Independent - accommodation in Taumarunui

We very much enjoyed our stay at Riverlea Cottage and art stay. Mark our host was there waiting for us when we arrived ( we called 15 minutes ahead while en route). He gave us good recommendations for dining , the Thai place was quite good and the Indian restaurant the best I've ever tasted. The house is 100 years old, spacious and comfortable. Mark is quite the artist and has his paintings throughout the house. He gave us a card with one of our favorite of his paintings and a bottle of fig jam which we are enjoying. The house is in a very quiet neighborhood, but within an easy walk to the restaurants. The kitchen is well equipped for cooking. TV has Netflix. We choose Taumarunui as our base to bike the lower half of the Timber Trail Track our first full day and then did the Tangariro crossing the next full day. It was very nice to be there in Taumarunui in a comfortable home to unwind in after physically demanding days. I particularly enjoyed just being in a non touristy new Zealand town in a very Kiwi house and neighborhood where we appeared to be two of very few tourists.

On theFriday, it was a pleasure and delight to walk into a clean, modern, haven on a hilltop overlooking the Forgotten Highway.After an amazing Saturday on the railway carts and jet boats of Forgotten World Adventures on it was a lovely place to return to.

Alexander Motel is not a 5* hotel but everything works as advertised. Room, kitchen and bathroom are all clean. Bed is comfortable. For a small kitchen it is well equipped including an air fryer! It is easy to find and situated <100 yards away from the main road. There is an rsa restaurant beside the hotel for good value straightforward food. On the Main Street there are many cafes for breakfast options