Russell and weather was great - dolphins amazing!! Thank-you for renting out this lovely place. [Tauranga, Walsall U.K.]

Loved our stay here! Ate lots, drank lots, laughed lots, lovely location. [Auckland, Muriwai]

Great house for our stay in Russell - nice cooling breeze on the balcony in this hot weather. Heaps of space and a lovely homely feel. Thoroughly enjoyed it. [Nelson]

It has been a great stay. Really loved it here and in Russell. Must come back some time. Thanks. [NZ]

Great accommodation, great tour, great scenery, great hills, great RSA burgers, great WiFi. Thanks for a great start to our NZ holiday [UK]

Thanks. We've really enjoyed the spa, walks, diving etc. Am really impressed with the garden. You have a great spot to live.
Wow. What a place - the best I have ever been. Cool lift. "Russell The Movie" was worth a watch. The shower was great. Food at the RSA was the best - good price. BBQ work great. Ta very much. [Auckland]

What a beautiful spot. Loved the spa and the walks to both beaches.. Thanks so much. [Auckland]

Awesome!!! 10 out of 10 [Auckland, China]

Lovely home away from home, nice and quiet - only downfall was the spa pool not operating BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH for letting us use your spa. Your friendliness made us feel comfortable therefore enabling us to enjoy it here. We had some family visit who absolutely loved it here too. 10 out of 10!!! [Whangarei, NZ]
[Sorry about the spa. The heat pump blew a condenser on Thursday night and the service man fixed it on Monday but too late for you.] [Terracotta Gardens]

We had a wonderful day here. It was fun. The garden looks Beautiful. Thanks for having us here. [Whangarei]

We had a wonderful stay, the house is well equipped and the garden is beautiful. Thanks for having us. [Whangarei]

A great place to stay for our family prior to our daughter's wedding. Good fishing, good fun, great kitchen to work in with everything we needed - just like a home - and a few cuttings from the garden were ideal for the table flowers. Thank-you. [Palmerston North]

Thanks for a great break. Great views. Weather could have been better. Still, we soldiered on. [Sefton, Kaiapoi]

Thank-you so much for letting us stay in your beautiful home. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! [Whangarei, London]

Thank-you so much for letting us stay at this beautiful home. It really is a home from home. The views are beautiful and we (and our dogs) have enjoyed many walks on the stunning beaches. I love Russell and look forward to coming back. Your hospitality was wonderful too! [Auckland]

Had a really great time! Fabulous house which has everything you need, great views and loved the separate downstairs area! Loved Russell. Hired a sole charter on Vigilant for the 8 of us and it was an amazing trip, well worth the money. Scenery was amazing. Sally's is a really nice place to eat although if you like Pizzas and a really good salad "Hone's" is the place to go. Really good value for money. Huge thanks for having such a great house to rent out! [Surrey, Whitby, Scarborough (UK); NZ]

We had a lovely stay. The house was great with everything here. We would recommend a stay here. [Auckland]

Beautiful view and great weather! Thank you for the Christmas tree, it gives the living room a lovely Christmas spirit. The hot tub was used thoroughly but we also spent a lot of time upstais on the deck in the sun. Thank you so much for letting us stay in your wonderful home. MERRY CHRISTMAS! and enjoy the holidays. [Auckland, The Netherlands]

Beautiful house and location. Russel is such a tranquil place to relax. Shame the weather didn't match the location. Meant we spent more time in the wonderful hot tub. Thanks for letting us stay in your wonderful home. [Auckland, Devon UK, Aus]

Our second visit to your wonderful home. Very comfortable and the dogs settled in fine. Thanks so much for having us. [Katikati]

We had the most wonderful weekend, fantastic weather, stunning views, the house is absolutely GREAT! Russell and Paihia are real NZ gems! Thank you so much for the beautiful holiday! GO THE ALL BLACKS! [Auckland]

We really enjoyed our stay here - thank-you so much for the warm welcome and helpful advice prior to our arival. The house and garden are lovely as is Russell. It's just a shame that the weather was so awful! Our recommendation for dining btw is "The Gables" on the waterfront. Superb food and excellent service! We'd love to come again but only if the warm weather could be guaranteed! [UK, Auckland]
Sorry, folks, springtime weather is rather unpredictable, but that was most likely the last cold snap for the season.[Terracotta Gardens]

