Oceans Resort product reviews

After a rather long and tedious drive from Palmerston North, we arrived at the apartments at 11.15pm. With careful reading of a map, we would have found the apartment a lot easier, but tired eyes can misread even the most precise instructions. Instead of trying to detour into the streets, we should have stayed on the main road until we hit the town centre, then headed north to Buffalo Beach. Once there it is quite easy to locate Eyre Street and the Oceans complex. As soon as we opened the front door we were hooked. Each building comprises 2 apartments, each spread over 2 storeys. The ground floor has a large single garage with secure door leading out onto an ample concrete apron, providing tenants with room to park 2 vehicles. There is also a full laundry, with washing machine, dryer and sink. Behind that is a good sized bedroom with ranch sliders leading out to a small concrete patio with a fold-away clothesrack. As well as all that, there is a fully fit-out bathroom with toilet and shower, meaning that the kids or a couple can have some privacy.

Comfortably carpeted stairs lead to the upper floor, where we entered the living area. As soon as we crest the stairs, we were presented with the view of a lifetime, out over Mercury Bay. Though it was quite late at night, it was full moon and the bay was lit with a ghostly pale light. This was actually quite a beautiful sight that enchanted me right off. However, sleep was required, so we unloaded the car and bundled into the upstairs bathroom, which had a combined shower and bath unit and it's own toilet. After a quick hose down, it was into the big, soft yet supportive, double bed. Breakfast the next morning was cooked in the great little kitchen area. Glass cooktop, oven, fridge-freezer, pantry, dishwasher, cordless jug, microwave, rangehood... you name it, it was there. Even a full set of knives, cutlery and crockery for a setting of 6... it was great.

On top of this luxury, there is a pool, tennis courts, and a newly-built children's playground right outside the front door, plus a good sized expanse of grass for kicking the soccerball around, throwing the megahowler, or just spreading out the towels and blobbing out soaking up sun after a swim. If that's not enough, this complex is only 2 minutes from the beach, 10 minutes walk from the shops, and about 15 minutes walk to the marina. With a dive shop where you can hire scuba gear or kayaks, or the jetty where you can jump on a tour boat and go for a 2 hour scenic trip, there is something for everyone in this stunning holiday destination.

Overall, it was a real treat to be here and I certainly plan to make this a holiday destination every chance I can get. It's not the cheapest place by Kiwi standards, but then, quality costs, and overseas visitors would probably find it quite affordable due to exchange rates. These apartments can be hired on a per-night basis as a hotel-style fully-serviced apartment, or hired medium- to long-term for reduced rates as self-serviced holiday accommodation. I suggest that if you are at all interested, you should use the contact form on their website to find out the seasonal rates available.