Welcome to Drifting Sands

Every great day starts with a good fix, and at Host’d, we believe the little details make all the difference - like starting your morning with a plunger coffee from Coffee Supreme.

As a cornerstone of New Zealand’s coffee scene, their ethically sourced beans and community-driven ethos bring people together, fostering connection with every sip. From supporting the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand to partnering with the Wellington City Mission, their mission goes beyond great coffee - it’s about spreading kindness.

We’re proud to share that spirit with you, and if the taste lingers long after your stay, Coffee Supreme ships worldwide, so you can relive the flavors and memories from home.

Welcome to Your Home Away from Home!

We’ve poured love into designing these spaces for you to enjoy and make your own. In return, we kindly ask that you treat them with the same care you would your own home.

House Rules:

No Smoking: To keep our spaces fresh, please refrain from smoking indoors.

Family-Friendly: Our homes are perfect for little ones under 12. Please take care to keep plants and delicate items out of reach if needed.

Guests: Unregistered guests are welcome by invitation - just let us know in advance.

Key Safety: If your property has a lockbox, please return the keys there before checking out.

Care for Our Space: Please treat the home and its amenities with kindness.

Dishes: Before checking out, kindly wash any dishes or load the dishwasher if available.

TV & Personal Accounts: If you log into any streaming apps, don’t forget to sign out to keep your information secure.

Waste Management: Trash should be sorted into the correct bins. As collections run fortnightly, please avoid overfilling bins with travel, car, or event waste. If you have excess, our recycling center on Hau Hau Road is just minutes away.

Thank you for your cooperation, and from all of us at Host’d - enjoy your stay! 😊

At Host’d, we want you to feel completely at home - starting with the little things that make a big difference. Your reservation includes fresh linens and plush towels, so you can settle in without a worry.

From the moment you arrive, everything is thoughtfully prepared so you can simply unwind and enjoy your stay. We’ve taken care of the details, so all that’s left for you to do is relax and make yourself at home.

111 is the emergency number in New Zealand for Police, Fire and Ambulance.

+64 3 755 8180 - Westland Medical Centre

+64 3 755 8150 - Westland Pharmacy

+64 210 266 5154 - Property Manager: Claire O'Connell. Please text message only

Click on the link below to be taken to our live NZTA traffic and Travel updates

Jacuzzi Rules & Guidelines

Welcome! To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience with our beachfront jacuzzi, please follow these guidelines:

Usage & Safety:

Always shower before entering.

Children under 14 must be supervised!

If you feel overheated or lightheaded, take a break.

The jacuzzi is for property guests only.

Maintenance & Operation:

Use the provided padlock at night (code: 4444 – push padlock body in once entered to open).

Operate the cover using the lever: fold it left to right like a sandwich and swing bar to right to open. When closing pull back to left and ensure all corners and flaps are secured to retain heat… otherwise your spa will drop in temperature.

No bath oils, salts, sunscreens, bubbles, food, beverages, or smoking in the area please.

Timing & Amenities:

Available from 6:00 AM to 11:00pm.

Red & white spa towels are available in a jute basket.

Additional Care for Long Stays:

Add 2 tablespoons per person of chlorine/bromine after use.

Check the pH level with provided strips as needed.

IMPORTANT: Always keep the cover on when not in use to maintain the optimum 40°C temperature and prevent debris buildup.

Thank you for your cooperation and enjoy your stay under the amazing New Zealand starry sky at Drifting Sands!

Rubbish, Trash, Glass & Recycling

Thank you for staying with us! Please note that our small green general waste bin is shared over a two-week period, so inline with our sustainability goals we kindly ask you to minimise general waste. If you have extra rubbish and glass - perhaps from a gathering or celebration we please ask to drop of at our local Hau Hau Road Recycling Centre.

For recycling (yellow bin), follow the red sticker guidelines: no food, glass, or polystyrene - only cans, paper, and plastic (without lids).
Glass should go only in the black bin please or if you have excess, taken to the recycle centre please.

Bins are put out on Monday nights on Revell St. If home you will see one of our team pop in to take the bins out.

Thank you for your understanding and support keeping our holiday escapes tidy and sustainable!

To ensure a comfortable stay, we provide various forms of mood lighting. Lamps and bedside lighting around the house give a lovely ambience.

We recommend leaving a light or two on when you head out for dinner so that when you return you have no trouble finding your way around.

If you are arriving in the dark, the light switch is on your right hand side as you enter the door.

