After a horrible night’s stay at Chateau Tongariro, we wisely checked out and made our way to the lovely coastal city of Whakatane, where we were fortunate to book at Quayside Apartments. We appreciated Rebecca, the friendly property manager, allowing us to check in a bit before their normal 2 pm check-in time, and I enjoyed the chance to shake off the road with an invigorating swim in the rooftop pool.
Our two bedroom/ two bath flat was large and spacious with a balcony overlooking George Street. The bed was very comfortable, and there was no street noise, so we slept soundly. We loved that the unit had a washer/dryer, so we were able to “refresh” our wardrobe after almost a week of traveling. We liked the sleek lines of the modern kitchen, which had everything we needed for our short stay. WiFi was very good, and it was a short walk to the store to get a few essentials for breakfast. We also liked that Spice Junction (a fine Indian restaurant) was very close by, and loved our evening stroll along the nearby wharf, which sits right near the mouth of the Whakatane River. We parked in a numbered space in a safe, covered parking garage which was included in the reasonable tariff. Our cost for the night was $240 NZ, (equating to $152 in US Dollars), which we thought was extremely reasonable for the excellent quality of the accommodations.
We wish that we could have stayed longer than one night, and would definitely choose Quayside Apartments for a longer stay.