Name: Aotea Lodge
Address: 41 Medland Rd, Great Barrier Island 0991, New Zealand, Port Charles, Port Charles, Port Charles, 0962, New Zealand
Rating: 9

24-hour reception

Smoking areas

Smoke-free property

Heating

Ticket assistance

Garden

Outdoor furniture

General

Non-smoking rooms

Family room

Rooms

Luggage storage

Services and amenities

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Airport transportation

Car rental

Transfer services

Transfer

Tour assistance

Tourist services

Picnic area

Sun Deck

Recreation

Parking

Family/Kid Friendly

Kids

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Location

At the hotel

Aotea Lodge

Port Charles

child-bed

child-bed-fee

external-private-bathroom

private-bathroom

shared-bathroom

10-beds

11-beds

12-beds

13-beds

14-beds

15-beds

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17-beds

18-beds

19-beds

2-beds

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4-beds

40-beds

5-beds

6-beds

7-beds

8-beds

9-beds

king-bed

queen-bed

limited-time

lounge

treatment

no-window

bay-view

bosphorus-view

canal-view

city-view

courtyard-view

garden-view

golf-view

harbour-view

inland-view

lake-view

land-view

mountain-view

ocean-front

ocean-view

oceanside

panoramic-view

park-view

partial-ocean-view

partial-sea-view

partial-view

pool-view

river-view

sea-front

sea-view

street-view

sunrise-view

sunset-view

water-view

with-view

annex

basement

main-building

1-bedroom

2-bedrooms

3-bedrooms

4-bedrooms

5-bedrooms

6-bedrooms

not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

sauna

duplex

safe

mini-bar

breakfast-for-1

breakfast-for-2

pets-allowed

wi-fi

kitchen

On first sight, we thought it was going to be a lovely and relaxing place to stay in.  Once inside it was basic but what we expected from the photos.  We were unaware of the heating situation - seeing a portable gas heater was not quite what we expected.  Not a fan of these things (safety wise) but we lived to tell the tale.  The bed was super comfortable and luckily got warmer after about 5 minutes of lying on the cold cotton sheets (I think flannellette would have been better due to lack of electricity to have an electric blanket supplied).

The kitchen was supplied with coffee/tea, cutlery, pots, pans etc.  The gas oven was good also.  The toaster had seen better days - wasn't impressed with the condition of it (rusty/burnt from years of use - hard to tell).  It needed to be replaced for accommodation use.  There were insect plugs in a few rooms, but they obviously didn't work because the cockroaches were rampant and even fell off the ceiling when we were sitting on the couch.  Didn't make us feel happy going to bed - nothing worse than a cockroach surprise!  We bought some fly spray (none supplied) and sprayed before going out each day, but there were new ones when we arrived back later.

The other thing that we didn't like were the hens/roosters (unsure of which is which) who came running to us when we sat outside in the sun to eat.  And I mean right up to us!  No amount of shooing got them to go permanently - it was constant and annoying.  At one point my partner had to go inside to get something and left the door open - instantly they all left the porch to go inside!  So another thing we couldn't do - leave the door open!  And the poultry poop everywhere - had to clean our shoes a few times before going back inside!  I think they should be separated from the accommodation - seriously, this is not acceptable for accommodation if not told beforehand!

All this might be acceptable by some, but this all should be mentioned in the listing so that people can make an informed decision of whether they want this or not.  Very dissappointed in the lack of knowledge about these things before booking.

Could have been better informed about some things

Aotea Lodge...Wow this place is a real gem in a beautiful natural bush rural surrounding. Very secluded private quiet. Excellent value - well equipped clean units. We hired their car as a package which was great to get about the island and explore. Fiona was great to deal with and very responsive to all my emails when booking. Recommend 💯

Great barrier island

CAUTION! BE EXTREMELY AWARE of this owner, pay everything on credit card via a booking website not direct. Her response and attitude and outright lies during the red weather warnings flooding was absolutely disgusting. She would not change dates despite a red warning not to travel in place forAuckland AND  Great Barrier, she took all money $1045, including flight money which air barrier said could be kept on credit for us. She wrote emails to us stating we had people threaten her , being racist and that she had been crying, completely blown away by her behaviour. This person SHOULD NOT be trusted when money is concerned. We are seeking legal advice.

