Entire home

Idyllic private beach getaway

Beachfront holiday home for sun and fun

Photo gallery for Idyllic private beach getaway

Plenty of flat land to park the car and boat
Living area
Kitchen
Main bedroom, queen size bed.
Room

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 470 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Beach view
  • Parking available
  • Washer
  • Kitchen
  • Barbecue grill
  • Air conditioning

Explore the area

View map
  • Place, Bay of Islands
  • Place, Paihia Wharf
  • Place, Paihia Beach
  • Airport, Kerikeri (KKE-Bay of Islands)

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 4)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

2 Single Beds

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Hair dryer

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Office
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Idyllic private beach getaway

Motupipi sits on a private peninsula consisting of 20 hectares of native bush with beachfront access. Accommodation consists of a fully self-contained two bedroom cottage which has spectacular views from the deck, which is only 50 metres from the shoreline. The property includes a 1.2 kilometre bush walk which is fabulous for viewing native flora and birdlife. At night, sit on the deck and listen to the morepork and kiwi calling.
The cottage is a 15 - 20 minute drive to the Kerikeri village to cater for all shopping needs including weekend markets. The seaside town of Paihia is a comfortable 40 minute drive and offers a wide variety of tourist excursions, including chartered trips to Ninety Mile Beach and Cape Reinga, for those wanting to see more of the Far North area.
For those wanting to simply relax at the beach, this is the perfect place for peace and tranquillity. Boats up to 6 metres can be launched from the beach with a 4WD.
Motupipi sleeps two comfortably in the main room (queen bed) with the optional use of a separate second bedroom, which has two single beds. This bedroom has a quaint curtained doorway and three-quarter height wall separating it from the main living area.
Both bedrooms have close up, uninterrupted water views.
The views and wide open green space beats TV. Sit on the deck and watch the sun go down and watch the birds on the lawn in the evening. Just relax, read, fish, swim, walk, play games outside on the big lawn area, sit under a pohutukawa tree, try out the swing and/or simply watch the tide come in and go out.
Motupipi is the perfect secluded place for either a relaxing weekend getaway or extended holiday break.
To assist you with your travel, we can arrange pick up and drop off at Kerikeri (Bay of Islands) airport.

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Washing machine
Free WiFi
Air conditioning
Outdoor space
Beach view

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House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Check out before 10:30 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit

We should mention

A car is required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Kerikeri

Located in Kerikeri, this holiday home is in a rural area and on the beach. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Bay of Islands and Paihia Beach. The Kauri Workshop and Makana Confections are also worth visiting. Discover the area's water adventures with scuba diving and snorkelling nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with hiking/biking trails and mountain biking.
Map
Kerikeri, Northland

What's nearby

  • Bay of Islands - 1 min walk - 0.0 km
  • Haruru Falls - 37 min drive - 19.7 km
  • Waitangi Treaty Grounds - 40 min drive - 21.8 km
  • Paihia Wharf - 44 min drive - 25.4 km
  • Paihia Beach - 44 min drive - 25.4 km

Getting around

  • Kerikeri (KKE-Bay of Islands) - 33 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Phat House Brewing - ‬19 min drive
  • ‪McDonald's - ‬19 min drive
  • ‪Bad Habits - ‬40 min drive
  • ‪Istanbul Kebab - ‬19 min drive
  • ‪Charlotte's Kitchen - ‬39 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Idyllic private beach getaway pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at Idyllic private beach getaway?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Idyllic private beach getaway?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Idyllic private beach getaway?

Checkout is at 10:30 AM.

Where is Idyllic private beach getaway located?

This Kerikeri holiday home is on the beach, 0.1 mi (0.1 km) from Bay of Islands, and within 9 mi (15 km) of Skindynamique Waxing & Skin Centre and Pure Day Spa. Wharepuke Falls and Rainbow Falls are also within 12 miles (20 km).

