Aoraki Cottage B&B - Adventure Farm Stay - Aoraki Cottage B&B / Adventure Farm Stay 246 Gualter Road

The ownershave created a haven of peace

We really enjoy hosting people on our farm, sharing all that we know, all that we have and showing them the best of New Zealand. Look forward to meeting you. Dave & Nikki

Amazing and peaceful farm in the middle of one of the south island's best areas. Perfect to relax and enjoy several activities around. Dave and nikki (owners) are just incredible and will help you with whatever you need!!!!

The first early warning signs of disorganization was when they asked me to pay via bank transfer, incorrect info was supplied to me and their bank rejected the funds but took out a $25 fee to return the funds citing the beneficiary has no account at their bank. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as we had booked 3 nights originally but were unable to stick it out. It was the worst accommodation I’ve stayed in, ever. I was so excited to stay and thought this was going to be the highlight of our Honeymoon. I was looking forward to the advertised activities of Deer Farm Tour, Eco Fire Bath, Kayaking, Fishing, Toasting marshmallows by fire. I can only describe this as a tourist trap. When we rolled up I could see straight away the place was neglected. Lawns were freshly mowed (to be fair) however leaves, spider webs and children’s toys littered the cabin steps and deck. An easy 5min sweep down could have made a world of difference. Then I saw the Fire drum surrounded by mouldy couches covered in dead leaves, I wouldn’t let a dog sit on. Found the Eco-fire bath full of leaves and a massive spider living in, looks disused for months. Hot tub 10cm of mossy water with dead leaves amongst other insects. ATV was broken down. WIFI didn’t work despite him giving us the password and getting us to try 100 times, made it very hard to plan our days. One positive was the bedding and towels were clean but this perk was ruined when a big black spider walked across the fresh white bedcover. Supplied food was used by other guests before us, stuff in cupboards most of it passed the use by date long ago. The butter like nothing I’ve ever seen *spew*. No air con. Then when we go to leave he tries to charge me $45 more because he upgraded us, sorry what? My husband handed over the agreed amount. Then the owner insisted on taking us on a quick farm tour in his van despite all precious communication about this it apparently couldn’t be done while ATV was broken. Ok?Van was full of other peoples litter, half drunk water bottles etc. Felt like we were trespassing on other people’s property as his farm is mostly leased out. It’s advertised as a deer farm. There are 35 deer? We have more chickens in our Chicken Coup we don’t call it a Chicken Farm. We return to our car to leave and owner asks me for the money for the room. I was sure my husband had given it to him earlier, he insisted no. I went to get more money but thought I better check with my husband who assured me he did hand the money over earlier. I go to find the owner again and he checks his pocket and it’s in there. Not sure if forgetful or was trying to get more out of me? Everything just felt so misleading. Was very much a backyard operation. I could go on. When we arrived we wanted to organize some of the farm activities and the Owner kept suggesting activities that were away from the “farm” like hikes etc, we could do these things staying at a nice comfortable hotel in town, we wanted the NZ farm experience but all we got was a dingy cabin up a driveway. To be fair, Dave seemed like a nice man, though must take some responsibility for all these shortcomings when running a business, I would expect a dramatic price reduction for the stay also to reflect the current conditions. Our house is in 1000times better state and we work full time and aren’t expecting paying guests. So relieved to call it early and get out of there.

Even though we didn't stay at the farm, Dave organised a full adventure-filled day for our family. The weather was fantastic and the views were great! Our kids had a lot of hands-on fun from helping to prepare our campfire lunch to riding on the quads and tractor. Dave prepared everything we needed for the picnic, swimming, target-shooting... we just had to concentrate on having fun! We learnt a fair bit about the area from Dave. Our BBQ dinner with farm-fresh venison was delicious! A warm and lovely family who really takes care of their guests!

The most wonderful farm stay trip I've ever had! The farmer, who we now call Uncle Dave is so knowledgeable about everything! We went Big Red Quad bike riding, made our own campfire, visited a Dairy Farm and saw the cow's milking etc. The most amazing thing is that the farm stay trip is not just about visiting farms, Dave also took us for a tour of Geraldine then a tramping trip where we got to climb up Mount Sunday, where the Lord of the Ring is filmed. We only had a three-day stay but I don't really want to leave when the trip is finished. Thanks so much for showing us your beautiful farm and this amazing country Dave & Nikki !