The Sandcastle

Die Lage ist super, das Gelände und die Leute!

Etwas in die Jahre gekommen und die Küche hatte eine eher rudimentäre Ausstattung.

For the price, it was fine, the beds were comfy and the location was good for us. Unfortunately that was all we liked.

Unfortunately the room was freezing cold and there was no way to heat the bedroom. There were dishes left out, probably because there was no dishwashing liquid. Also one of the bed had no sheets and another was dirty, and we had 2 towels for 4 people. Overall needed a lot of TLC and care. Would not recommend or return.

Wonderful motel in fabulous location and Steve is the friendliest host couldn't ask for better 😀

It was a cosy, charming place and the cottage was homely. Had everything we needed. Plenty of space for our pup. Great price. Close to the beach. Would stay again.

Piccolo chalet comodo per le gite all'Albel National Park e per la Wharariki Beach. Steve, il gestore, è molto simpatico ed accogliente. La struttura è modesta, ma per il poco prezzo pagato è più che dignitosa. Cucina fornita per preparare la cena. Si può parcheggiare comodamente davanti alla porta dell'appartamento. Bagno un po' spartano, ma ottima la posizione. Piccolo salotto. Di sera uscite nel giardino di fronte ad ammirare le stelle.

Più attenzione alla pulizia

Piccolo chalet comodo per le gite all'Albel National Park e per la Wharariki Beach. Steve, il gestore, è molto simpatico ed accogliente. La struttura è modesta, ma per il poco prezzo pagato è più che dignitosa. Cucina fornita per preparare la cena. Si può parcheggiare comodamente davanti alla porta dell'appartamento. Bagno un po' spartano, ma ottima la posizione. Piccolo salotto. Di sera uscite nel giardino di fronte ad ammirare le stelle.

Un po' più di attenzione alle pulizie.

Steve was a wonderful host and it was so great to have the kids be able to run around, pat the horses, eat blueberries out of the garden etc. We loved being able to partake in a legendary wood fired pizza night where Steve cranked the fire and made pizza bases and we just bought along the toppings. A good way to meet others also staying there. The cabins are simple with lots of character and have all that you need. A true authentic Golden Bay experience.

Wouldn't recommend in the middle of winter as the cabins are older. Perfect for the warmer months.

So Peaceful

Location was pretty. Houses were charming with their colours (outside and inside). Owner was friendly and helpful in providing location recommendations.

Excellent location, we had a sea view from the rom, and I loved the morning yoga session. Looking forward to catching a pizza session.

A bit of mold in the wet areas and on the windows, especially noticeable in the bathroom.

Very dog friendly

とてもいい滞在でした！ スタッフの方がみんな親切で、気持ちよく過ごせました。 ロケーションも最高で、周りの雰囲気もすごく良かったです。 お部屋もきれいで、必要なものはしっかり揃っていて快適でした。 そして何より、夜の星空が本当に綺麗で感動しました。 またぜひ泊まりたいです！

床がフローリングなのでスリッパを持っていくと良い。

とてもいい滞在でした！ スタッフの方がみんな親切で、気持ちよく過ごせました。 ロケーションも最高で、周りの雰囲気もすごく良かったです。 お部屋もきれいで、必要なものはしっかり揃っていて快適でした。 そして何より、夜の星空が本当に綺麗で感動しました。 またぜひ泊まりたいです！

床がフローリングなのでスリッパを持っていくと良い。

Loved the location near the beach and pub .Steve was a great host and we enjoyed the pizza night .Yoga available and lots of space to explore

Love the place Awesome vibe quiet Overall a great stay

Oh dear, what to say. This place wasn't what we thought. We were told we had a upgrade when we arrived. We were put into the accommodation attached to the main house. No key, no widow latches in the bathroom, toilet and lots of bugs. We will laugh about it in a few years.

Bugs, bugs, bugs. If you have issues with bugs, please don't stay. This place could be amazing if it was cleaned up and the broken stuff fixed.

Die Anlage war sehr naturbelassen, sprich „Wohnen auf dem Pferdehof“. Da laufen schon mal die Pferde der angrenzenden Koppel frei durch die Anlage. Steve war sehr freundlich und hilfsbereit. Die Ausstattungen der Hütten war ausreichend und gut. Gelegentlich gibt es dort auch verschiedene Aktivitäten wie Yoga oder auch gemeinsames Musizieren. Wir fanden die Unterkunft sehr interessant, Steve sehr nett und freundlich, wir haben uns wohlgefühlt.

