Whangaroa Barn

The front and back doors are fitted with electronic locks and a keypad.

Your code will be supplied on the morning of your arrival day and the same code will unlock both doors. Touch any key on the keypad first to wake it up — the keys will light up. A tone will sound when you enter each key and you’ll hear “unlocked” when the lock disengages.

The hallway light switch is just to the right of the front door.

The property is yours to enjoy. It consists of the barn, lawn, bush between the barn and the paddock, and the mown paddock below St Paul’s Rock.

The beginning of the track to St Paul’s runs alongside the paddock. It’s a popular walking destination, so expect regular carloads to use the turnaround and park along the road during fine days. The track itself is managed by the Department of Conservation, so dogs aren’t allowed on the hike but they can play in the Barn paddock.

Late at night, please be mindful of noise; sound travels a long way across the water.

You have unlimited high speed internet via Starlink. It powers Netflix and is more than fast enough for video calls. The property also has 4G mobile coverage.

The queen bed upstairs on the open plan mezzanine lets you set the position that suits your sleep. Stay flat, put your head up, your feet up, or go zero gravity — just use the remote control until you’re comfortable. You have a choice of firm and soft pillows and the headboard doubles as storage for additional pillows.

The sofas/sofa beds

Linen for the two sofa beds (mattress protectors, sheets, pillows, and duvets) are all in the queen bed headboard, along with mattress toppers if you’d like an extra layer of comfort.

The sofas fold down to make comfy double beds. Pull them far enough out from the wall so their backs can lie flat. Pull the back forward until you hear a loud click, which means it’s disengaged, then lower it. If you like a firm bed, you’ll love these just as they are. If you prefer a softer bed, just add a mattress topper.

Dogs are allowed on the furniture but please use the blankets provided in the queen bed headboard and leave them out to be washed.

Locally roasted organic plunger coffee from MAX Coffee in Kerikeri, loose leaf tea, tea bags, sugar, virgin olive oil, sesame oil, and basic herbs and spices are all supplied — if you don’t see something on the kitchen counter or the pantry shelves, check out the spice drawer to the left of the stove.

Check the big drawers for cutlery, cooking utensils, plates, bowls, and glasses. We’ve tried to stock anything you might want — there’s even a blending stick! You have pots, bowls, pans, a wok, microwave, an electric frying pan, and an oven to whip up whatever you’d like.

If the oven has been switched off or there’s been a power disruption, you’ll need to set the time for it to operate. Press the button with 3 lines on it, then use the + or – buttons to set a time (any time — it doesn’t need to match the clock!)

The toaster has 6 different settings — make sure you select one so it toasts to your desired level of doneness.

There’s no extractor fan in the kitchen. Instead, just open one or both of the windows and/or door in the kitchen and the airflow will take care of it. In the morning, throw the back door open and sit at the breakfast bar to watch the sun come up… it’s worth the early start 🙂

Enjoy the water pressure and don’t rush your shower; though you’re in an area that can get dry over summer, the barn’s unique construction means there’s plenty of water all year round. Please, don’t flush anything but toilet paper down the toilet — anything else goes in the rubbish bin.

The washing machine is fast and efficient — power it on, select your desired setting using the dial, open up the hot and cold taps, and let it run. There’s Cold Power liquid in the cupboard below the laundry tub and this goes in the detergent drawer at the back of the machine.

When the sun’s out, string the clothesline up in the trellised garden area using the hooks on the posts. You’ll find it, along with clothes pegs and a laundry basket, on the shelf above the washing machine.

There’s an electric clothes rack in the cupboard under the stairs, if you strike a wet day. Switch it on at the wall then hit the power button low down on the frame. In warmer months, beach towels can be found on the shelf above the washing machine.

The BBQ has now been stored for winter — it’s on the patio during warmer months – usually November through to the start of April, depending on the weather. Head’s up: the wind can come up quickly in this coastal environment and it can get WILD. Please be mindful of this when cooking on the BBQ.

Using the BBQ

Before lighting, move the BBQ away from the Barn to the edge of the patio by flipping the lever on each wheel to unlock them.  Lock them back into place so it stays where you put it.

To light: 

1. Turn the grey wheel on the gas bottle until it’s all the way open. 
2. Open the BBQ hood.
3. Push the control knob at the front right of the BBQ in and turn it to the ignition setting. You’ll hear the gas start to hiss.
4. Wait 2-3 seconds then firmly push the red lighter button at front left of the BBQ to light the flame. You may have to do this a couple of times. If it doesn’t light straight away, turn the control knob to the off position again, wait a few minutes for the gas to clear, then try again.
5. Close the BBQ hood and let the grill heat for 10 minutes. Then, use the control knob for your desired flame setting and start cooking. 

Once you’re done, turn the knob to the off position and close the gas bottle valve using the grey wheel. Please let the BBQ cool right down before cleaning and covering. Lastly, move it back against the Barn and lock the wheels.

Also in the trellised area is a firewood box and a fish filleting table. Wood in the firewood box is dry and ready to burn. Kindling is to the left and logs are to the right. Hook the lid back when it’s windy and please make sure you lock it down again with the bolt supplied. Additional firewood is in the bunker, which is built into the bank just beyond the trellised area.

If you’re filleting a catch, the filleting table is at your disposal. It’s intended to be used with the hose in the trellised area, which provides water to the tap. To connect the hose to the tap, ensure the tap to the hose is off and depress the handle to the hose fitting to release any water pressure that’s built up.

Remove the hose fitting by pulling back the collar that connects it to the hose. Then, fit the hose end to the tap. It should just click into place. If you feel any resistance, there is still water pressure in the hose that needs to be released.

