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Stay in School by the Sea

Photo gallery for Stay in School by the Sea

Looking across the tennis court to the school. The apartment is behind the tall birch tree
Garden view, private and sunny Queen room
Queen view out over deck
4 Single Bed Room
A spacious kitchen and dining room with large deck for your enjoyment

Reviews

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 6

Popular amenities

  • Spa pool on site
  • Onsite parking available
  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Air-conditioning
  • Barbecue

Explore the area

View map
Dunedin Area, Dunedin
  • Place, Meremere Reserve
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Place, Ocean View Domain
    ‪5 min walk‬
  • Place, Ocean View Beach Playground and Park
    ‪10 min walk‬
  • Airport, Dunedin (DUD-Dunedin Intl.)
    ‪17 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Bedroom 1-The Principal's Office

1 Queen Bed and 1 Crib

Bedroom 2 - Formerly The Main Office

4 Single Beds and 1 Crib

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Office
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Stay in School by the Sea

Located just 15 minutes from Dunedin City Centre and 18kms from Dunedin International Airport, on the Southern Scenic Route, Ocean View Apartment offers fresh, attractive, modern decor in the office end of what was formerly the Ocean View School.

Our apartment is a lazy 5 minute stroll to the pristine white sands of Ocean View beach that beg to be explored and enjoyed. Vast and wild, with growing visits from the NZ Sea Lion and NZ Fur Seal, the local beach is a super spot for landboard riding, horse riding, surfing, running or getting out for a brisk walk. It is banked by gorgeous native grass covered sand dunes and looks as long as the eye can see and more. The safer Brighton beach offers volunteer surf lifesaving patrollers from early November until late March annually and is a great beach to take the kids as it has a shallow, slow flowing estuary for the very young child to enjoy.
Special conditions:
Guest must leave the apartment as they find it. Please strip the beds leaving the mattress and pillow protectors, duvets and queen bed coloured pillow covers in place - in other words only remove white linens. We will make up the beds with fresh linen ready for new guests.

Extras: Cleaning (Required, NZ$50.00 per stay); Linen (included);

Add dates for prices

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House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Check out before 10:00 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

Property Registration Number 104-717-101
Property # 20029266
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 indicated that there are no carbon monoxide detectors or gas appliances on the property
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

About the area

Dunedin

Located in Ocean View, a neighbourhood in Dunedin, this holiday home is in a rural area and near the beach. Dunedin Town Hall and Regent Theatre are local landmarks, and the area's natural beauty can be seen at Natures Wonders Naturally and Orokonui Ecosanctuary. Wal's Plant Land and Ocean Beach Railway are also worth visiting. Scuba diving and windsurfing offer great chances to get out on the surrounding water, or you can seek out an adventure with hiking and mountain biking nearby.
View more Holiday homes in DunedinOpens in a new window
Map
Dunedin Area, Dunedin

What's nearby

  • Meremere Reserve - 1 min walk - 0.1 km
  • Ocean View Domain - 5 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Ocean View Beach Playground and Park - 10 min walk - 0.9 km
  • Brighton Domain - 2 min drive - 2.2 km
  • University of Otago - 18 min drive - 19.8 km

Getting around

  • Dunedin Railway Station - 17 min drive
  • Dunedin (DUD-Dunedin Intl.) - 20 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Village Green Cafe & Bar - ‬10 min drive
  • ‪Mosgiel Tavern - ‬14 min drive
  • ‪Bp - ‬12 min drive
  • ‪Subway - ‬13 min drive
  • ‪Spelt - ‬8 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Stay in School by the Sea pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much does it cost to stay at Stay in School by the Sea?

As of 30 May 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Stay in School by the Sea on 19 April 2026 start from NZ$215, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

How much is parking at Stay in School by the Sea?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Stay in School by the Sea?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Stay in School by the Sea?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Stay in School by the Sea located?

Located in Ocean View, this holiday home is within a 10-minute walk of Meremere Reserve, Ocean View Domain and Ocean View Beach Playground and Park. Brighton Domain is 1.7 mi (2.7 km) away.

Reviews

9.6

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. 12 out of 16 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 4 out of 16 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 16 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 16 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 16 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Amenities

8.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.8/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Archival

8/10 Good

Lovely place to stay with family or friends.

Lovely place to stay with family or friends. Clean, comfy and warm. Great hosts. Would love to stay again
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Shaun C.

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

Beach house

Lovely property and Nicky is very helpful and easy to communicate with. Tennis court is great place for kids to play on scooters. Easy walk to the beach. Property is fenced and at the end of a quiet street.
Stayed 8 nights in Jan 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Barb H.

