Alexandra Tourist Park

The two cabins we were given were in poor to fair condition, and Cabin 2 was poor. The bathrooms in both had taps that dripped or ran constantly, Cabin 2's door lock was broken, the air conditioning couldn't keep up, and the place was quite dusty. It all felt very tired and depressing. If this is the only option in Alexandra next time, we'll stay in another town. Only the front few cabins are managed by Gateway Property. The rest of the property is now permanent living and isn't available to tourists. We had to stay in two cabins because nothing else was available in Alexandra that night. We'd booked three cabins and paid the required 50% deposit nine months ahead, but Gateway told me two months before our stay that one cabin wasn't available. The staff we dealt with did their best to help, but Gateway's policies seem overly restrictive for properties of this quality, such as requiring 30 days' notice to cancel a one-night, off-peak booking.

The bed was okay on one side. There was no main bathroom light or porch light, and the front door wouldn't lock, only the screen door did. The fridge still had food stuck in it from the previous tenant, and the kitchen lino was torn. I also got a text with checkout instructions at midnight, 36 hours before I left, and it woke me.

The rail trail was a good one, and the town was nice. That was about all I could find to like about the experience. This isn't a tourist park, just three old cabins facing a noisy road, with a retirement village behind them. Booking a cabin on your phone through the property management company was so complicated you nearly needed a computer science degree.

The new manager Sammie is lovely, and we were able to bring our fur babies, who could sleep inside too. We stayed over Easter with my mum and aunt and really loved the place. It's a proper caravan park with a communal kitchen and the like. We spent time walking around and chatting with the residents, who all seem to enjoy living there as well. Can't wait to stay again.