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About
#4 of 28 Specialty lodging in Whangarei
Location
Cleanliness
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Value
Just 6km from Whangarei in a tranquil valley setting, Little Earth Lodge is a small, purpose hostel that offers travellers quality rooms and cabins for reasonable rates. Set in beautiful countryside it is Lonely Planet's "Pick" of Whangarei and has a high BBH rating. The unique modern house has spacious, clean rooms, large peaceful gardens and breathtaking valley views. A luxurious hostel featuring comfortable beds for a great nights sleep. Free wireless internet (Wi-Fi) in every room. A large well equipped kitchen and cosy lounge for guests. Explore the spectacular Abbey Caves just next to the Lodge and see thousands of Glow Worms, a must see for any traveller. Wander in the Rock Forest in the Abbey Caves Reserve and imagine you are in Middle Earth. Nearby is the stunning A H Reed Kauri forest and the awesome walk to Whangarei Falls. Daily dive and snorkel tours to the Poor Knights Islands. Book your dive with us and receive a discount on your room. Well travelled and friendly hosts David and Polly, and Muttie the dog, wait to welcome you to this 'peace' of paradise.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Wifi
BBQ facilities
Non-smoking hotel
Shared bathroom
Shared kitchen
Shared lounge / TV area
Room features
Seating area
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Charming
Family
Location
Full view
Contact
85 Abbey Caves Road, Whangarei 0175 New Zealand
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99Reviews0Q+A9Room tips
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I had a single room and it was superbly clean, with slide doors to make accessing common kitchen area easy. Polly and David were delightful hosts ... efficient, friendly and non-intrusive. Very interested in how my Perfect Day Cruise which I booked through them went. (It was exactly as its name indicates and the people running it were very professional). Highly recommend both.
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Date of stay: February 2019Trip type: Travelled solo
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Helpful
The Little Earth Lodge is set in a wonderful location, ideal for an overnight stay if you are travelling to the Bay of Islands from Auckland. It is dated but the rooms are clean and the resident animals are a real bonus. It has the potential to be fantastic, but our experience was soured by the attitude of the owners. The owners were Polly and David. Polly was ice cold, she couldn’t even manage a smile when we met, she was just focused on us securing payment - it is surprising she is in the hospitality industry as she doesn’t seem to enjoy it or like her guests! Polly is no doubt behind the passive aggressive signs in the rooms to close the doors quietly and to conserve water etc. which further makes you feel unwelcome and on edge. David was approachable and friendly but clearly just does as Polly tells him. After checking out (strictly by 10am) we explained we were driving to Kerikeri and asked to use the toilet quickly before we hit the road. He paused and told us that Polly had just cleaned them so we weren’t allowed, despite there being other guest staying and still using the facilities. I was gobsmacked to say the least. We also asked to buy some eggs but were told by David that the chickens hadn’t laid any, I assume he didn’t realise we saw the egg basket full in the kitchen, ready for the next guests! A real shame our experience was soured by the owners! …
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Date of stay: October 2018Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Helpful
We are an active retired couple who do mostly day hikes. Due to our overambitious travel plans we could only stay at the Little Earth Lodge one night. Still, we had a great time there. Our hosts were wonderful, the kitchen area was clean and well stocked, the property was beautiful. Our room was beautiful, simple, clean and quiet. We enjoyed having sliding door off our room to an outside sitting area. It was great to retreat to this relaxing setting after a day of hiking. I hope some day we can return and have more time to enjoy!