Once connected, use the tap as normal. When you’re done, please clean the table thoroughly and wind the hose up. Take care to avoid the gutters as you hose the table down.

At night, flip the switch on the mosquito guard in the hallway — it’s plugged into the wall. It does a great job at keeping the world’s most annoying insect at bay while you’re asleep. There’s no need for it during the day. If you’re sitting outside once the sun goes down, grab a citronella candle from pantry shelves so you can enjoy your evening without attention from the local insects.

Because the Barn is so close to native bush and trees, NZ native cockroaches (a dark, shiny beetle) will occasionally find their way indoors. Please don’t be concerned; these little guys are not pests and they’re not looking for food. They’ll usually find their own way out, or feel free to scoop them up in the dustpan (in the cupboard below the stairs) and put them outside.

Cooling

If it’s too hot upstairs, start up the fan using the control next to the queen bed. The house is engineered to maintain a consistent and comfortable temperature, so all you need to do to stay comfy is to move the air around.

Heating

In colder months, the fireplace quickly heats the entire barn and can be supplemented with the heat pump directly above the queen bed if required. Firewood and kindling are supplied once the temperature drops — usually from April through October. Additional firewood is in the woodbox in the trellised area, behind the table.

Before lighting the fire, pull the lever to the right of the fireplace out as far as it will go to open up the airflow. Once the fire catches, close the door and latch it. Use the lever at right to reduce the airflow if the fire is burning hotter than you’d like.

The big screen VEON TV is upstairs in the lounge area. Power it on and give it a moment to wake up — it’s on Northland time. The VEON remote controls the volume. If the volume doesn’t seem to be working, please power the TV off and on again.

Then, grab the smaller silver remote for the Apple TV and use it to navigate. Help yourself to watch Apple TV and Netflix, plus we’ve downloaded some other apps you can log into yourself.

The silver remote is rechargeable; if it’s sluggish, plug it into the white charging cable in the power bank behind the TV.

The barn has water at its foundation; it sits on top of water tanks that hold up to 100,000 litres and when it’s raining, you’ll hear them filling beneath your feet. These make sure there’s plenty of water during long, hot Northland summers as well as help to regulate the temperature so you’re comfortable all year round. 

3 layers of UV filtration ensures pure, safe, clear drinking water straight from the tap and the internal water pump provides powerful water pressure. You’ll hear the pump run whenever you open up a tap — it’s located in the kitchen. You can switch the pump off using the switch on the wall just outside the pump’s cupboard; it’s clearly labeled.

Power is generated by solar panels, stored in a backup battery, and topped up by the grid when needed. That means that in the event of a local power outage, you’ll keep the lights on for longer with power from the battery and/or solar if it’s still light outside. 

Battery-powered lamps are upstairs in the lounge area. Tap the base to activate them. If they start to dim, recharge them using the USB connector plugged into the power bank just behind the TV. 

There’s also a torch in the cupboard under the stairs.

Rubbish bins are situated in the small drawer to the right of the sink and additional liners are in the drawer beneath if you need them. 

Full bags can be placed in the large silver rubbish bin by the kitchen door. Glass, tins, plastic and other recyclables go in the second bin, marked “recycling”.

We have you covered for cleaning but if you need to deal with any spills in a hurry, there’s a dustpan, vacuum cleaner, and a mop in the cupboard under the stairs.

Emergency services: call 111
(fire, ambulance, police)

The kitchen is fitted with a carbon monoxide detector, fire blanket and two fire extinguishers. Smoke alarms are in the garage and upstairs by the queen bed.

There is a first aid kit in the cupboard above the fridge.

Please wear footwear any time you’re on the stones or on the grass to avoid prickles, stings, and sharp objects. 

In summer, please be mindful of wasps, who love to make nests around the property. While we make every effort to find, spray, and destroy them, they can spin up very quickly so please take care anywhere you see more than a couple of wasps. Insect spray is in the tall cupboard next to the fridge if required.

The Barn property is home to a couple of quail families, pheasants, and very active tui.

The pheasants are very shy, so you’ll hear them more often than you see them. That rusty sounding screech is the male pheasant sounding the alarm.

The quail are far more laid back. These little guys are California quail and you’ll see them all around the Barn most days. The males are usually happy to tell you how great they are! Their super tiny babies hatch in December and January, so if you’re staying then, please give them space.

The property is planted with flax and Puriri trees that attract tuis all year round and they never stop zooming from one plant to the next.

At night, you’ll hear the NZ native owl – the Morepork – though they’re pretty hard to spot during the day.

You may also see skinks — tiny bronze coloured lizards — and the NZ native cockroach, a dark, shiny-shelled beetle. These guys are all outdoors dwellers who will occasionally wander into the Barn, especially when it’s very hot or very wet. Please just help them to get their bearings by showing them the door, or leave them to find their own way out.

Dogs are welcome to run in the paddock and on the lawn as long as you clean up after them 🙂. Dogs must be with you and under control at all times — roaming dogs can be impounded and nobody wants the smells and sights around the Barn to tempt your dog to go exploring unsupervised.

You’ll find a dog bowl and water bowl on the pantry shelves.

If you let dogs onto the bed or sofa beds, please use the blankets you’ll find in the queen bed headboard and leave them out so we can wash them for the next guests.

You’ll find locations of EV chargers in the Far North at https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/ev-chargers/northland and we recommend charging at the nearest charging station before you arrive in Whangaroa. Sorry, the Barn does not have EV charging facilities.