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Secret Cottage

Photo gallery for Secret Cottage

Exterior
Interior
Dining
sunroom
Private kitchen

Reviews

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional
3 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 5861.1 sq ft

Popular amenities

  • Breakfast included
  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Outdoor space
  • Parking available

Explore the area

View in a map
Waitara, Taranaki
  • Place, Manukorihi Park
    ‪1 min drive‬
  • Place, Waitara West Quay
    ‪2 min drive‬
  • Place, Waitara Library
    ‪2 min drive‬
  • Airport, New Plymouth (NPL)
    ‪10 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 5)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

2 Single Beds

Conservatory

1 Single Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Secret Cottage

Set in an established garden, this home away from home is a quiet and private retreat in semi rural Waitara.
The two bedroom home sleeps 4-5 with a sun-room as the optional 3rd single bedroom.
A 5 minute drive from Waitara township and close to New Plymouth Airport with the city 15 minutes away for dining, events and entertainment.
Our prices include all fees. No hidden fees.

Add dates for prices

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House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Check out before 10:30 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Check-out instructions

The host requires you to complete the following before checking out:
Load and start the dishwasher
Gather used towels
Remove personal items, remove leftover food and drinks and take out the rubbish
Turn off the lights, lock the doors and return the keys
Lock the windows
Failure to complete these may result in a negative review from the host.
Shoe-free inside please.
Dishes washing in the dishwasher. Doors and windows fully closed before leaving.
Put rubbish and recycling into the bins out in front. Food scraps in the small green bin.

Important information

You need to know

This property is managed by a private host (a party not acting within their trade, business or profession). EU consumer law, including the right of withdrawal, will not apply to your booking. The cancellation policy set by the private host will cover your booking.
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
This property uses eco-friendly cleaning products
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock

Frequently asked questions

Is Secret Cottage pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much does it cost to stay at Secret Cottage?

As of 1 Apr 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at Secret Cottage on 25 May 2026 start from £58, 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 Secret Cottage?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Secret Cottage?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Secret Cottage?

Checkout is at 10:30 AM.

Where is Secret Cottage located?

This family-friendly Waitara holiday home is located by the sea, within 2 mi (3 km) of Manukorihi Park, Waitara West Quay and Waitara Golf Club. Waitara Library and Pukekohe Domain are also within 3 miles (5 km).

Reviews

9.4

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. 33 out of 45 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 9 out of 45 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 45 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 45 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 45 reviews

9.4/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Check-in

9.6/10

Communication

9.2/10

Location

9.6/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Nick M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Host was welcoming. Nice garden and friendly cat. Place was as described. Had an enjoyable stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Jan 2026
Thanks Nick, you guys were great. Come again.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Barbara B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
What a treat to stay at the Secret Cottage! Great, quiet, and peaceful location. Delightful garden with plenty of surprises. Spacious house - clean, well-stocked. Comfortable bed! Slept very well! Friendly, helpful owner!! Loved the Secret Garden!!
Stayed 6 nights in Jan 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 1 Feb 2026
Thanks Barb for taking such good care of the stray kitty, he is very much at home now. It was wonderful to meet you both and hear about your travels.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Darin H.

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

Great little place to stay

Perfect for what we needed, quiet location, tidy and all amenities.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Susan D.

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

Lovely stay, everything we needed and more.

Great place would recommend
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Karin C.

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

Visiting Nana’s

Loved garden & birds & felt comfortable staying there
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2024
Verified

8/10 Good

Lorraine B.

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

Hideaway stay

The hideaway was comfortable and well equipped.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Tracy H.

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

Great place to stay

Catching up with family
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023
Verified

8/10 Good

Fiona d.

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

Lovely restful stay

Loved our stay. Plenty of everything and the shower and bed were wonderful. The fire was great and kept us very warm. Very convenient location.
Stayed 8 nights in Apr 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Carol W.

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

Pleasant retreat

Cosy and homely and we all enjoyed our stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Emma M.

