Driftwood Beach House with Spa Pool – Absolute Beachfront!

Look, I’ve stayed at a lot of beachfront places that claim to be “absolute beachfront,” but this one actually delivers. The Driftwood Beach House sits right there on Blackpool beach – and I mean right there. You walk out the door, cross maybe ten meters of grass, and your toes are in the sand. No road between you and the water, no other buildings blocking the view. Just you and that endless stretch of black sand beach that goes on forever in both directions.

The house itself has this relaxed, lived-in feel that works perfectly for the location. It’s not trying to be fancy – the furniture’s comfortable rather than designer, and there are those little touches that show someone actually thought about what you’d need. Like proper hooks for wet towels and a decent coffee machine (honestly, you’d be surprised how many places get this wrong). The spa pool is the real winner though, especially in the evenings when you can soak and watch the sunset paint the sky ridiculous colors over the Tasman Sea. I mean, the photos don’t lie but they don’t quite capture how the light bounces off the water either.

What I really appreciate is how quiet it gets here – Blackpool isn’t exactly bustling to begin with, but Moa Avenue is tucked away from the main road so you’re not dealing with traffic noise. Just the sound of waves, which honestly becomes this constant, soothing background soundtrack. The only time it gets a bit busier is summer weekends when day-trippers discover the beach, but even then it’s nothing compared to the chaos you’d find closer to Auckland. Parking’s easy (there’s space for two cars), and you’re only about fifteen minutes from New Plymouth if you need supplies or want to grab dinner somewhere different. The local dairy on Surf Highway is walkable if you just need basics, and the fish and chips place about five minutes down the road does a decent blue cod – though I’d recommend calling ahead because they seem to close early on random days. Winter here is actually pretty magical too, if you don’t mind the wind. The spa pool becomes essential then, and there’s something almost meditative about watching storms roll in across the water from your own private viewpoint.