•Dear Sue, Pat and all at beautiful Punatapu.........

A very belated but heartfelt thank you to all of you at Punatapu. We had the most amazing time with you all and wanted to tell you how much we appreciated everything you did for us during our stay in your beautiful home. We were so comfortable in your amazing rooms and felt like we were staying with family. Your attention to detail was truly unsurpassed in so many ways. Our thanks to Joy and Jackie and Marianne for taking such good care of all of us! The service that Marianne supplied was uncomparable - she really pampered all of us and for that, we say "many thanks"! And to Joy and Jackie - you'll never know how much it meant to Mike and BJ that you went the extra mile to tape the football game for them. It was the one thing that they had been regretting about the timing of this trip - that they would miss the "Rose Bowl Game"! So, you really made their whole trip. Rolf's scrumptious meals were amazing! It was so fun to visit with him in his kitchen and watch him work his magic. As I said - you made us all feel so special - just like family. I still miss Toah - give him a pat from us. I'll have to send you a picture of my bulldog "Sarge" - you'll see the resemblance. I think we are all still dreaming of the grand finale helicopter ride. It was heavenly. Just remembering sitting on that mountain top with a gourmet lunch and champagne, is a lifelong memory. We haven't gotten our photos organized yet - but when we do, we'll forward some of the good ones on to you. It was great meeting Ben and Anna and we wish them both the best of luck in the New Year. Mike and BJ really appreciated their including them on their trips to Queenstown - they really had a ball. Tell Ben that we hope to see him in Hollywood very soon - on the red carpet!  

Again - many thanks to all of you.  When we left Punatapu, we felt like we were leaving family - which is the best compliment you could ever receive.

All the best to you all for a wonderful and prosperous 2006!

Steve, Lois, Mike and BJ Carley

• "What a glorious place you have but your hospitality overshadows the great
beauty of Punatapu! Rarely have we felt as welcome or well taken care of as
we have here. To get to know you + New Zealand through you has been an
incredible opportunity. Please let us return the favor!"

• "We feel very lucky to have found such a beautiful and tranquil retreat. Your
gracious and friendly hosting has made our stay most enjoyable and our
departure most difficult. However, we believe that we've succeeded in taking
a bit of Punatapu and New Zealand culture home to New York City - in the
form of a guardian sculpture by John. We'll certainly return for great
conversation, fantastic food, and a few more walks with Toa."

• "It's difficult to put into adequate words the stunning beauty of this place
and the hospitality of our gracious hostess and her staff. Unforgettable
fishing adventures with Ed - his only problem being that he is too laid
back! We're still recuperating from 2 days with this great person. All
together a wonderful 4 days."