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Absolute Waterfront Retreat

Photo gallery for Absolute Waterfront Retreat

Sun downer time
Lunch overlooking the beautiful view bush birds and beauty
Welcome to our lovely holiday home, memories will be made
Front of house with plenty of parking water views
Relax in the hot tub with the stunning view

Reviews

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 6

Popular amenities

  • Spa pool
  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Dryer
  • Outdoor space

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Double bunk room

4 Single Beds

Water View 2

1 Queen Bed

Water View

1 King Bed

2 bathrooms

Downstairs

Toilet · Shower only

Upstairs

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Balcony
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Absolute Waterfront Retreat

Fab waterfront house with fantastic uninterrupted views across the water, 6 person hot tub, huge deck and garden with direct access to amazing coast to coast cycle track at the end of the garden. Dry cosy house great for family and friends. 200 metres to nearest coffee shop and 6 min walk, 1 min drive to the Opua store for all your essentials
Bicycles available. Surfing nearby Elliot's Bay and Matauri Bay, Own Mooring (please ask). Kayaks available on request.

The space
It's a great day for being on the Bay, Stroll across your front lawn and down to the cycle track, and on to the marina for a quick bite. Or launch your boat at the boat ramp ready for a day of fishing or sailing in the bay. There is a mooring available on request.. Memories are made of this.
A charming and picturesque two storey four bedroom house on a large 1514 m2 site in popular Opua. The home is a picture perfect cottage on a sought after waterfront site.

Guest access
Parking for three cars and a boat. Marina ramp two minute drive. Easy access to the Bay of Islands for sightseeing. Superb deck and barbecue area. Wonderful lawned area for football or touch rugby.

Other things to note
Coast to Coast Cycle Trail at bottom of garden with private access, 2 Adult bikes and 2 kids bikes with helmets available. Two surf boards with wetsuits. Darts Board. Ping Pong Table. Cricket Bat and Baseball Gloves and Ball. Training Gloves and Pads. X Box 360 and Wii. Mooring on request. Small inflatable dingy also available but please ask. Amazing Waitangi Mountain Bike Park is a must for all you enthusiastic cyclists. Marvellous fishing and vineyards to visit

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House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM

Check out before 11:00 AM

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Children

Children allowed: ages 3–17

Over the age of 4 recommended

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Events

No events allowed

Music to be shut down outside after 10pm

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Pets

Pets allowed: dogs less than 25 kg per pet (limit one pet total)

Small but not on beds or couches

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Smoking

Smoking allowed: in designated areas

Outside house

Important information

You need to know

Property # 9060111
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
Note from host: Music to be shut down outside after 10pm
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
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios and terraces, which may not be suitable for children; if you have any concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm that they can accommodate you in a suitable room

About the area

Opua

Located in Opua, this holiday home is near theme parks and on the waterfront. Russell Museum and Pompallier Mission are cultural highlights, and some of the area's activities can be experienced at Bay of Islands Marina and Paihia Wharf. Travelling with kids? Consider Makana Chocolate Boutique and Action World. Kayaking and snorkelling 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 OpuaOpens in a new window
Map
Opua, Northland

What's nearby

  • Bay of Islands Marina - 13 min walk - 1.1 km
  • Paihia Beach - 6 min drive - 5.9 km
  • Paihia Wharf - 6 min drive - 6.2 km
  • Haruru Falls - 12 min drive - 12.7 km
  • Russell Beach - 20 min drive - 10.3 km

Getting around

  • Kerikeri (KKE-Bay of Islands) - 31 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪CBK Craft Bar & Kitchen - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪Charlotte's Kitchen - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪Orange Frog - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪Breeze Cafe - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Seaside - ‬22 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Absolute Waterfront Retreat pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 1 total) with a maximum weight of up to 25 kg per pet. Some restrictions may apply, so please contact the property for more details.

How much does it cost to stay at Absolute Waterfront Retreat?

As of 16 May 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Absolute Waterfront Retreat on 28 May 2026 start from NZ$693, 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 Absolute Waterfront Retreat?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Absolute Waterfront Retreat?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Absolute Waterfront Retreat?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Absolute Waterfront Retreat located?

This family-friendly Opua holiday home is located on the waterfront, within a 15-minute walk of Bay of Islands and Bay of Islands Marina. Makana Chocolate Boutique is 2.7 mi (4.4 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. 14 out of 18 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 4 out of 18 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 18 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 18 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 18 reviews

9.6/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

9.8/10

Location

9.6/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Dirk C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We had a great stay and were very happy with the property. The location was excellent, the place was spotless, and it was very well equipped. The hot tub and fire pit were great extras, and the kitchen had everything we needed. Would definitely recommend and stay again.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 17 April 2026
Thank you so much for your fabulous review. I work hard to make the house as top notch as possible. I am so stocked that you loved it. Thank you also for leaving the place spotless it is so very helpful. New carpet next week! Yay.Cheers Serena
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Lynn P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Lovely location, quiet and lovely view of the bay. Well-equipped kitchen and comfortable beds! We had a good week up north--lots of things to do!
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 9 January 2026
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review Lynne. We are so happy that you enjoyed the house location and the beds!. Really appreciated. Best wishes Serena
Verified

10/10 Excellent

stephanie c.