To turn on the garden festoon lights the switch is straight ahead as you walk into the garage from the garden.

Bug-Free Beachfront Bliss!

Welcome to our little slice of paradise on the West Coast! While sandflies and mosquitoes are notorious across the South Island, Hokitika’s beachfront is a rare exception - almost entirely free from them! 🌿✨

Venture inland to lakes or bush areas, and you may encounter a few, but here, you can soak up stunning sunsets without the nuisance. In 11 years of living here, I’ve barely seen one on the beach!

Enjoy the serenity - bug-free and beautiful! 🏖☀️

If you're heading to Hokitika Gorge, Lake Kaniere, Karamea, or South Westland, grab some Okarito Sandfly Repellent (available at most supermarkets or online on the link below) for extra comfort on your adventures.

Meet Hunter, Our Resident Welcome Committee! 🐾

If you spot Hunter, our charming resident kitty, she’s just here to say hello! She adores belly rubs and has a famously friendly nature - her round belly is simply extra cuddles in disguise.

You’re welcome to let her inside if you'd like some feline company, but she’s just as happy outdoors. At bedtime, we’d appreciate it if you could guide her back outside so she can use her special cat door upstairs.

And while her "please feed me" eyes are convincing, rest assured she’s well-fed - she’s just after extra love and attention!

…for being part of our sustainability goals!

"No human has ever drawn a perfect circle." If you look closely, the Thankyou logo always features an imperfect circle - symbolising that change is a journey, not perfection.

At Host’d, sustainability is woven into everything we do. From our ‘forever bottles’ - inspired by Thankyou - to our locally sourced, pH-balanced soaps and body washes, we strive to reduce waste while providing thoughtful comforts. Although Thankyou products aren’t yet available in New Zealand, Claire personally sourced these bottles from Australia to support their mission.

💛 A Little Mindful Touch

Our own forever bottles serve as a 2-in-1 hair & body wash and handwash, infused with refreshing cucumber and basil, pear and coconut.

Designed for endless refills, they benefit both you and our cleaning team.

Our cleaning products are sourced from a local West Coast company, reducing transport impact and supporting our community.

We kindly ask you to leave the forever bottles behind so they can continue their journey towards a waste-free, more sustainable future.

💛 Join the Movement

To learn more about Thankyou’s incredible work - or support their mission by purchasing your own pieces!

Every small action makes a difference. 🌿♻️

So Do We! 🌿

At Host’d, we take great pride in our green spaces, caring for hundreds of plants across our properties. Each one has been lovingly propagated, nurtured, and placed with purpose, creating a fresh, vibrant atmosphere while naturally filtering the air for you to enjoy.

While they may not always look picture-perfect, each leaf tells a story of growth and resilience. To keep them thriving, we kindly ask that you avoid watering or tampering with them - they’re on a special care schedule tailored to their needs.

We also ask that small children be kept away from the plants, as little hands can be curious, and some species may be fragile or sensitive to touch.

By admiring rather than adjusting, you’re helping us maintain a healthy, balanced ecosystem within our homes. Thank you for letting our plants do what they do best- bringing life and beauty to your stay! 🌱✨

To ensure a smooth departure please aim for 9:45am, this then gives you an extra 15 minutes should you need it to be out of the property by 10am when our housekeepers arrive.

Our housekeepers are the real heartbeat of our company and they do a brilliant job so please help respect their demanding schedule.

Turn off lights, close windows and doors, and return keys to the lockbox and scramble code (if applicable).

Wash and put away dishes or start the dishwasher with enough time for the cycle to finish for the housekeeper.

Leave used towels in the bathroom (please do not put into the washing machines as our lovely linens are hired).

Log out of any personal accounts on TV apps for security.

Dispose of waste in line with our rubbish and recycling guidelines. If you have excess waste please use the Hau Hau Road recycling center.

Check for belongings so nothing special gets left behind.

If you have perishable items that are worth sharing please leave them in the fridge or on the bench.

If you've moved furniture, kindly return it to its original spot.

For properties with condensing dryers, please empty the front water reservoir and lint filter.

We know accidents happen - if there are any accidental damages please let us know so we can address the issue before our future guests arrival.

If you have early travel plans and are vacating the property earlier than check out it’s lovely to let us know so we may pass onto the team. This may allow them to start a wee bit earlier and means we may offer an earlier check in when requested.

Please take a minute to leave us a review - we'd love to hear about the favourite memory of your stay.