Relax at Wetekia, your cottage nestled in kiwi habitat zone of Russell and sharing the same property with our larger house, Henipapa (sleeps 12) which is also available for rent.

Situated 3 mins easy stroll into historic Russell, there's safe all-tide swimming in Kororareka Bay, the main beach just in front of the house, or a short drive over to lovely Oneroa (Long Beach).

Built as a cottage during the 90's in a similar style to Henipapa, our 1927 Whalers house which shares the same property, it is an open & breezy summer house oozing with tropical south-pacific style.

Wetekia has a full kitchen & bathroom and 2 lovely bedrooms, both with french doors leading out to a private and sunny wrap-around deck with a BBQ, that looks over a verdant valley full of Kiwi & Weka (you'll hear Kiwi and Morepork calling each other at night - and you'll definitely see the cheeky Weka family roaming the grounds during the day).

The main lounge area is a lovely cool and serene space to relax, or you can choose chase the sun on a bean bag around the large grounds...lazy and languid by day, the top lawn is the best spot for late afternoon sun and views of the bay.

Your main deck area is private with your own BBQ, while the central shared courtyard between Henipapa & Wetekia offers gentle shade by day, and a romantic fairy-lit haven by night. We ask guests to be mindful of noise and light in this space, out of respect for guests in the other home.

The kitchen is well set up with a Nespresso machine, toaster, jug, microwave, water filter jug and everything else you may need. There is a Bluetooth UE Boom speaker for guest use (+ another in the main house if you also rent that, so you can sync them up for stereo!), while the Samsung Frame smart TV is set up with free Netflix and Amazon Prime video.

The decks around Wetekia are your private space, the Central Courtyard and grounds are all shared spaces between the cottage and the house. We ask the guests in each property to be mindful of each other’s peace and privacy especially in the evening.

The key is in the lock-box, so let yourself in and make yourself at home.

Note: Christmas and New Year bookings are 7 nights minimum. Summer season (Dec, Jan, Feb) is 3 nights minimum, as are long weekends throughout the year.

Things to do in Kororareka, Russell:

You can enjoy safe all-tide swimming in Kororareka Bay, Russell town's main beach right in front of the house, or take an easy 20 minute stroll (or a short 3 min drive) over to stunning Oneroa (Long Beach), where you can get your 2nd coffee of the morning from Karl's beachside espresso cart, serving locally roasted Tohora coffee.

If you need something slightly more robust to start the morning, you can't go past a Bloody Mary from The Duke, New Zealand's oldest pub, or a breakfast Bagel from Hellhole (also the Roastery of the aforementioned Tohora Coffee).

Russell is a lovely town to stroll around, day and night. It's steeped in early New Zealand history, all within easy walking distance.

Our favourite historical walking loop starts at the bottom of our driveway!

Walk up Wellington St for about 3 minutes (it's steep at first but it gets easier) to find the lovely bush path that leads you up to Te Maike (Flagstaff), where Hone Heke and his warriors cut down the flagpole, there's a great information installation that gives you a good sense of the events leading up to this. Then, at the northern end, just past the flagpole, take the walking track back down to Titore Way, and turn left on to the road. Walk to the end of the street, where you'll find another lovely bush track, which will take you past some beautiful lookout spots back to Wellington St, just above our house.

Next, head down to Christ Church, New Zealand’s oldest existing church, where you can see the bullet holes still visible from the ensuing Battle of Kororareka shortly after, when the HMS Hazard bombarded the town. In the cemetery you'll see the headstones of many of the characters you would have read about up at the Te Maike memorial.

Wander down to the bay past the Russell Museum (also well worth a look if you have the time) to the Pompellier Mission to enjoy freshly baked croissant and coffee, home of New Zealand's first Bishop & printing press.

Then if you want to make a full day of it, take a ferry over to the Waitangi Treaty grounds, Aotearoa New Zealand’s most important historic site. Explore the two new contemporary museums, Te Rau Aroha, Te Kōngahu Museum of Waitangi, the carving studio, the Treaty House, Te Whare Rūnanga (Carved Meeting House), traditional Māori waka taua (war canoes) and enjoy a full programme of tours and cultural performances.

There are great places to eat and drink in Russell, the Duke, New Zealand's oldest pub is a firm favourite for both, with spectacular views and sunsets, as is the Swordfish club for a slightly more casual vibe. Butterfish is excellent for casual café food and awesome breakfasts. The Gables is great for fine dining on the foreshore (they serve amazing barrel aged Negronis too), while Hone's Garden serves delicious wood-fired pizza and craft beers in a beautiful outdoor courtyard.

If you want to combine it with a day on the water, take the Explore Ferry out to Otahei Bay where there is a very cool beachside café that often has live music.