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 124 out of 127 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 1 out of 127 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 127 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 127 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 127 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

shane f., Hamilton

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

enjoyed our stay

enjoyed our stay will be back again
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2022

10/10 Excellent

Ariel R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Best Place

Best place to stay in New Zealand , the views and quietness of the place are amazing. Also good people make this place 10/10 .
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Janet M., Vancouver

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Peaceful hideaway

Great property and hosts. Just what we were looking for.
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jack H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Not a Care in the World at Motupipi

The Starr family's Motupipi cottage on the water in Kerikeri couldn't have been better. It was the perfect spot to reflect on our two months in New Zealand. The cottage had everything we could need for our week's stay and the location on a large inlet was idyllic. Quiet,
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Peter P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Amazing week

We needed a break a we really got it, thanks so much to our hosts who looked after us all week.
Stayed 8 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Raymond L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Stunningly beautiful property

We were blown away by the incredible views right on the doorstep. The facilities were great and the hosts were just so friendly and helpful. We had a great time on the water with the kayaks and loved watching the stingrays chase the fish as they skipped out of the water to get away! We’d love to come back again - for longer though!
Stayed 8 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

Katie S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect 🤩

We had such a great stay, amazing location, excellent friendly hosts with a super cool dog that loves eating fish😊 would recommend this Bach to everyone!!!
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

jonathon w.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Motupipi

Thanks for a fabulously hosted stay! We had the best time making memories at Motupipi
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jan T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Just perfect !

From the location to the accommodation to the property owners...just perfect....highly recommended...we've found our "happy place".... superb! Jan and Mark, Tauranga
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Martin H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Fantastic Stay

Beautiful location, iconic kiwi bach. We loved it. Good fishing off the beach. Hosts were so welcoming and helpful & went way above & beyond to make our stay great. Very relaxing, beautiful location, a magic spot. Thanks so for sharing Motopipi with us.
Stayed 10 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Shrina K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Peace and tranquility

It was beautiful and peaceful and 180 degree view of the sea was just amazing. House was clean and had everything we needed to enjoy our holiday. Highly recommend it to anyone who needs a break from their hectic lifestyle.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

KELLY H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Magical Spot

We absolutely enjoyed our stay at Motupipi. The bach had everything we needed for our stay. Such a beautiful location and we were able to launch our boat right there on the property. Kathryn, Hamish and Gaylene are such lovely hosts and made us feel so welcome, and of course Shaky too!! Thank you so much for sharing your piece of paradise with us.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Anne H., Upper Rexton

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy

Fabulous retreat - Highly recommended

We had a fabulous 5 days at the Bach. It was so peaceful in a stunning setting. We went swimming, kayaking, fishing, and just relaxing under the Pohutukawa Tree. The hosts were incredible, and saw to our every need and request, even setting up fishing rods for us. The Bach was comfortable, and had everything we needed, with the views of course! It is a little out ot town, on a winding road, but that's what we love. The Bach is perfect for a couple get-away, families or just to recharge.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

KELLY H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Absolute paradise

This has been our second stay at Motupipi and the hosts are the best. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful place with us again. We have stayed in quite a few holiday homes and have never returned to the same place twice but we will definitely be back to Motupipi again. Thanks Hamish, Gaylene, Kathryn and Shakey for your fantastic hospitality. See you again next year.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Steven C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Paradise and more.

I wish I could give six stars- The place was exactly as described and very clean and tidy and beautifully situated on the shore. What I did not expect was the exceptionally warm welcome and kindness of the Starr family. Not to mention Shakey the dog! Do not hesitate to book this place.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kyra I.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great spot for a young family

We stayed here for 5 nights with our 1 year old son. There was plenty to do just on the property itself, exploring the beach, dinghy, SUP, swing, and bush. Stunning location, which was protected from most wind directions and meant even though the weather was patchy we could still get out every day. Incredible sunsets! We discovered plenty more in KeriKeri and surrounds, and we had a lot of fun.Thanks to the Starr family who were incredibly hospitable of our extra requests (even finding us a highchair at short notice!)The house has everything you need as a small family, and the beds were comfortable. The lounge area is relaxing and even with the patchy weather get to enjoy the serenity from inside and out. We look forward to visiting again. You may not want to arrive in a small engine car as the driveway is steeper than usual :) (we had a medium sized SUV and this was fine)
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Clive P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A wonderful second stay

One of our favourite places to go for exceptional rest and relaxation. The wonderful hosts go above and beyond in looking after their guests - personal, thoughtful, caring and friendly. It has all the facilities, inside and outside, you'll need for a great seaside stay. It's far enough away from the 'outside world' to feel remote and isolated, but close enough to supermarkets, shops and many other wonderful places to visit to use as a base for exploring other parts of Northland. We were glad we could make our stay longer this time - it's like a home away from home - and we look forward to going back again. It is an idyllic place for a Summer holiday and we're sure it will be at other times of the year as well.
Stayed 8 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jacqui G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family getaway

