Guest Book Comments
Unedited comments from our guest book & email messages.
Our house and Garden :
“We are certain that your tranquil and beautiful retreat will be noted as the most unique lodging of our New Zealand adventure.” Patrick and Jeanne miller, Big sky, Montana
“After a great dinner we had an awesome bath at the beach”. Elga, Laura and Phillip, Hamberg
“ Thank you very, very very much for your warm welcome and for sharing this fantastic place with us…….keep like you are!” Peter, Annemie and Stephie, Germany
"After several weeks of reorienting ourselves to life in Pennsylvania (and wintertime), we want to tell you and show you how much we loved our visit to your home and to the South Island. These two photos aren't online, but remind us of the great fun we had at dinner and breakfast with Ute and Claus (sp?). And the wonderful food! And all we learned about living lightly on the land -- not to mention ordering excellent coffee in New Zealand. Peter keeps raving about the croissants and coffee. The chocolate cake/torte you made especially for me was outstanding, as was the one and only Pavlova I have ever had in my life. I expect no other ever to match yours. "
Susan and Peter Brooks, USA
A link to Their Blog | Photos Taken During Their Stay with Us
“..towards Christmas in a piece of paradise…thank you for welcoming us and sharing your bay with us for a very special few moments. We enjoy the food so much” Alain and Anne, France
A Wedding at Ngaio Bay :
The perfect place to tie the knot.
“Our romantic little home and the delicious meals surpass our thoughts” Heide and Gerhard, Berlin. Germany
“Ngaio Bay, hard to get there but you two make it harder to leave. Thank you” John and Florrie Sipe, USA
“Nothing prepared me for THIS…what a special place…we appreciate your warmth and hospitality and wonderful food…Our bath was so beautiful and .our finale of fireworks – spectacular!” Wayne and Coral, Melbourne, Australia
Birthday rose, laughing doves and a wild hot bath in a wild westerly…..what more did we need as an overture for our holiday?”
The Bride being delivered to the wedding by her brother :
“Ngaio Bay has it all! Most especially the friendship, the care and love you get when you come…forget the fabulous home-cooked dinners, the hot bath, ..its the family feel…we’ll be back .Soon!” Allie and Don, Kapitit, Wellington.
Sunset at Ngaio Bay :
“Somehow I just knew this would be the perfect place” Susan, UK
“dear Sonnelands, thanks so much for making this such a glorious family holiday. Swimming, fine food, easy pace, perfect” Tim, Wellington
“Magical moment after magical moment - remembering our time here will provide clarity and calm as we head into another busy year. Our children have been in paradise!” Kirsty, Wellington
“The first morning we woke by the sea and saw the dolphins” Mickey aged 5 and 1/2 yrs, Wellington
Our Labradors :
Enjoy playing with our guests.
“…another great holiday at your home – our home at the other side of the world. This is the best place to spend our honeymoon” Antina and Johannes, Germany
“Have you any idea how much we have looked forward to our return to this sanctuary?” Dodi and Dick, Marblehead, USA
“it is a refuge, a haven, beautifully conceived and maintained” Chris and Bev, UK
“We love Ngaio Bay”… Val and Tony, UK
“What a fantastic time we have had here…...your food has set the standard. The garden is to die for” Alyth and Vic, Queensland Australia
Enjoy a bath under the stars:
“When we first contacted you we could never in our wildest dreams have imagined how wonderful our wedding was to be. You have been the most perfect hosts. Thank you for..making our wedding day so very very special” Kevin and Anthea, UK
“Another great stay. Too brief but always enjoyable never-the-less” Andy and Fox, Nelson
“..2 nights of our honeymoon in this beautiful haven. Loved everything” Rachel and Hamish, NZ
“wonderful 2 night stay with fabulous food and felt very much at home with you.” Richard and Mavine, Chesther, England
“A truly satisfying and memorable experience for us. The issue is do we tell our friends or keep it a secret “SHANGRI LA writ large.” Bill and Sue, Sydney, Australia
“We have found kindness and the best welcome from you” Margot and Jonech, France
“We are left wondering why our life in England is so complicated and how we can unravel it” Catherine and Peter, East Sussex,
We came we saw and we were conquered! This place should be bottled as a tonic from the 21st century, a sliver of paradise, perfectly preserved – with love….its people like you who make the magic” Claire, Aucklande
We’ll always be grateful for you “nameless …acts of kindness…we had the best of times” Ed, Auckland
“we loved ….the food (scrumptious, yummy, top nosh!)..your kindness, chats around the table, laughter, relaxation, Sadie, Joe and Oscar(thanks for the walks doggies!). Our bath under the stars and the fireworks were unforgettable” Ben and Lou (honeymooners) UK
"Somehow I just knew this would be the perfect place"
Susan, UK
“After a great dinner we had an awesome bath at the beach”.
Elga, Laura and Phillip, Hamberg
“Somehow I just knew this would be the perfect place”
Susan, UK
“The first morning we woke by the sea and saw the dolphins”
Mickey aged 5 and 1/2 yrs, Wellington
“Thank you for making this such a glorious family holiday. Swimming, fine food, easy pace, perfect”
Tim, Wellington