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Okay look. I was part of the group from New Years last year and everything that could be said has been already. For what it's worth, Opononi is a great place to spend the summer, highly recommend staying in the area.
The owners of this particular house, however, are horrible to deal with - and we're not the only group they've conned out of deposit money with absurd nonexistent issues. Honestly, I feel icky even leaving this review but they've so clearly stacked the reviews with friends chirruping about it being 5/5 it's only fair to balance it out.
If it's your absolute only option because every single other accommodation in the area is booked, well, okay maybe. Maybe stay here, just read the comments, know what they're like to deal with beforehand and be prepared to be unreasonably refused your bond/deposit.
Personally, if my only option was holidaying in a house owned by the Frauds - sorry, autocorrect* - the Frays, I'd stay home.
(*it actually did autocorrect! But, y'know - too accurate not to leave in.)
EDIT: in response to Kathy's comment below. Kathy I'm afraid any attempt by you to save face is going to fail. The "numerous complaints" could only have come from the one lot of neighbours to the left - the same ones who took photos of our group - mostly women - doing yoga outside on our first morning there. They're lucky we didn't call the police. They're clearly in contact with you in some sort of desperate attempt to dredge up false "wrongdoings" that you can use to justify withholding bond - or in our case, demand extra payment on top of the exorbitant rates already charged. We've also repeatedly disproven the frankly bizarre claims you've made of excess numbers of people (we had friends staying in a campsite nearby, they spent time at the house with us during the day) - which at one point you claimed you could prove by the amount of DUST we left. Even if that were remotely possible - and it is not - we cleaned the house before we left, for goodness' sake. Get a grip.
You are the worst sort of property investor running a very clumsy con. I hope, but doubt, that you've learnt some sort of lesson from all of this.
I wish you a most economically difficult...
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Our extended family stayed here for a three nights over the past weekend with a total of 13 people. We all had enough space as there is plenty of room throughout both levels. Being self contained for each level is awesome as it gives you the flexibility to have seperate spaces to enjoy. There is plenty of parking and amenities on offer for us to enjoy in this home. It is also a great base to go exploring as it’s a 3 minute drive to Opononi shops. Onepu accommodation is well designed and a fantastic location. There are sea views throughout the upper level and views out over the countryside also. A large backyard that is fully fenced with a spa pool for those chilly nights or afternoons completed our stay. My favourite feature was the upper level kitchen with an extra large oven to cater for our group which made cooking a breeze. Clean up was easy with modern and sleek appliances. Everything was chosen with care, there was nothing we needed to take as the linen, bedding and everything was provided in the fully equipped home including a Weber bbq on the large deck. I highly recommend staying here with your Whanau next time you come to Opononi. You will leave here feeling refreshed and invigorated by the fresh sea breezes and clean, crisp country air. A must stay location. Thanks for having us Onepu...
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I stayed here with a group of friends, and while the location is beautiful, I was shocked at the draconian rules (including exorbitant charges for not putting glassware/crockery back in the right place) which indicated an utter lack of trust in, and respect for, guests.
While the property is described as luxury, it appears the artwork may have been all purchased from Kmart as I’ve seen it many times at other rentals / open homes. Further, the downstairs area was quite dark and not well ventilated. It also included a stuffy double room without windows, described as ‘luxury’.
The worst part was that after we put in a solid few hours cleaning the house to ensure it was clean and tidy for the next guests, the owner then refused to give back the bond based on an incorrect assumption we had a greater number of people stay than we had paid for. This was entirely incorrect, but the owner refused to back down, instead suggesting she was going to charge us more money based on alleged statements she had received from neighbours.
I would therefore never recommend this place to anyone, as you’ll likely struggle to get your bond back, and if you attempt to challenge that, you’ll simply be referred to the...
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