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

Fabulous location

We had a wonderful holiday! The house is cosy, very welcoming and the location is fabulous!Highly recommend it!
Stayed 5 nights in Jan 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 30 January 2025
Thank you so much. You were amazing guests and thank you for respecting the house and leaving it tip too. So glad you enjoyed your stay
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Naomi M.

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

Wonderful Weekend Away!

We had a great stay at this beautiful bach. Close to amenities, with a lovely view from the spa. We even saw wild kiwi in Opaua Forest.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 5 August 2024
Thank you so much Naomi I are so glad you enjoyed your stay we are so glad that you saw and heard kiwi's. They are so magical.Best wishes Serena
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Travis W.

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

Beautiful house and location

We had a wonderful holiday. The house was perfect! The host was great to deal with.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 29 April 2024
Thanks guys we are so glad you loved the house. Like us we feel it is perfect. Best wishes Serena and Simon
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Lucy M.

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

Perfect location

This property was perfect for our family/friends getaway over the new years period. Plenty of space, great garden and walkway to marina/bike track. Wou
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 11 February 2025
Thanks so much Lucy. I'm so glad you had a great time and enjoyed the house. Thank you for leaving it so tidy and clean. A five star review is so appreciated. Best regards Serena
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jenny-May C.

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

SERENE ESCAPE

What an absolute gem of a property. The views - WOW! The peacefulness - BLISS! The location was perfect with a lovely walk around to the marina. Our kids had a great time exploring (and off their devices lol) The home was perfect for our whanau and friends. Looking forward to coming back again.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 12 February 2025
Thank you so much for your amazing review. I'm so blessed to know that you and your whanau loved our lovely spot. We so look forward to hosting you again. And no devices!! Best regards Serena
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Russell F.

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

Private and great location

Plenty of room for two families of three. The deck with covered and uncovered seating was a great extension of the house. Getting a big boat down the drive would be difficult. We put the boat in the marina which made it super easy for heading out on the water. Having the bikes and kayaks available was a real bonus.
Stayed 10 nights in Dec 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 3 February 2024
Thanks heaps! We are so glad you enjoyed your stay and having the boat at the marina 5 mins walk away must have been super convenient.
Verified

8/10 Good

David B.

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

Nice home

Very nice property. Enjoyed our time there. It was a bit disappointing to find that, in order to use the kyak, you need to carry down, then up a fairly steep hill. So guests should be warned usage of the kyak takes significant effort and strength each time you want to use, as you can't leave it down a the beach without the threat of being stolen. But the home itself is lovely.
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2025
Verified

8/10 Good

Ursula C.

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

Family-friendly Getaway

We loved the setting of this house with an outlook over the water and surrounded by bush full of very vocal birds. The house is very well set-up, and we appreciated that it's comfortable rather than super flash - which means dogs and children are welcome. It's great having walking access to the coastal trail and marina - we wandered down to the waterfront every day. The driveway is steep but you could get a small boat down there as the listing says. We chose to hire a marina berth which was very convenient. I would definitely recommend this place for a great holiday - my only reservation is for those with asthma as the bedrooms are a little musty.
Stayed 13 nights in Oct 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 20 October 2022
Thank you so much for your review. Having had the wettest winter on record and with the house being hardly used we agree that the bedrooms were a bit musty but now due to some good cleaning of windows and carpet also using heaters and now it's spring the issue has been fixed. We are glad you enjoyed the location and house. Thank you do much
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Alathea M.

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

Gorgeous place & location - perfect for action & relaxing

This house is very spacious with lots of areas to relax and perfect for our big family group, from my 12 yr old nephew to my 79 yr old mum. The deck is huge and the views are amazing, its so peaceful looking out across the bush and water. Serena was just lovely to communicate with and very accommodating and helpful. We used the kayaks and had a wonderful explore on the water from the nearby little beach. Also used the bikes to cycle into Kawakawa - the nearby bike trail is fantastic. So much to do in the area .This is a really good base for adventures. House had everything we needed, kitchen, BBQ etc and we all loved it. Thank you!
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 11 January 2021
Thsnk you so much for your gorgeous review. I'm so glad you all enjoyed your stay. You were so easy to accommodate. The grouse family loved you too!
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Brett G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great thanks
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 18 March 2026
Fab news thanks for the 5 star review!
Verified

8/10 Good

Lisa S.

