Location: 5 minutes south of Hokitika on the West Coast.
Style: Guesthouse on a charming coastie dairy farm, with beach access.
Perfect for: A short stopover on a West Coast road trip or a base of operations for exploring Hokitika and Ross.
First impressions: It would be easy to drive straight past it on the way to Ross, which almost happened. However the lean-to is pretty close to the cafes of Hokitika, with plenty of space to yourself across the Hokitika River.
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Rooms: Single unit with en suite and cooking facilities. Large double bed with plenty of covers should you need them. However, the unit was well insulated against the worst passing showers the coast could muster.
Photos of Fiji were pretty incongruous but, on the whole, a cheery, light interior.
There's plenty of space on the decking under the big West Coast skies. Seats liberated from an old ski lift provide views of the ocean and - on the rare, clear day - out to the Southern Alps.
Bathroom: En suite shower with plenty of drying room on the towel rack.
Facilities: there's a contained kitchenette with hobs and a microwave should you plan to eat in.
What's in the neighbourhood: Not an awful lot, which is brilliant. Access to the Māhinapua waterways and lake is just across the road.
From here, the West Coast treetop walkway and cafe are just 10-minute drive, or an hour's boat ride up the natural canals. You can catch the scenic waterways cruise departs from across the road, for a stunning sunset journey.
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Advertise with NZME.If you're eating out, Hokitika is a greenstone's throw away. The Fat Pipi's pizzeria is highly recommended. Forget anchovies, this is the home of the whitebait pizza.
Family friendly: A cot can be provided on request but there's not really space for much larger families.
Accessibility: The cabin isn't wheelchair accessible.
Contact: www.booking.com/hotel/nz/big-heart-beach.en-gb.html