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

Womad Trip

Only 15-20min to Womad - a super calm and cozy place to unwind after a big day at the festival!
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 2 Apr 2025
Thanks so much Emma! It was great to host you. Come again next year!
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Melanie H.

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

Loved the place!

Just as listed had everything we needed. Tucked away and the garden was lovely.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Radhika P.

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

A very cosy comfortable accommodation.

We had everything we needed to have a comfortable experience. The location was also good too. I would stay here again.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Ross S.

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

Quiet seclusion

Lovely and quiet area, just what we needed for a weekend away. Close proximity to the jet sprint track was a nice surprise.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Donna B.

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

Nice and relaxed

We enjoyed our stay, and were very happy all in all, and would be happy to stay there again. Thanks for the opportunity to stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Crystal S.

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

Tranquil oasis

We had a wonderful stay at this retreat with our dog, close to beaches and a great location being 15mins to New Plymouth. Homely amd comfortable would recommend to friends and family who like to travel with their furry friend!
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Andrea M.

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

Wonderful retreat

Enjoyed our stay very much. Couldn't ask for a better homely atmosphere and nice and quite. Recommended to all. A+++++
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Richard W.

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

Ideal three days, thank you.

Very comfortable. We were lucky with the weather. The wood-burner is excellent.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Louise H.

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

Lovely Wee Getaway

It was a lovely wee weekend getaway, clean, cost home & great being able to bring our fur baby. Thanks!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

anna w.

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

Cosy weekender

We had a lovely stay at Davina’s property. The weather was pretty rainy but we enjoyed watching a movie and playing board games when we weren’t out and about. It great to be able to go on holiday with our dog too.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Cheryl D.

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

Spacious accommodation

We enjoyed our stay with the spacious and pet friendly accommodation. Davina is very easy to communicate with and very helpful, she helped us find and post the clothes we left
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023
Verified

8/10 Good

CRAIG H.

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

R and R

Enjoyed the stay quiet and relaxing , stress free and peaceful. Thanks to my host .
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Tracy H.

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

Holiday

Just catching up with family
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Leigh A.

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

Repeat guest

A real home-from-home that has everything a family needs. They don't call it a 'retreat' for nothing!
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024
Verified

8/10 Good

janice b.

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

Lovely

The accommodation was lovely and met our needs. The grounds definately needed a bit of work but the weather hadn't been the best for doing outside work I guess Thankyou very much.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Gavin T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy
Disliked: Location

Relaxing weekend

Awesome garden to relax in. Our Greyhound loved sniffing about and playing on the deck in the sun. Nice and quiet area to stay. The only negative (and it's no fault of the property) to be aware of is the road works can add up to 7 minutes to trips anywhere while you wait at the temporary lights. Thanks for adding to a great weekend!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

About the host

Hosted by Davina

Host profile image
I am Taranaki born and love this out-of-the-way part of our beautiful country. The arts are superbly represented here. I remember when the coffee was instant and the beer was Taranaki Bitter. Now our little city leads the world with coffee roasting, craft beers and gin.
I love to trek or ski on Taranaki, our mountain that calls us home; surrounded by lush native bush, ocean and wild beaches. The world hasn't fully discovered it just yet and I like it that way.

Why they chose this property

I have a feeling of peace when I walk onto this place. The feeling that you are miles from anywhere and the worries magically drop from your shoulders.
The gardens were planted by the orginal owner into a food forest which attracts the birds and gave birth to it's name: Manukorihi - a chorus of birds.

What makes this property unique

My favourite place is first thing in the morning when the sun floods into the sunroom I can plan my day uninterrupted and drink coffee before the rest of the household wakes up. In the winter I feed another log to the fireplace to take the chill off the morning air.
In the warmer weather, the little pond and zen garden is another quiet space to escape to.
The stray grey cat that has been living under the house for a while has just started talking to us. If you wish to, giving him a handful of cat biscuits every now and then stops him from going after the native birds.

Languages:

English
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