Many guests and media have stayed and made recommendations. Here are a selection.

Life (UK) - Mar 1998, “A place you can call home without all your mess in it”

Vogue (Australia) – May 1998, “Every which way – the finest places to stay from the Gold Coast to New Zealand”

She – Feb 1999, “10 Best Romantic Escapes”

North & South – Jan 1999, “Simply the best – the best of everything [NZ] has to offer – Bed & Breakfasts”

Southern Skies – Oct 2000, “Beyond the burbs”

Business to Business – Jan 2001, “Precious inheritance – Bethell converts family treasure into paradise”

Pacific Wave – Feb 2000, “Wild Wild West”

Grace – Feb 2000, “Go West”

The Sun Herald (Sydney, Australia) – Apr 2001, “Auckland’s warm welcome lasts all year round”

NZ Bride & Groom – May – July 2001, photograph (page 190)

Neuseeland News (Germany) – Aug 2001, “Gluckliche Paare am Bethells Beach”

Orange County Newspaper

Tourism New Zealand – February 2002 Two America’s Cup events: America’s Cup welcoming into New Zeland for the Oracle racing team (USA) and the international Media group. Lunch was provided with Dave Dobbyn live with favourite music and wine/beer tasting. The Minister of Tourism welcoming. Volleyball on the front lawn and many more activities for each of the afternoons.

New York Times – April 2002

Dave Dobbyn – Mid 2002 Interviewed at Te Koinga Cottage for his album

Fodors Travel Guide (USA) – October 2002 Included Bethells Beach Cottages as one of the best experiences in New Zealand

Metro – November 2002

NZ Bride and Groom Magazine – 2002

Destination NZ – November 2002, Tourism NZ selected us into the Destination New Zealand tourism guide as one of the top ten tourism operators in Auckland!

Shania Twain – March 2003 Stayed with her team and made a music/album video on Bethells Beach

Bruce Springsteen – March 2003 The following weekend we had Bruce Springsteen’s drummer with family and friends stay in both cottages – Bruce came for lunch.

Karen Walker – March 2003 Karen Walker (one of NZ’s top fashion designers) stayed for the weekend and brought her people from Elle Magazine (UK). They produced an article on “Karen Walker’s Favorite Weekend in NZ” to be published in October 2003 Also Karen Walker in PsychoPEDIA 2007

Elle (UK) – October 2003, Karen Walker’s article (as mentioned above)

Destination NZ – November 2002, Tourism NZ selected us into the Destination New Zealand tourism guide as one of the top ten tourism operators in Auckland!

USA Fodors Travel Guide- 2003 – described as one of the best experiences in New Zealand!

Cuisine NZ Magazine – August/September 2003 100th Birthday Issue – West Auckland article

Concierge Magazine (Aus)- Aug/Sep 2003
Interview with Derek Fenn (Chief Concierge, Sky City) interview on his favourite weekend retreat – Bethells Beach Cottages. Publication date to be notified

Next Magazine – September 2003 – Fashion shoot and article (Publication date 2003).

NZ Wine & Cuisine Magazine – September/October 2003

Turquoise Holidays (Travel Agency (UK) – October 2003 Profiled Bethells Beach Cottages for their client’s review, website and latest book as an exclusive hideaway Accommodation destination in NZ.

An Italian Interior design Magazine – October 2003 Telephoned for a profile/photographs and review. Published article to be notified.

Tourism AK – November 2003 Summer Exploring article in monthly brochure.

Granada Television (UK) – December 2003 Interviewed Trude and John from Travel television show (follow up interview to come).

Magic Show – January 2004 Tara (World’s 5th Greatest Magician) presented a show at Bethells Beach Cottages.

Harper Bazaar Magazine (Aus) – February 2004 Fashion shoot article. Publication date to be notified. (booking from Tourism New Zealand).

NZ Fitness Magazine – February/March 2004 2 page article titled “Bethells Beach Escape” by Jenny McElroy, with photos. Rejuvenate and Recharge.

Autocar Magazine – June 2005 Article on West of Auckland – one feature being Bethells Beach Cottages by Donna Blaber.

Also featured on:

• Lonely Planet
• BBC Travel Show
• Fodors Travel Guide (USA)
• Turquoise Holidays Ltd (UK)

Bethells Beach Cottages is a popular destination for many local and international high profile and/or celebrity guests – both for day and overnight stays.

The Man Who Lost His Head film was filmed at Bethells Beach and Xena Warrior Princess show was filmed here at Bethells Beach.