EXTREME CAUTION

We had an excellent week on Great Barrier staying at the Aotea Lodge, really a nice spot. The location is good, just on the outskirts of Tryphena, about a 5 min walk to the grocery store, pub, restaurant, and beach. Located on the south end of the island, it is a bit of a drive to some of the points of interest, however nothing more than an hour. And the roads are scenic and lightly travelled, so not really an issue. We were greeted at the Claris airport by our friendly host and got checked into our rental car, also provided by Aotea Lodge. The lodge was about 20min drive away and we were quickly checked into our unit, a 1-bedroom affair with kitchen. Our hosts, Fiona and Mike, were very friendly and helpful in providing local information. The unit was older but roomy, well decorated and well maintained – very comfortable. The kitchen was functional and we were able to prepare some basic meals during our stay. We had a nice wraparound deck with outdoor furniture, a great outdoor spot for breakfast. There was no TV, however the Wifi connection seemed to work reasonably well. There is also a spotty mobile phone connection in the unit. Our only complaint was that it was a bit warm and muggy during our stay, making it difficult to sleep, as there was no fan and no screens on the windows/doors. We tried leaving the door open at night but just ended up with tons of mosquitos inside. Screened doors/windows or a fan would be a nice addition. Our rental car was great, just a little Mazda Demio, which was perfect for zipping around the island on the narrow winding roads. We had a great stay and would definitely recommend this place to other travelers looking for a functional base on Great Barrier.

Great base for your stay on Great Barrier

This has to be one of my favourite trips to date. Staying at the Aotea Lodge in unit 2 was just right for us (2 adults and 2 children) then another adult joined a few days into the trip and still plenty of room with everything we needed.
Fiona has been fantastic since we first booked the trip and booked us and our car on Sealink at a discounted rate. 
Her place is wonderful with plenty of bird life and her pets of course including Snugs (cutest and most polite wee dog) a few chickens wandering around and some interesting wee pigs. And the spot is perfect! A few minutes walk from the beach and the store down the road. Even managed to do a 5km run each morning with the best views you could ask for. 
Fiona is very knowledgeable about the island and more than helpful to answer any questions.
Lovely place and will definitely be returning:)

Christmas Holiday

Stayed here for 3 nights while visiting Gt Barrier Island. A lovely place, easy to find, and a great base for exploring the island. Fiona is a wonderful host, and we loved staying in one of her units. Thanks Fiona! She also offers a package including rental car.

Ideal location

The owner and staff were awesome. I was able to book in early, which was much appreciated. But the room was not what I expected, not having the double bed , just four bunk beds. But as soon as I raised the issue I was transferred to a room with a double bed.

The accommodation is basic but comfortable. It is within walking distance of the shop and eating places, but beware, it is up a hill!

Would I go again? Definitely, but I would book direct to be sure of getting the right room😂

Check the photos before booking

Fiona has a lovely wee place here - just four units, although she told me she has plans to add another couple in the future.  We stayed in Unit 2, which was lovely and sunny with a nice rural outlook.   

This unit has two bedrooms - a queen bed in one and a bunk bed in the other - perfect for families.  A comfortable lounge and fully equipped kitchen.  Everything was spotlessly clean, although the carpet may need replacing soon.  You do have to keep the front door closed though as the cheeky chickens like to wander in and poop on the floor!   Their new puppy Snugs was a cute visitor as well.  

Mosquito's were a nuisance at night so we kept our windows closed.  This would be too hot in summer though, so I recommend taking repellent and citronella candles/coils  with you.  Fiona does provide insect spray and the plug in mossie machines.   

The location is great - on the Medland Road, just up the hill from Tryphena.  

We took our own car over on the ferry which meant we could easily bring enough food with us for our breakfasts and most of our lunches, then treated ourselves out for dinner each night.  Flying over would limit what you can bring, and staples like bread and milk aren't cheap on the island. 

The Barrier Social Club is only 2 minutes walk - we had a couple of good meals there.

Fiona sends out heaps of helpful information when you make the booking.  And she booked the ferry for us as well, which was cheaper than me doing it.  The all up package price she gave us for our weeks accommodation and the ferry was very reasonable.  

We had a fabulous week, exploring just about every road and doing some great walks.  The Barrier is a special place - just don't tell too many people!

Great base for exploring the island

very clean and comfy room with ample room for everything i needed for my visit to the Island to compete in the 2019 Marathon. Very serene with birds and wildlife singing! 5 minute walk to Tryphena township and Pa Beach! Fiona is a great host!

Very Comfy, quiet and clean!

This is a lovely place to stay. Our host was wonderful and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay. We were upgraded to the house unit which had two bedrooms. It is roomy and comfortable. The place to stay in Tryphena.

Aotea Lodge

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