The bungalow looked nice from outside and we were welcomed by the friendly owner

There was clearly an issue with the cleanliness of the place. Just to give 2 examples: the kitchen hadn't been cleaned for some time (dirty tea towel left, crumbs on the table, used nail clipper left on the coffee table), the bed sheets were covered by a layer of sand/dust. I could accept that the bungalow is not perfectly maintained (e.g. broken window in the bathroom) but the level of hygiene there was truly bad. That was by far our worst accomodation in our whole month across New Zealand

It was a well-appointed eco lodge. Pizza night available. We had the best night’s rest and got greeted by the resident dog. The owner, Steve, was lovely & hospitable. There’s a booklet on local attractions, we found that extremely helpful.

Einfach alles war toll 🥰

Steve the host was fantastic! He even made us all pizza in his wood burning oven!

Lovely place and staff excellent. Would have liked a tv

No tv

Very relaxing atmosphere, great host

Wunderschöne Lage und tolle Stimmung! Unser Gastgeber sorgte mit einem gemeinsamen Pizza essen für einen Abend voller netter Begegnungen.

Die Hütten sollten ein wenig repariert und gepflegt werden. Manche Gegenstände sollten ersetzt werden.

It was nice and quiet, just outside of town.

The room we booked had a shared bathroom and this was not cleaned regularly.

The bach like atmosphere and the view from the motel from all front windows.

The rain on arrival

Die Freundlichkeit und Liebenswürdigkeit des Vermieters Steve ist das Allerbeste.

Ehrlicherweise muss man sagen, die einzelnen Vermietungsobjekt bräuchten eine umfassende Sanierung. Reparaturarbeiten sind dringend erforderlich

Steve was great, the location was great and the bed was very comfortable. We loved the casual nature of the whole place.

A minor point is that a few sachets of instant coffee would be good, but there was plenty of good tea. If you don't want to supply milk in the fridge that's ok, please say that when booking so that we can bring some.

It’s so peaceful and very beautiful surroundings. Spacious cottage with very good amenities.

The only things that could be improved is the shower head and the curtains and a blind in the kitchen would be good.

Steve is the host with the most. This is the best place in Golden bays. Steve's Pizza nights are a delicious delight.

Steve was an amazing host made us feel at home and cooked us beautiful pizza

It was a great stay. So peaceful and our unit had everything we needed. No Tv which we actually enjoyed. And so handy to everything. When we come back down south we’d Definitely stay there again

This is a rustic kiwi bach. But we loved it.

Clean and quiet. Basic, bring your shampoo! Easy parking.

It’s a bit of a drive however spectacular views and thrills on the windy steep road. IYKYK. 😉

Beautiful location, friendly host, functional facilities and built with love and care.

The duvet covers smelt like they had not been changed, the whole place needed a very good clean if I’m honest. Was gutted about this because the idea and concept is lovely.

Gelegen bij het no dat was top!

Niet heel schoon maar kan voor 1 nachtje!

Le chalet est fonctionnel et bien situé. L'accueil par Steve est chaleureux et nous avons apprécié l'ambiance dans cet établissement.

Très bien placé à 10 minutes de la plage et proche des points de randonnée ou pour le kayak. Steve est très sympa , la soirée pizza était super avec un vrai four un pizza. Équipements un peu vieillot mais très fonctionnels.

Friendly welcome, good price for what you get, privacy and comfort. Good internet. Family friendly too. Pizza night, great idea - check in advance what night this is on

Nothing

friendy atmosphere

the location

The people, the horses, the place is magical!

It was unfortunately really dirty, the kitchen hasn’t been cleaned, the fridge was extraordinary dirty and smelly, the were lots of dark spots on the smelly bedsheets. This made this stay unfortunately a bit uncomfortable.

Rustic look and feel to the accommodation as a whole. Excellent value, lovely location and Steve, the owner was very friendly, helpful and obliging. We enjoyed the Pizza night too 😊

It was exactly as stated "on the tin".

Nice location.

Grubby accommodation. Needs a decent clean. One hand towel. One bowl. No towel rails. Lights not working. Smelly bed sheets.