We have all really enjoyed our stay at Terracotta Gardens. The house and gardens are wonderfully spacious, welcoming and very enjoyable and relaxing. We have found everything we have needed within the house and made good use of the laundry facilities. Thank-you so much for a lovely time. [UK]

What a wonderful home and a great base to explore the region. The lift and hot tub were, of course, a great success. Internet access & Sky Sports evoked total satisfaction. The garden - magnificent, the vews - splendid. Thank-you [UK]

Thank-you so much for your generosity and letting us stay in this little slice of paradise. Gorgeous views, tranquil garden, hot tub - what more could you want for a few days R&R for some quake survivors. Perfect! [Christchurch->Maungataroto]

A lovely location, great views, loved the hot tub and surroundings. Great to be so close to town. Definitely will return in near future with extended family to fully use this lovely accommodation. [Whangarei]

Many thanks for the very relaxing and enjoyable holiday in your lovely home. You had everything here and we appreciated that. The garden, we all loved very much and the tranquility it offered with all the birds. The hot tub was special too. Thank you. [Auckland]

What a true Paradise! Everything Perfect. I love the Tea Pot! The only possible suggestion for improvement would be an elevator attendant, in formal attire of course, and perhaps offering light refreshments! Thank-you for providing us Quake Refugees a well-needed sense of calm!
Thank-you so much. Loved your bird-filled garden paradise, what a luxury - recharged, refuelled. Appreciate your generosity. Aroha. [Christchurch]

Thank you! What a fantastic, roomy home. All the extras, loved the pool and the downstairs retreat. [Auckland]

Thank you very much for letting us stay. We think you are terrific! We LOVE Russell and would LOVE to come back one day. [refugees from Christchurch!]

Thanks for providing such a relaxing home for us. The views, the space and the spa pool were a real treat! Can't think of anything that was missing. Definitely supplied everything we needed. [Liverpool, Bolton]

A very comfortable, high quality home in an idyllic location. Loved the sunsets from the deck. Thanks, Alan, for making us so welcome. (The dogs loved sunning themselves on the deck!) [England, France, Katikati]

Thank you very much for a beautiful home for us to stay in while in New Zealand. Had a wonderful time, would love to revisit in future. [Oxford - UK]

Thank you for a lovely relaxing stay. We enjoyed the house and garden. Long Beach - fantastic, superb & great swimming. Successful fishing with Bucko an experience! Caught some big fish, lost a bigger one. Marlin - proved slippery. A great family holiday. [Motueka, Christchurch, Auckland]

Thanks for our wonderful stay! House was gorgeous. Spa was amazing! Thanks for being so accommodating after being rained out in the storm. Looking forward to when we return. [Auckland]

What a wonderful place! It was absolutely perfect in every way ... the house, the lift, the hospitality, the garden, Russell itself, the company - PERFECT! Altogether it was a really fabulous and memorable holiday and we'll be back for sure!!! Thank you SO much! [Auckland]

What a marvelous start to our extended holiday in NZ. Hope the rest can live up to it! Russell is a lovely place. We enjoyed our visit to Waitangi hugely (go on a good day.) Took the ferry to Paihia then walked along the wash. Attended a lovely service in Christ Church [Russell's historic church] and everyone was so friendly. Took SO many photos to remind us of this gorgeous place - and the internet access meant we could share this with our family in the UK - much appreciated. A super time - we hope to return! [Lancashire (UK)]

Thank-you for providing such wonderful accommodation You have a very special place here. [Hawkes Bay]

Thanks for sharing your lovely home. Very peaceful, great setting, so neat. What a fantastic garden. Everything we needed right here. [Cape Town, Auckland]

Sweet As! The view was absolutely amazing and the location is perfect. The R. Tucker Thompson (Tall Ship) was a very enjoyable sail and let you see a lot of the Bay.
Russell is a nice town with beautiful scenery. We hope to be back sometime. [Invercargill]

Perfection - the house is amazing, you could not wish for better. "Sally's" is an excellent restaurant and the Dolphin Swim is well worth the trip.
Russell is a real pearl in the Pacific.

