What a truly wonderful find. We stayed here at the beginning of December 2006 and the only slightly disappointing thing was that the weather was a bit cool! The accommodation was superb and spotlessly clean - the kitchen was very well equipped and it was so wonderful to eat outside on the decking with the sea almost at your feet. The gardens are kept so neat and how wonderful to walk straight off your lawn on to the beach. It is a family business and that certainly shines through with the level of care for the property and the service and friendliness you receive. We actually never ate out as we found Adrift to be the perfect peaceful place, and believe me, coming from the UK we crave peace and quiet and love to escape from the rat race at every opportunity. Bess's breakfast basket was so appetising and we loved to guess which home made preserve would be in the basket today - we had home made bread, home made granola, poached plums, beautiful yoghurt - we were truly spoilt! Bess and Gordon were the perfect hosts - there when you needed them but at a discreet distance if you did not. Gordon was a mine of information on all the activities in the area and has a wealth of knowledge. They have both worked incredibly hard to make this a success and we would have no qualms in recommending this place to anyone. We would say, however, to be warned about Takaka Hill which is the only way in and out of Golden Bay - it is long, high and very twisty but it is worth every bend! We did the eco-trip from Collingwood to Farewell Spit - a must do experience - most interesting. In summary we had a glorious 5 days here and we will go back in the near future and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to totally chill out - wonderful place for the romantically inclined!!

We stayed here for three nights in October 2006 and it was fabulous. The cottages are even nicer than they look on the website and of a really high spec. They deck is fantastic and it made a real treat to enjoy the delicious breakfast hamper outside whilst taking in the view.

The bed was extremely comfortable and the shower and spa bath brilliant. The hosts were friendly and helpful but left us alone to enjoy our time.

I thought it was good value for money and would definately recommend.

The moment we saw Adrift we were lost - it's absolutely wonderful. It's situated in a lovely garden that leads (between two palm trees) down to a perfect, empty golden beach. From that moment I wished we were staying longer even though we were there for 5 nights. Bess and Gordon, our host and hostess, made us so welcome and couldn't do enough for us the whole time we stayed there. Our accommodation (attached to their home ) with stylish ensuite bathroom, had a bed specially made high so that we could lie in bed and watch the glorious sunrise each morning. A delicious breakfast was brought to us on the terrace overlooking the garden, bliss. Just down the road there's the quirky Mussel Inn which serves great dinners or snacks.
Adrift is tucked away down a lane (absolute peace) between Takaka and Collingwood and there's so much to see and do - however I can't think of anything nicer than spending time sitting on the terrace , looking at the view and then going for a walk on the beach and watching the sun go down. It's paradise.
Bess and Gordon also have high-quality cottages tucked away each with access to the beach. I really hope we can stay there again before too long.

We feel very fortunate to have found the Beachfront Bed and Breakfast, which is actually about 12K north of Takaka, and about 2 hours from Nelson, and right on Golden Bay. In order to get there you must traverse a mountain that is quite challenging, and unfortunately we were driving into the sunlight (it was getting close to sunset), so a bit scary. However, the stay was quite worth it. Although not a fancy place, it is a very comfortable room, with an excellent bed and high-quality bedding. We enjoyed the large, open shower and found the bathroom to be a comfortable size, with lots of small shelves to put our bathroom items. Coffee/tea making materials were provided, as well as a small refrigerator (which was stocked with fresh water with lemon in it, as well as milk). They also provided fresh fruit from their gardens (apples and feijoa). Breakfast was provided whenever we wished (we told the hosts the evening before), and dined outside on the patio throughout our trip (when the weather is bad breakfast is provided in the room). Breakfast consisted of granola, homemade yogurt, fresh fruit, toast, homemade muffins, fresh juice, tea or coffee, and if desired eggs and/or other hot items. Breakfasts were always filling and very delicious! The views from the B&B were stunning, especially at sunrise and sunset. We enjoyed using the kayaks provided, and on several mornings got up to go running on the beach. It is a very relaxing and peaceful place, with extremely kind and gentle hosts who were extremely helpful and friendly, yet respectful of our privacy (we were on our honeymoon). From the B&B there is easy access to the northern part (less traveled) of Abel Tasman park, as well as Farewell Spit, west-coast beaches (I highly recommend Wharariki beach), springs, waterfalls, and walking tracks. It is a wonderful place to get away, and have some peace and quiet. We were able to find some nice places to eat in the area, and there also seem to be a lot of artists living in this part of the South Island. Just a caution that if you are interested in seeing the southern part of Abel Tasman park, including doing kayaking, it is easier to do so from Nelson and Motueka - in order to do so from Golden Bay you need to cross the mountain, so it is a long journey. Overall we really enjoyed our stay, and it was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. Our only complaint is that Bess promised to e-mail us a copy of her granola recipe and she has not yet done so! :)