This was my third time staying at the sandcastle. I would say it is the best place to stay in Golden Bay - and also amazing value for money. Steve is so friendly and accommodating, and his dog, Peni, is a perfect little mascot for the place. It is easy to see how some people end up staying for weeks or months at a time. The individual cottages are well equipped with everything you need for your stay - simple but everything has been thought of - such as extra blankets/pillows/heaters/kitchen utensils etc. With no surrounding noise pollution, the site is surrounded with beautiful local birdsong, which is one of my favourite things to listen to in the morning. We didn’t have pizza night this time as it was just a flying visit, but I can vouch that the pizza night is absolutely worth getting involved in and I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy it during my two previous stays. I hope to visit again in a few weeks when my family come to visit New Zealand. I have, and will continue to, recommend the sandcastle to anyone I know who mentions they are going to stay in golden bay :)

Nothing - just wish I could have had a longer stay!

Absolutely magic shower, hot water and pressure was positively grand! The beautiful surroundings, the tranquility, the ambience and stunning starry night sky makes for the perfect place to be if you're in needing some pure RnR which we did... Steve is such a warm, welcoming host and always makes my stay a pleasent one.. Thanks for the tasty taters Steve :-)

Nice room, but I was a bit disappointed we didn't get the chalet I originally thought I had booked with a balcony and views to the ocean from the balcony... There were too many spiders and webs in our accommodation.. Make shift bed was unstable, wouldn't suit a big person to sleep on.. Broken bathroom window, no proper latch to close it.. Dirty smelly rubbish bin and food left in fridge from previous stay overs... No milk or enough tea, sugar coffee condiments.. Accommodation needs a really good clean...

The atmosphere was epic, beautiful scenery and very friendly staff.

Sehr netter Gastgeber Ruhige Lage. Veranda vor der Hütte. Gutes Internet. Eigenes Badezimmer. Gut ausgestattete eigene Küche

Renovierungsbedürftig. Viele Dinge waren lose. Es könnte etwas sauberer sein

A magical accommodation including attentive hosts.

The horses, bed was comfy, spacious room

No hot water, upon communication with owner we were told to turn on a switch that was already on, we hadn’t touched it, floor was extremely dirty, door was wide open when we got there and there were bugs flying around our room all night keeping us awake, bathroom smelt like sewerage as soon as we got there

Relaxed , clean and comfortable cabins. Lovely garden , plenty of car parking, walking distance to the beach . Quiet area , can have a good sleep. Heaters in cabin for chilly nights that work really well. Good shower water pressure. Steve is a great host! Very friendly and would do anything to make sure our stay was comfortable.

It was ok according with the price.

The birdsong in the morning and the fantastic night sky. Peaceful location.

The cabin was a little more rustic than I was expecting and fairly basic. The spare blanket that was for use, once taken from the top of the cupboard and opened out smelled as if someone had been sick on it.

The location was fantastic. Short walk to the beach. Steve is lovely and it's just an awesome spot.

Didn't have breakfast

Mats on the floors. Very cold floors with bare feet

Lovely stay, very warm and comfortable, loved the fact dogs welcomed, will be back definitely

...uuummm...EVERYTHING!!! The most amazing host Steve, friendly, knowledgeable and generous. The cabins were perfect with everything you'd need to accommodate your stay. I discovered the Yurt while exploring the grounds as per recommendation and fell in love and I immediately ran back to get my husband from 1 of our 2 booked cabins for the night and asked Steve if we could change accommodations...without hesitation he happily obliged and let us keep our original cabin booking and added the Yurt to our package. We originally booked in for 3 adults and last minute turned up with an extra 2 bodies and 5 big dogs...again without hesitation he welcomed us with open arms and a way chill vibe The activities on offer with yoga and massage and even a concert in the hall on Saturday night provided by the locals (for a small entry fee). the pizza oven vibe the running creek through the property and the grounds itself are stunning with a native bush vibe and a great view of the ocean. Absolutely gorgeous beaches within walking distance and also a short scenic coast road drive picture perfect. We will 100% be back soon Ps. Steve I'm coming back for more chai tea I'm hooked I'll need the basic recipe for sure 😘😘

Leaving 😭

Location, tranquility, native bush, native birds, pizza night, massage, yoga, meditation hut, short distance to beach, whole ambiance!