PS: As visitors from England on our sixth time over this is the best holiday home we have stopped in. As the Kiwis say, "Awesome". [England, Auckland]

Had a wonderful stay in your beautiful house. We would recommend the following trips: Corino whale/dolphin spotting & Coastal Kayakers
Both great fun.

We also loved Sally's & The Gables restaurants - lovely food! Thanks for a lovely trip [Victoria, Waiheke Island]

Team Gazza - Tour of Northland:
"FANTASTIC" - Perfect place to stay, relax and recover!

Had lots of laughs over the comments in this book ... LOVE IT, SEE YA NEXT YEAR, THANK YOU [Cambridge, Whangarei]

If Heaven is as beautiful as this we'll all be very lucky!

A very friendly welcome kicked off a few marvellous days at the end of our trip to NZ. The lift brought out the child in all of us - the video footage will testify to that. [England, Ireland]

Thanks. We all enjoyed our stay here. A very relaxing, peaceful place. [Western Australia]

This place has very good facilities, is very comfortable and has excellent views. If you want to meet the locals go to the Returned Services Association or the Swordfish Club.

Excellent in all respects. [UK]

A lovely place to base ourselves in the Bay of Islands. We really enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, the deck and the BBQ. All around a delightful place to stay. We'll keep it in mind next time we're planning holidays. Lots of nice touches. Thank you! [Wellington, Ireland]

Lovely visit. Great property. All facilities excellent. Lots of nice touches. Thank you! [Auckland, UK]

What a wonderful home you provided for us. Lovely deck and well-maintained furnishings. We had a fantastic time - view from upper deck amazing. [Auckland, Ireland]

Had a very relaxing stay in Russell. The house on the hill is fabulous. Wish we could stay longer. Just perfect for us all. Thank you so much. [Auckland, London, Berkshire]

Great house! Great views! Fantastic garden! Loved the lift! Lovely warm spa!

[Auckland, Tauranga]

We were very impressed with your beautiful property. The house and gardens are amazing - a beautiful place in a beautiful location. The facilities in the house are outstanding. Many thanks. [Christchurch, Auckland]

This house is perfect. Comfortable beds, clean house, high quality of contents. Our children (14, 12, 8) loved the elevator The ipod dock was an added bonus, and the water filter. Your garden is beautiful - we appreciated your gardener's work.

My husband got up at 5 am saying he could hear an electronic ding-dong sound. After 15 minutes we realised it was a tui!

The cruise through the Hole in the Rock was fun and we highly recommend the oysters from the nearby (Orongo Bay) oyster farm. We had a wonderful time and will have many fond memories of your home. Thank you.

PS: Your artwork is lovely, especially the local watercolours. We loved everything about your home, even the kitchen curtains and light fixtures. [Wellington, Auckland]

Super holiday - thanks. [England, Auckland]

Thank you for this beautiful accomodation. We all enjoyed Russell, it was amazing!!

The spa was lovely and the lift was awesome. Comfortable beds and the beddrooms were nice. The garden is just AMAZING. The whole family made a lot of memories. We will never forget the time we spent here at Terracotta Gardens. [Auckland]

Had a great stay, very well set up and relaxing. Enjoyed the walks, swimming and having the dogs with us.

Many thanks, see you again. [Auckland]

Thank you for providing such a lovely, comfortable and clean house to stay in. It is gorgeous! The spa pool was an added bonus and a welcome relief after we ran the Kerikeri Half Marathon.

It has been a lovely place to relax and the kids have had a ball too. The garden is beautiful and we enjoyed admiring the view from the deck. We have no suggestions; the house was perfect and a home away from home. [Auckland]

Terracotta Gardens is a superb way to spend a family holiday. We have had such a lovely time away, staying here took all the comforts of home and put us in Russell.

We saw a pod of dolphins at Longbeach. They jumped out and showed off to us for about 20 mins. We enjoyed the serenity and peacefulness of the tranquil surrounding whilst sitting on the verandah refreshing our thirsts with Bourbon beverages, chatting, playing uka and enjoying each other's quality company.