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

Amazing old school accomodation

Nicky was super friendly and welcoming. We love outdoor aread with lots of activities to do. The set up is very welcoming for Young families with spacious rooms. Nicky let us change set up of single beds so kids could all sleep together. We would definitely recommend this accomodation.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

PAUL

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities, communication
Nice idea being in a repurposed school.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Pete G.

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

Fantastic place to stay

This is an awesome place to stay. And I didn’t even get the strap from the headmaster 😊
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jan D.

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

The old schoolyard

Nostalgic, comfortable, excellent location
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

David and Judith S.

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

Owners great

Great accommodation
Stayed 48 nights in Oct 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Victor G.

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

Excellent communication from Nicky. Prefect retreat for the whole family. Lotsa activities for every

Good value, clean and tidy, with a great rural location only 15 minutes to town.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2020
Verified

10/10 Excellent

joata s.

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

Amazing

An amazing host is Nicky and Mike. Spotless place very comfy!!!!
Stayed 63 nights in Apr 2019
Response from VrboOwner on 30 September 2021
Joata! How are you? How is the family and are you now in training to become a doctor?
From a partner site

10/10 Excellent

leon s.

Fantastic stay, So clean and welcoming kids had a blast couldve stayed...

Fantastic stay, So clean and welcoming kids had a blast couldve stayed there for the week. So warm even in mid winter. Dog loved it too. Best part was not having to fill the car to the brim as everything was provided making things so much easier to escape we will be back
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Lovely quiet with seaview.

Lovely quiet with seaview. Comfortable and clean. Great space.
Archival

8/10 Good

good owner

good owner
Archival

10/10 Excellent

The property is a converted school so there is plenty of room to get your gear sorted out and for ki

The property is a converted school so there is plenty of room to get your gear sorted out and for kids to play and explore. The beautiful beach is just a short walk away and is a perfect place to unwind from your travels.
Archival

8/10 Good

A great place for a family holiday.

A great place for a family holiday. Quiet but with a tennis court and animals and plenty of space for kids to run around. The drive into Dunedin was easy and took about 15 minutes. Beds were clean and very comfortable. We had a very enjoyable stay despite the weather.
Archival

10/10 Excellent

Lovely beaches close by, quiet and spacious, with a homely feel, animals close by, feels beach like

Lovely beaches close by, quiet and spacious, with a homely feel, animals close by, feels beach like as well as rural, and only a short distance to the city. Somewhere to go to relax and get away from the busy life to chill out and relax.
Archival

8/10 Good

The privacy, proximity to beach and city!

The privacy, proximity to beach and city!

About the host

Hosted by Nicky O’Brien

Host profile image
My name is Nicky. Before purchasing the school, my Canadian husband and I had moved our life back to NZ in 2006 to be closer to my mum. Unfortunately my mum passed away just 5 days after I flew in to NZ with our then 10 month old daughter and as we loved mountains and outdoor mountain sports, we decided to head further south to Dunedin, where there was a university and small city, not too far from the playgrounds of the southern alps.

We have not looked back and have been incredibly busy raising our 2 children now aged 12 and 14 and slowly renovating the old school into a home. Mike is a fine furniture maker, designer and master builder. He works out of the south end of the school. We live in the 3 classrooms between his workshop and the old office end of the school, which is what we converted into accommodation for me to run and manage and afford me to work the hours that suited a busy mum.

Fast forward 9 years and we still love this incredible peaceful location. The beach, as per my description on the listing is absolutely second to none. We recently added Aspen, a golden Labrador to our family and I now make time each day to go for a run or walk along it. The last walk was in a storm and we took 2.5 hours to tire and make our way home. You can get lost at the beach here and it grounds me every time I visit it, and reminds me of all that matters and just how grateful I should be.

I love opening our apartment to people from around the world and New Zealand. It is an honour to be able to give the school new life and share it with you soon in beautiful, Ocean View!

Why they chose this property

We were lucky. Right place, right time and it suited our skill set and gave me a platform for hospitality and Mike a wonderful workshop. We had purchased in the next neighbourhood, called Brighton, however, whilst attending play centre with our children the real estate sign appeared on the old school frontage. It felt meant to be, even though we had a home to sell. We dropped in price on our home to get sold and gained in so many ways! So lucky! So grateful!

What makes this property unique

A short walk to the long white pristine beach called Ocean View. Paradise just 15 minutes to city! Clear your head, get back to what matter - you won’t be disappointed!

Languages:

English
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