All good 👍🏽

Had everything we needed. It was so warm that we didn't need to put the heater on until later in the evening. Awesome view.

Bathroom window needed a heavier curtain that couldn't be seen through when the light was on. We put a towel up...

Loved being high above the beach for views and quiet.

Shower unit needs to be redesigned so towels bath mat don't get wet

The shower, and the on demand hot water is wonderful! And of course the location, and the birdsong…and the sunny deck! These lovely wee cottages in their peaceful garden are perfect for a quiet getaway…and are also not far from the beach. This place is quite special. Steve was overseas during this visit, but his communication was excellent.

Well, this feedback is in the hopes that the mostly small negatives would be improved - to make this accommodation truely very special. Firstly, the covering of mould on the toilet cistern was very unpleasant, and gave the bathroom a strong musty odour… And we felt that the kitchen was rather under equipped with useful utensils - even a fish slice and large slotted serving spoon would have made a big difference - we cooked meals both nights, and needed to be resourceful. Just a small effort to address the above, would have made a world of difference over all - plus making sure that things such as the wall heater was safely attached to the wall, and thus useable, and having enough curtain rings to easily draw the curtains. Plus ensuring that the smoke alarm is not just an outer shell.

Friendly host, nice big clean cottages, great location

Nothing

This property is at a beautiful location. The accommodation has a lovely stream in front. Seaview and (native) trees. The cabin looks nice but wasn't overly clean and could do with some love and maintenance. Unfortunately there was a course happening right in front of the cabin we stayed in, this course was on exactly during the time of our stay. We experienced this as disturbing and didn't add to a pleasant peaceful stay.

Such a beautiful location and Steve made us feel so welcome. Basic, but clean and oh so quiet. Within walking distance of the beach and excellent eating places. We loved our stay here, and would definitely recommend.

Perfect traditional Bach feel and look to the cabin. Bed was super comfortable, the shower was great, the kitchen had all the equipment we needed. Towels were provided which was a godsend. The view from the bed across the garden to the sea was amazing. Steve the owner was very helpful and friendly.

The host is so friendly and inviting and the cabins have everything you need and it is in a great location, close to the beach and to town.

Nothing

Such a beautiful place and steve the host is awsome

Superb peaceful location overlooking Pohara beach on Golden Bay. Steve very helpful and friendly. No frills but very special and memorable place to stay. Wish we had more time here.

We arrived and were personally greeted by Steve. I’ve been too many accommodations in my life and I have never had a host like Steve. He was absolutely superb. We originally planned to stay for two nights and because of the.Bonhomie of the place we stayed a total of six days and five nights. We would have stayed all the way to the end of our trip. This was an unexpected find and you have a really open mind. I highly recommended to book this place. Just remember, it’s not the faint heart.

nice friendy people.

Location was great, walking distance to shop, beach, and the Harbour. Parking for our boat next to our cottage couldn't have been better.no

No comment.

Great place, affordable, beautiful nature around, really nice host. Not far to next town. I recommend it!

We loved our cabin at The Sandcastle. It was spacious and had a rustic old holiday camp feel about it. If you are expecting pristine modern accommodation, this is not the place for you. The setting is beautiful and only a 5-10 minute walk from one end of Pahora beach. Kitchen had all we needed to cook some meals in, although no oven, it had 2 hot plates and a microwave, toaster and kettle. Bathroom had no shampoo or soap so bring your own. The beds were comfy and towels are provided. On the Saturday evening, Steve the engaging owner got the neat outdoor pizza oven going and you just provide your own toppings, he does the dough and passata. It was a great way to chat to him and other guests for a few hours with some drinks. We felt sad to leave after 2 nights.

Great hostes

Handy location near the coast in a quiet area with great star gazing. Rooms were fairly basic, reasonably sized but good value. Pizza night was a nice communal touch and Steve was an excellent host. Good cafe nearby.

A little tired and curtains not effective for blocking light.

Stayed here with my parents and 2 month old baby - it was glorious! So tranquil. A really special place. Easy walk to the beach and nearby eateries. Backing onto the mountains, so super quiet. Host was so nice and accommodating. Cooked us all lovely pizzas in the outdoor oven (be sure to give him a days warning, though!) Free yoga and massages. And lots of beautiful sights within easy driving distance. Complete bliss. And super good value for money. Please book here! You won’t regret it!!