Thank you for providing such a clean, tidy, enticing home away from home. We hope to come back for future holidays here. [Wellington]

The house and position were great. We really enjoyed our stay and would definitely recommend the house to others. [Auckland, UK] Bookabach Guestbook

It is a nice house. We would like to come here again please. I really liked the spa, lift and the kid's TV. -Veta (5)

Great place. We both had a good time. Ipod dock was great. [Sydney]

Fabulous places here. Loved our accommodation. Sad the weather was bad but we made do anyway.

* We will be back again one day.

* The flowers were fabulous -> (one of our) birthdays that day! [West Qld, Far North Qld]

Thanks for all your help.  A lovely house and home to stay in.  The whole family had a lovely and memorable time.  Beautiful garden and lovely spa pool.

Thanks guys, lovely rooms and views.  Nice place, spa bath was awesome.  Lift was cool.  TV went a bit fuzzy but I had  a great time anyway.  I hope to come back in summer.

I HAD A GR8T TIME Lol from Emily (10) [Whangarei]

Thanks so much, even in the middle of winter, a beautiful warm place to stay [Auckland]

Great Spot!  Is an awesome place to stay between field work.  Enjoyed studying the great Hat Islands in the bay.  Lila (aged 2) loved the lift!   [Auckland, Wellington]

Thanks very much again. [Australia]

Thanks so much for a thoroughly enjoyable stay in beautiful Russell. [Auckland, London]

Great digs & as usual Russell is a fantastic place to visit.

What you had here was more than enough and what wasn't here we didn't need.

No oven meant we didn't need to cook. Great!  [Raglan; UK]

[There is now a full under-bench fan oven in the upper kitchen as well as a barbecue oven on the upper deck, microwave, rice cooker and gas hob in the kitchen for those not looking for an excuse not to cook - but there are great cafes, bars, restaurants and takeaways in Russell for those who are!]

Your house is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! XD

Great view and the house is fully equiped as well. I wish I could stay longer.

We had BBQ here, we had spa together and we all dine together as well. This lovely house has given us all a fantastic great memory!

Exploring Russell has been awesome as well. Very beautiful town.

XOXO THANX [Auckland]

Thank you for a lovely stay at Russell.

Your house is beautiful and such a good location to explore Russell + beyond. Lovely views, lovely town + spa was so good. [Bath - UK]

We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay in your lovely holiday home.  Picturesque garden with lovely windy path - a great shortcut into town.

The hot tub was an added bonus.  Everything we needed was on hand.  Will definately recommend to friends and hope to return sometime ourselves in the future.

Thank you. [Auckland]

Thanks Alan & Pat for a lovely place to bring my family from the UK + South Africa to.

You have a magnificent home here!

Only suggestion we have is in agreement with others regarding an oven but it was not a brain smash as we managed quite well on the barbi! [There is now a full under-bench fan oven in the upper kitchen as well as the barbecue oven on the upper deck.]

Thanks again! - [SA, UK, Auckland]  and the doggies

Very happy time here.  [Auckland]

Thanks Alan for a great week.  We've had great fun and enjoyed Russell very much.  We felt like it was home from home (same sofas!) 

The aroma of the flowers was a lovely welcome + spa pool a great treat after swimming in the sea at Long Beach.

THANKS  [Auckland]

Thanks a lot for the beautiful accommodation.  We really enjoyed Russell.

THIS WAS AWESOME.  Thanks for the experience.   [Hamilton; Waiuku]

Thank you.  Had a fantastic time.  ..

The highlight was at Omata Winery and looking around Russell shops for us. [NZ]

Thank you, we had a fantastic time here at Bay of Islands. Your accommodation was just perfect!

We went on the Fullers Hole in the Rock spercruise and to Cape Reinga. Shame we couldn't stay longer!

Thank you once again!   [England]

Beautiful, spacious, comfortable house.  Friendly welcome.  Great views.  Lovely town.

Had a great time on "The Edge", watching dolphins, sharks, penguins etc, then fishing with Carl on "4 Reel".

Ate lunch + dinner at "Sally's Restaurant" - fantastic.

All in all a great relaxing start to our trip. Many thanks.  [Salisbury, UK]