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

Sanctuary

We loved our New Years getaway at the Opua bach, this place was a beautiful sanctuary. Surrounded by trees and the deafening sound of the cicadas we never wanted to leave. The house worked well for the 8 of us that stayed for 4 nights, including celebrating New Years on the deck. Great indoor outdoor flow with loads of seating. The spa was a little neglected and needed new water, unfortunately stopped us from using it much. Overall we had a fantastic time with relaxing days here.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 5 January 2021
Hi there Thank you for your lovely review. Unfortunately the previous guests allowed their children to use it as a swimming pool and I had to have my spa pool company out to fix the problem which it looks as if it didnt do the job 100% which is disappointing.its normally crystal clear and beautiful. Such a pity for you all. Best wishes Serena
Verified

8/10 Good

Jeanine D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location

Ladies weekend away

We had a lovely weekend at (insert name of property) for our biannual Girl's Weekend Away. The Pros: • Gorgeous views of the water • 2 lounge areas with lots of options to watch movies or snuggle up to the fire. • Ample outdoor entertaining areas, and a lovely deck that extends the living area • Spacious spa pool (rain water, so mentally prepare for water that isn't crystal clear, which is normal for rain water) • Well appointed kitchen • Reasonably secluded (important when you have a pack of women laughing and dancing well into the night to not disturb the neighbours) • Great basecamp for wine tasting and exploring the local areas. The Cons: • You are a 10-15 minute drive from anything, so if you need anything, it isn’t a quick grab down the street. Something to keep in mind if you are drinking and run out of toilet paper or wine. • Given that we had 8 women for 2 days drinking wine, and not doing much more than that and gabbing, we went through a fair bit of toilet paper. The 5 rolls that were provided (2 bathrooms) when we arrived were gone by the following morning. We called and 2 more rolls were dropped off for the remaining day and a half. It was easily fixed when we contacted the owners a second time, but not before we had to find tissue packets from our purses to use the loo. • No shampoo/conditioner provided. This was a first for us, as most places generally offer small samples to use. • The “hand & body soap” in the showers at the sinks, are not the actual products on the bottle. This is important to know if you try to wash your colour treated hair, as some products such as dishsoap/some handsoaps will strip colour from your hair. So please bring suitable hair shampoo, and do not assume that the bottles match the product. • Even though the listing says that the property can sleep 10, be aware that there is really only 6 beds (2 queens x 4 bunk beds). The rumpus room “bedroom” is not enclosed, and really just a 2nd lounge with a futon-type bed. This was a surprise to us when we arrived as we were expecting an enclosed room, but the photo online doesn’t show that it is open to the entry and not an enclosed room. We had a great weekend and an amazing time. Amazing memories were made and we would be happy to stay here again!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 20 October 2020
Thanks so much for your review Jeanine, Just a header the local Opua store is a 1 min drive away or a 5 min walk along the waterfront, which would have been a fun thing to do after a few wines.... (this is in my house notes which I sent via email to you and there is a copy is in the front hall) if you needed any essentials it is great for pizza really great coffee too it also has a great wine and beer selection, and plenty of toilet paper!! Spa pool. I have since emptied the spa as it was full of grass, the water is from a tank as we are not on mains, but now it is back to being crystal clear again. Having a spa company manage it is a blessing as it does have a lot of use. Partying. This is a great house to have for a family group or group of friends but should be noted that the norm is to bring the fun inside at a suitable hour. Which you did after a nudge. Love to have you all again 6/8 max with plenty of toilet paper wine and hair necessities!!
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Morgan K.

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

Fantastic weekend away!

We had an amazing weekend away, it was perfect for our group of mums and had everything you could possibly need! We loved relaxing in the spa and the view was incredible. The host was lovely and accommodating and we will definitely be back!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 14 October 2020
Thanks Morgan It was so lovely to have you all. I only wish I could have stayed to have a glass or two! What a fabulous lovely group of ladies.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Shamal P.

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

Host is amazing

Had an amazing time at the Bach. Host is amazing, easy and clear communication. Thanks Serena!
Response from VrboOwner on 3 June 2020
Thanks team loved having you to stay jenga is in the post! Please come again. Big hugs team whaikere lodge
Verified

10/10 Excellent

J C.

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

A little slice of heaven

This property is everything it promises to be: perfect location, great facilities, easy and relaxed host to communicate with, and a phenomenal view from the hot tub. Couldn't recommend higher.
Response from VrboOwner on 5 March 2020
Thank you for your fab view so glad you enjoyed the house and hot tub! You were perfect guests
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Darragh M.

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

Lovely house with amazing views

This is a lovely house with an amazing view. Only 10 minutes from pahia is has all you need to enjoy the bay of islands and relax in style.
Response from VrboOwner on 5 March 2020
Thanks Darragh it was a pleasure to have you all to stay I'm so glad you liked the house, style and its tip top view.

About the host

Hosted by Serena Kelsey

Host profile image

Designer Tailor and Construction Foreman

Why they chose this property

Unbelievable view so peaceful it is a must. Kingfisher, Parrots and tui's. Dophins in the bay. A stunner.

What makes this property unique

Own access to both cycle track and beach,(wet boots required) a short walk to the mariner and a sandy beach (5 min walk) and a few min drive to the boat causeway. Ferry to Russell in Opua and gateway to the Bay of Islands. Opua General Store is a 5 min walk through the mariner or a 1 min drive away for essentials. A very special spot.

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English

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