Welcome to our Holiday House ….

Welcome to our holiday house in Russell, in the beautiful Bay of Islands.  A good standard of furnishings and modern appliances make our holiday house like a ‘home away from home’ to make the days & nights as restful and as enjoyable as possible.  We spend most of our time on the beaches, taking walks, and in the numerous cafes and bars !  If you feel more energetic, there are 2 old bikes in the shed !

We hope you have a wonderful time here in the Bay of Islands !

Below we have listed the most essential information you need to know about our holiday house.

If you have any questions at all, or would like to give us any feedback, please feel free to Contact us

Best regards,
Dave & Maria

Instructions for all appliances in the house can be found in the unit in the living area.

A gas BBQ is provided, on the back deck.  Keep head and face well away in case of sudden ignition of the gas. When finished, turn off   valve and then turn off the valve on the gas bottle. When the BBQ is completely cooled down, please close the steel cover and put the  rainproof cover back over it. Should the gas bottle run dry, it can be filled at the hardware store in Russell township. Outdoor table, chairs, and sun-umbrella are provided.

There are 2 old bikes in the ‘garden shed’

There is a ceiling fan in the main living area.

Please leave the house in a clean and tidy condition when you leave. (There is a vacuum cleaner, in the  wardrobe, or under a bed). If you are staying for an extended period, and you would like the house to be cleaned, or laundry service (sheets, towels, clothes etc) – we will be happy to arrange our cleaning service on request (small additional charge).

There are timber decks at the front and rear of the house.

Sorry, there is no dishwasher ! Please wash the dishes the old-fashioned way  !

There is an automatic (front loading) tumble dryer for drying laundry. When you use the dryer, please make sure the ‘lint filter’ located just inside the loading door, is empty of any lint. Don’t overload the dryer, or it does not rotate !

A fire extinguisher is located in the kitchen,  on the end of the wall cupboard.

Please do not leave any food / perishables in the house, nor in the refrigerator. Please do not discard food scraps outside, and please take any rubbish with you.

During the cooler winter months, room heating is by electric oil column heaters.

There is also a free-standing ‘Kent’ wood burner in the living area. Use softwood only in the wood burner, and do not overload with wood.

Do not cover electric heaters with any objects.

Do not leave electric heaters unattended.

If you go out, switch all electric heaters off and set the Kent wood burner to low. All surfaces of the Kent fireplace, including the flue, get very hot when in operation.

Do not touch hot surfaces and please supervise children at all times

When you arrive, please switch on the hot water (switch located in the hot water cupboard near the bedrooms) – it takes several hours until the water is hot enough for a shower.

Please also remember to turn off the hot water when you depart to go home. (the switch is in the hot water cupboard near the bedrooms). The cold water is filtered at the kitchen tap.

Note:  We harvest rainwater off our roof, and store it in a 25,000 litre tank.

3 keys are supplied, for the front door, back door, and shed. Please send the keys back to us in the paid envelope provided.

Drop into any NZ Post mailbox.

The kitchen includes an under bench electric oven, and ceramic hob. Full-sized refrigerator/freezer.  Large microwave with convection function. Electric Jug (Kettle).  All cutlery, crockery, utensils, salt & pepper etc are supplied.  (you just need to bring your own food)   Instructions for all appliances are in the sideboard unit in the living area. Sorry there is no automatic dishwasher !

Clean bed linen is provided. Please advise numbers of adults/children staying for our linen service.  (in the unlikely event that the beds are not made up, you will find bed linen on the ends of the beds, or in the hot water cupboard near the bedrooms).  When you leave, please place used sheets, pillowcases, & towels in the  ‘laundry basket’ or on top of the clothes-dryer.

If you are staying for an extended period, we can provide a cleaning and laundry service on request (additional charge).

There are no landline phones in the house. Reception for mobile phones, both Telecom and Vodafone, is excellent, and mobile devices can usually be used without any problems.

A portacot is provided, and is stored in the wardrobe.

The power system in the holiday home is 230V / 50Hz / 1ph. (single phase)

There is no rubbish or recycling collection service in Russell. Please take all rubbish with you when you leave. There is a refuse disposal depot at the top of Florance Avenue.

You can dispose of bags of rubbish at approx. NZ$2.00/bag, and recyclables can be disposed of at the disposal depot free of charge (cans, glass, plastic, cardboard).

When you go out, please turn off all lights and heaters, close all windows and lock all doors. When you leave for the last time, please turn the hot water switch off.

If you are going out at night, it’s a good idea to leave the front and back outside lights switched on.

There is a small shed in the back garden. The key to the shed is attached to the house key. Please re-lock the shed.

There is a shower cubicle (with stainless steel base and nylon fabric shower curtain). The water pressure is a ‘high pressure’ system.  When you use the shower, please remember to open the adjacent toilet window for ventilation.

Please note that water is precious in Russell !  There is no town water supply, we collect rainwater from our roof, and store in a 25,000 litre tank.

An automatic electric pump provides water pressure when the tap is turned on.  Please conserve water as much as possible !

There are 4 smoke alarms fitted in the living area, kitchen, and bedrooms. When a smoke alarm is triggered, it will make a very high pitched sound. If a smoke alarm is triggered, get everyone out of the house immediately and call the fire emergency service Phone  111 

Tell the operator you need ‘fire service’ for 4C Grant Avenue, Russell, Bay of Islands.

In the case of a false smoke alarm (eg caused by cooking smoke, steam etc), you can silence the alarm by pressing the reset button on the front of the smoke alarm device, or by removing the battery.

The loft bedroom is accessed by a ‘stair ladder’. Take extra care when using the stair ladder, and do not allow children to play on the ladder, or to use it without strict adult supervision. We recommend the loft bedroom is used by adults only, and that children use the bunk beds in the second bedroom downstairs.

There is a micro stereo in the living area with FM radio, CD and i-pod player for your use during your stay.

There is Satellite TV (Freeview) in the living area, and in the master bedroom. To operate the TV’s, press the power key on the ‘satellite’ remote (silver), and the TV remote (black). Then use the ‘satellite’ remote to change channels and adjust volume. Please try not to adjust any settings.  There is also a DVD unit in the living area.

There are several DVD’s (in the sideboard) and additional DVD’s can be hired from the liquor store in the township.

Fresh towels are provided.

An automatic (top loading) washing machine is provided.

We harvest rainwater from our roof and store it in a 25,000 litre tank. A water filter filters the cold water at the kitchen sink.

When you first arrive, please turn on the Hot Water switch (located in the hot water cupboard near the bedrooms) – it takes several hours until the water is hot enough for a shower. Please switch off the hot water (switch located in the hot water cupboard near the bedrooms) when you leave.

The water system is a high pressure system powered by an automatic electric pump.

Please help us to conserve our precious water supply !

We do not accept liability for any losses whatsoever, including consequential losses, personal or property.

If you have any further questions, or need any advice or assistance, please feel free to call –

Dave on 0275 701 701

Maria on 0275 701 706

We hope you have a wonderful stay !

12345678