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Date of stay: February 2018Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Service
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+1
They have a few rooms (not sure but 7-8 rooms maybe) with shared toilets and showers. Generally clean and very close to the glow worm caves. There's a shared kitchen and a TV/Entertainment room which could be very useful to cook your meal and spend a couple of hours hanging out with other guests. There was no A/C in our room but it was ok at night. Interestingly there was no mosquitos! You cannot make any noise in your room (like laughing or watching movies on your laptop without a headset as it's too quite there and any sound can disturb others. (At least we didn't) Great place to stay for the night :)
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Date of stay: January 2018Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Helpful
Stayed at the lodge in December 2017 for two nights. The environment -- meaning the landscape -- was beautiful, set in a lush (for summer) area down a short but somewhat steep gravel road. I don't believe the lodge is on a public transport line and it's certainly not in the town of Whangarei but that's its appeal! It's literally within walking distance to Abbey Caves and the hosts were quite helpful in showing us the layout of the land. They also provide free gear to entire the cave, which was quite thoughtful and much appreciated since we traveled light. Lots of land surrounding the property (& a few animals outside) for everyone to run around or sun themselves. Free wi-fi (which isn't always the case in NZ) though there is a cap and I appreciated the large refrigerator/cooking area. Smartly, it is a separate building from the sleeping rooms so no unnecessary noise. Attached to the kitchen (with its full size refrigerator) was a connected but separate room for common lounging. All in all, plenty of seating. There are six rooms here I believe. They're quite basic, all studio-style (to my knowledge) with a large closet then the beds -- we shared a triple but thankfully there were no squeaky bunks. All separate beds. No TV but we didn't care. Just means the room is legitimately for sleeping or lounging only. However, the entire patio door slid open allowing for a great breeze. Cannot recall that it had air conditioning but we didn't need it mid-December. I appreciated the amenities and how available the hosts made themselves, but only if guests would like. You can read more at gorocketdog.blogspot.com. Plus, BBH card discount! Great place and environment for the price!…
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Date of stay: December 2017Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Rooms
Service
Helpful
Lovely place to rest. Harmonically integrated in the local nature. Affectionately modernised. We had a good shower and a good sleep. Plus a lovely outdoor breakfast. All together will remain in our memory. Great pleasure and reasons enough to come back.
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Date of stay: January 2017Trip type: Travelled with family
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Helpful
We throughly enjoyed our stay at LEL! We loved watching the sunsets, and the alpacas, through our doors in the evenings! Tom and Jerry (the horses) are lovely to see in their daisy field when you drive down the driveway. Awesome activities located so close to the lodge such as caving, the rock forest and a quick drive to the memorial park and Whangarei Falls!
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Date of stay: November 2017Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Helpful
We arrived in Auckland after a long flight from the other side of the world, rented a car, and drove straight here. What a pleasant surprise to find the perfect place to relax after busy airports, crowded airplanes, and long lines. The place is near town; the proprietors were friendly and helpful in recommending where to eat and shop; and the property is a real gem. You can hang out on your own porch adjacent to your room, or socialize in the common house (with a kitchen, dining room, and living room). I definitely recommend it.
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Date of stay: December 2016Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Rooms
Service
Helpful
Response from littleearthlodge, Owner at Little Earth Lodge
Responded 5 Jan 2018
Thank you for your great review. We agree, Little Earth is a real gem.
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Came here for 1 night while on a northland road, very relaxed, chilled and peaceful. Meet 2 other travellers that we ended up following, or been followed on the rest of our trip which was cool. Little far away from shops etc, but that's what we wanted, caves are awesome, take shoes (not jandles)
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Date of stay: November 2016Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
Helpful
Response from littleearthlodge, Owner at Little Earth Lodge
Responded 17 Jul 2017
We are happy that enjoyed your stay with us. We think the caves are pretty awesome too.
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We stayed here for two nights on a recent trip around the Northland. Our first night was spent in the triple room (which you can book as a twosome), whilst our second night was spent in one of the double cabins. We absolutely loved it here and the owners are very friendly and helpful. The triple room was great with the comfiest beds and it was so peaceful. For our second night we were booked into one of the cabins which is so lovely. They both have a deck with table and chairs for you to enjoy the sunset and llamas and chickens roaming around! The kitchen is really well equipped and has a snug feel to it. If you're planning on visiting the caves, I would definitely recommend hiring the boots/helmets etc from the hostel as they really are very slippery, muddy and dark. There's supermarkets only a 15 minute drive away in Whangarei. The only negative is the showers really. On both mornings the pressure was very low and the temperature not great. However, this is a small negative as overall we loved it and would definitely return.…
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Date of stay: April 2017Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Helpful
Response from littleearthlodge, Owner at Little Earth Lodge
Responded 17 Jul 2017
Thanks for your great review, and we're glad you enjoyed your stay here. The showers are gravity fed from the spring in our forest, so unfortunately the pressure isn't the same as if we were on a town water supply. The water tastes so much better though.
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LOCATION
New ZealandNorth IslandNorthland RegionWhangarei
NUMBER OF ROOMS
7
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Little Earth Lodge
Which popular attractions are close to Little Earth Lodge?
Nearby attractions include Claphams Clocks - The National Clock Museum (3.1 km), Whangarei Quarry Gardens (4.1 km), and Town Basin (3.1 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Little Earth Lodge?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free parking, and barbeque facilities.
What food & drink options are available at Little Earth Lodge?
Guests can enjoy barbeque facilities during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Little Earth Lodge?
Conveniently located restaurants include Khane Bahar Indian Restaurant and Bar, Suk Jai Thai Restaurant, and TopSail.