The Rock on Gibraltar — Guaranteed to be amazing

New Zealander Justine Tyerman discovers it’s not far to The Rock on Gibraltar.

We stayed at The Rock on Gibraltar last week. It was surprisingly easy to get there, and did not require a long-haul plane trip from New Zealand to the other side of the world.

In fact, it’s just walking distance from the main street of Parnell in Auckland, New Zealand.

The luxurious four-bedroom, four-bathroom, three-storey abode – so named because the substantial concrete structure is located on Gibraltar Crescent – is one of Amazing Accom’s 3000-plus exceptional, hand-picked private rental vacation homes around the world.

They are guaranteed to be immaculately-presented and generously-provisioned with only the finest linen, furnishings and homewares. That’s not surprising having met Amazing Accom founder Campbell Bevan, who is an absolute perfectionist.

Our family of six were in Auckland in the lead-up to our daughter’s wedding so a stress-free, streamlined, peaceful few days was imperative. The Rock is the third Amazing Accom property we’ve experienced and it far exceeded expectations.

From the impressive street-level grand entry foyer, flooded with natural light from a series of skylights, a broad tiled stairway leads downstairs. The light falls on a massive tapa cloth that hangs in the stairwell, one of many artefacts collected by The Rock’s well-travelled owner.

The second level is dominated by a magnificent open-plan granite kitchen where no expense has been spared – appliances include a Gaggenau oven, induction cooktop and coffee machine, an Asko dishwater and Bosch fridge-freezer.

A butler’s scullery at one end of the kitchen is equipped with a wine fridge, pasta maker, waffle maker, kitchen whiz and drawers and shelves lined with cereals, mustards, relishes, sauces, spices, oils, health foods, pasta, breakfast spreads, and even a second iron.

Generously provisioned vacation rental home

In all my travels, I’ve never come across a holiday home so generously-provisioned. And my husband Chris, an enthusiastic amateur chef, was delighted to have such a well-equipped kitchen at his disposal.

Adjacent to the kitchen is an eight-seater marble dining table and family room/lounge with a cosy fireplace, 42” plasma TV and a high-tech, built-in sound system, perfect for testing out the wedding dance tunes.

A home theatre with a projector and drop-down screen adjoins a study-library stacked with books and equipped with a computer, printer, fax and Wi-Fi. Wonderful spaces for a large family or group of friends to spread out, watch TV or movies, read, snooze, relax, listen to music, socialise, or just be alone.

A lovely tiled guest bathroom on this level is very convenient when entertaining.

Floor-to-ceiling glass walls in the living-kitchen-lounge area open onto a large deck with an outdoor fire, BBQ oven, 10-seater teppanyaki table and spa pool, allowing seamless indoor-outdoor flow.

The three-burner BBQ is great for casual summer dining while the large open fire would be a boon in the cooler months.

Twin loungers by the reflection pool on the deck provide a tranquil place to relax.

Upstairs, the sumptuous master bedroom has a balcony overlooking the mature native trees of the Auckland Domain with the War Memorial Museum on the horizon in one direction and the landmark Skytower in the other.

The panorama is even more stunning after dark when all the city lights and the hilltop museum are brightly illuminated.

A dressing room recessed behind the super-king bed has huge storage space and full-length mirrors, ideal for a bevy of girls preparing for pre-wedding parties.

Pièce de résistance is huge Japanese-style bathtub

The master ensuite bathroom is most impressive. The elongated, granite-tiled space is bathed in sunshine and natural light thanks to skylights that run the length of the ceiling.

Back-to-back twin vanities with well-lit mirrors, a triple shower with monsoon rain heads and the pièce de résistance, a huge Japanese-style bathtub the size of a plunge pool, are outstanding features.

Two other well-appointed bedrooms upstairs share a spacious tiled bathroom while the fourth bedroom is on the ground floor in a fully self-contained studio.

On this level, there’s also a large laundry with a commercial-sized washing machine and dryer, and off-road, garaged parking accessed by a code which opens a security gate.

A few minutes’ walk up Gibraltar Crescent, you will find Parnell’s elegant main street, home to some of Auckland’s finest restaurants, fashion and jewellery boutiques, art and design galleries, beauty spas, delicatessens and homeware shops.

Parnell Rose Gardens, Auckland War Memorial Museum and the Domain are within easy walking distance, and nearby, there are some lovely hiking tracks through native bush.

The Rock is excellently-located for ease of access to the ASB Tennis Arena, Spark Arena, Auckland CBD and the Viaduct Basin. And it’s just 20 minutes by car to Auckland Airport.

The Rock on Gibraltar lacks for nothing. It’s a veritable home-away-from-home. The only thing missing is the monkeys!

Amazing Accom is my go-to website for luxury private rental accommodation these days. Far superior to hotel rooms for space, privacy and price… and always guaranteed to be amazing.

Factbox

The Rock on Gibraltar by Amazing Accom

Amazing Accom has over 3000 3.5 to 5 star quality private properties around the world and has recently partnered with Airbnb, Expedia and Booking.com and later this year, HomeAway to offer an infinitely-expanded range of accommodation.

Amazing Accom offers exceptional service and safeguards.

Amazing Accom charges no booking fee and when booking more than two months in advance, you are charged only 50 percent upfront as opposed to some companies that charge 100 percent.

Your money is held securely until the day after you check in to protect you against scams.

If you are travelling within the next 60 days or less, there are great last-minute deals.