At Maple House you stay with a 'young' couple in their late sixties/early seventies who are absolutely wonderful. Their home is what we would call a bungalow surrounded by a colourful mass of flowers and shrubs. Joan is the gardener, enthusiastic and garrulous. Her husband Barry, is a stroke victim who has obviously made a good recovery, and who is intelligent and interesting to talk with. They welcome you into their world with tea and cake, and later cheese and crackers.You have a lovely quiet bedroom, a very comfortable bed, an enormous bathroom and your own fridge.(Travellers in New Zealand usually carry provisions, it can be a long way between one eatery and the next !). On the day we arrived, without a booking, they were preparing to go off on two weeks holiday the next morning and were off to a Jazz Concert that evening. Nevertheless they took us in, booked us on a Maori feast evening, gave us a key and provided a slap up breakfast next morning. They were enormously kind, considerate and friendly. We were made to feel totally at home and thoroughly welcome as if we were staying with old friends. They were both at pains to make their house ours, and their attitude to a couple of old wrinklies turning up unannounced on their doorstep was a breath of fresh air. Hope that when we reach their age we are still full of the joys of life and our fellow men!