• International singing star Shania Twain‘s 2003 music video for “Forever and for Always” was filmed at Bethells Beach. Shania stayed at Bethells Beach Cottages whilst filming that music video on location in March 2003.
• We’ve also hosted “The Boss” – Bruce Springsteen and his team.
• Top NZ fashion designer, Karen Walker, who even selected us for an ELLE (UK) magazine article she was doing on her favourite New Zealand Weekend getaway (for publication in October 2003).
• Top NZ musician, Dave Dobbyn, also chose Te Koinga Cottage as the ideal location for an album release interview he did in 2002.

Many of our guests have also wanted to leave a record of their experiences at Bethells Beach Cottages. Here are some of these comments:

Dear Trude and John,

It’s a bit difficult to find proper words to express our pleasure
and amazement for your wonderful facilities, your graciousness, and your conscious
attention to details in making our space warm, inviting and oh-so comfortable. Nancy and
I have travel as a habit and you get the award for kindest intentionality.

Thank you for making our first visit to Auckland such a happy one. We are truly glad for our decision to forsake five-star hotels and the typical Bed and Breakfasts.
Best Regards, John

Fantastic! Awesome! Neat! The fans of Michael Hurst salute the Bethells family of Kiwi-land for allowing us to share this lovely country, one of the most beautiful on earth.

In our wildest dreams, we could not have imagined that we would all have come together in NZ and at Bethells Beach where so many scenes from our favourite show were filmed. We will be back!! Thank you for your hospitality.

The view was magnificent, the spaghetti sauce was superb and the cottage completely charming. The view was completely breathtaking. In Godzone, this is the Garden of Eden.
Marilyn Taylor – Michigan, USA

Arrived here to the sound of the waves and truly believed we had found the perfect location for our wedding. The flowers in the cottage were spectacular, everything we could have wished for, woke up to a fantastic breakfast prepared with care by Trude on our wedding day.

The weather was awful all day, until ½ hour before the wedding when the sun came out, the sky turned blue and stayed absolutely perfect for the rest of our special day.

Trude and John made our wedding the best day we have ever had with the largest lobster and champagne dinner – we look forward to spending many more happy times here in the place where our most special memories will be until we open the door once more.

Thank you for all the care and attention that made everything perfect. What else can I add? Just the most amazing place. Thanks to John & Anthony for an impromptu stag party to remember!
Jennifer Naskret & Jeremy Pigden

If paradise is half as nice …. Where can I hide – please don’t make me go!
Rikki Morris & Debbie Harwood

Te Henga, the perfect place, perfect weather, friends, family together made this the most perfect romantic wedding we could have imagined. A fairytale come true – an idyllic beginning to the happy ever afters . . . A big thank you to Trude & John, the special touches were wonderful.
Kitty & Stephen Coates

We came, we saw and did nothing – and loved every minute of it. Wild, Windy & Wonderful!
Garry & Julie

A wonderful stay in the fairy house! Thank you Trude and John for your special little touches everywhere. We’ll be back. We so needed to touch the ground and we ended up kissing the sky!
Anneliesje & Dave Dobbyn

Feeling at home as soon as we opened the door. Thank you both for giving us the chance to breath the atmosphere of your special cottage – feeling the warmth and love of two people who take care of other people. We have had excellent surroundings to taste a lot of New Zealand wines. Great!
Birgit & Thomas

What a magical place! In a country of beautiful vistas, this is the one that will stand out in our memories. Hope to be back again for a longer stay!
Tammy & Steve Cooper – Texas, USA

A wonderful memory created.
Bob Fooks – Tasmania, Australia

A rejuvenation place – good for the soul! We’ll be back soon!
Margarete & Mark Jennings

A wonderful beautiful place. We have enjoyed the remoteness and quiet. The hosts were great and food exceptional. Truly a place to remember!
McAllister Family – Montana, USA

What a truly lovely, especially enjoyed place to stay. Enjoyed your flowers and herbs, the food, scenery and thanks so much for accommodations. Unique everything.
McAllister Family – New Jersey, USA

We love it here! A beautiful house with spectacular scenery. Delicious breakfasts and outstanding dinners and two very interesting and amusing hosts. What more could you ask for. Thanks for a great ending to our New Zealand experience.
Diane & Donald Lippincott – Connecticut, USA.

“Paradise” is alive and well and it is here! I wish we could take this place back with us … so we could show people what they are missing. We loved the cottage and all the hospitality. Thanks John & Trude for the “best” few days we’ve ever spent. Next time we will plan to stay longer.
Don & Pam Brannan – Kansas, USA

Trude our host left a wonderful feeling of New Zealand hospitality that I will always remember. Great place!
Peter, Tippy & Nicole – Guernsey

A truly magical place – unforgettable. Thanks to two special hosts for their hospitality.
Frazer Gillespie – Wallasey – England

Truly left without words to express your kindness, super suppers & beautiful sunsets. Can one believe such a place exists!
William Clayton, USA