This was our second visit and was everything we remembered. This time we brought along a couple of our kids, their partners & our grandbaby. Kathryn & Hamish kindly allowed us to park a caravan for some extra beds. While the weather wasn't the greatest, we made the most of it including getting in some kayaking when the wind eased up. Close enough to civilisation while far enough to get the peace and quiet, we thoroughly enjoyed our week stay and the great hospitality of Hamish & Gaylene. Already planning trip number 3...
Stayed 8 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Kelly C., Whangarei NZ

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

AMAAAZZZZIIINNNGGG

Have fallen in love with this beautiful piece of paradise. Seriously who needs to go to the islands when you can walk out your front door and go fishing, out your back door for a walk or just relax. Sad that we had to leave and work so much while here and didn’t get to enjoy everything as much as we would have like. Just means we will be back which we definitely will. Thank you for such a beautiful stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Clive P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

The perfect getaway and Bay of Islands experience

The well equipped bach was great and as expected from the listing. What made this holiday so very special was the incredible location and the wonderful hosts. Hamish, Gaylene and Kathryn went out of their way to give us an unforgettable holiday with unique experiences. Fishing from the lawn, swimming every day, visiting the Samuel Marsden cross, low tide walks, bush walks, taking in the breathtaking scenery, and visiting the nearby Waitangi Grounds were wonderful additions to the many hours we spent relaxing. The time we spent with our hosts was at our discretion and added significantly to the enjoyment of our holiday. A truly five star stay and we look forward to coming back again soon. Many thanks, Clive & Hilde
Stayed 6 nights in Dec 2022

10/10 Excellent

Karyn A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This place is fantastic and we will definitely be returning Very clean. Beautiful setting and so so peaceful. The hosts are the best! Very friendly and helpful. The fresh fish was so yum. This would have to be our new favourite spot.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Solana R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great view and stunning sunsets. Flexible check in and check out. Kathryn is very easy to communicate with.We had a fantastic time.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jack B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Idyllic remote bach stay

Great place to stay! Spotless! This batch has been modernized without losing its old NZ style.Down a steep hill it sits close to the water’s edge surrounded by lawns with a shady pohutukawa tree with rope swing to one side and a magnificent jacaranda on the other.Large shower/laundry room.Excellent H&C water pressure.Main room has fully equipped kitchen at the back.This has full sized F/F, cooker & microwave and great assortment of cooking utensils. A six seater dining table separates this from the very comfortable sitting area.The wow factor is the two aspect view from here down and across the inlet. Large ranch sliders lead onto the deck,a large picture window is at right angles to this.The two separate bedrooms both lead off this room.The double has a door as well as a ranch slider leading onto the deck, the twin room has a curtain separating it from the main living area and has open space above door height & opening windows with views.The large deck overlooks the lawn, the little pebble beach & inlet and has a six seater table and a separate two seater and table unit. There are also two loungers to use anywhere.Shame the bush walk was unusable, but the 3 kayaks are a great way of further exploring. Our hosts Kathryn, Hamish, Gaylene Starr were charming and we were amazed when they immediately bought a new sun shade for the table when the old one packed up & Kathryn’s specially baked cakes were delicious.This is certainly worthstaying in.Thanks! We hope to be back
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Rene I.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Paradijs op aarde

De plek is magnifiek. Rust en ruimte, eigen strandje met kayak en je kunt zo het water in springen als je uit bed stapt. Prachtige zonsondergang en lieve mensen. Wat wil je nog meer. Langer blijven dus.
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Terry S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Peace & Quiet

Lovely place to stay and the hosts are fantastic people truly the kiwi bach experience, lovely night skies, Oyster Catcher birds were lovely and the sound Moreporks and the odd Kiwi call at night was great.Kayaking up down the inlet was enjoyable and the bush walk checking out the flora & fauna was interesting, definitely recommend this place if you want some peace of mind.
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2025

About the host

Hosted by Kathryn Starr

Host profile image
My family have lived on this land for several generations. I am an educator, and live on the property in my own house, built about eight years ago.

Why they chose this property

This property has been with our family for several generations.

What makes this property unique

Motupipi is known to our extended family and friends as a place of relaxation and peace. There is time here to sit and have a cup of tea or coffee, relax, chat, and also time to go fishing swimming and exploring. Many people come here so they can see the beautiful Bay of Islands, and realise when they get here that they just want to stay here and soak in the beauty and peace of the place.
The bach is an old-style Kiwi bach, that has had some refurbishment recently to make it more comfortable. Come and enjoy it.

Languages:

English

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests