Kathrin Gerstel

Beautiful accommodations, outstanding service, a wonderful included breakfast, and a great location are some of the reasons we loved this hotel. There was roadwork at the time that made it tricky to get to, but when we were close someone from the hotel saw us and came out to show us where to park then helped with our luggage. We were sorry to only have one night there, and highly recommend it as a home base when you are visiting Queenstown.

While this was one of the things I wanted to make sure I experienced on our trip to New Zealand (I was an anthropology major and loved studying about the Maori) I was a little suspicious that this might feel too "touristy". By the end of a delightful evening all fears were allayed. Actually meeting the extended family who operate Te Pa Tu, the variety of ways they showed you what life in one of their villages would have been like (with interactive events), listening to their fabulous singing and chants (oh my gosh what voices they have!), and sitting down to a feast with them scattered among the guests so you could learn more one on one - I mean, what more could you ask for?

Loved the island but wouldn't do the Hop On Hop Off bus next time. We were there in the fall and maybe it's different during high season but the schedule had us waiting a lot, and we wasted a lot of time we could have spent exploring the island and the wineries.

Loved having a great view, loved the location, loved the beds and bathroom, loved the very friendly staff!

What a funky, fun place! The crazy artwork everywhere was very cool - including, I might add, our painted toilet. Loved the location on the water and the fantastic food too. Cozy place, with the restaurant right around the corner from our room. Definitely would recommend.

Location is outrageously awesome, the staff is very attentive and friendly - we felt we were treated like VIPS. The buffet was really good as well. We must have spent 15 minutes just taking photos of the surrounding mountains.

The cruise into Doubtful Sound was so very pretty - really glad we did an overnight trip. Also very glad we took our agent's advice and went here instead of the more popular (and crowded) Milford Sound, although on a return trip we might check that out too. Felt like we were the only people on the sound, and spending then night just felt magical. Our little kayak cruise was a fun treat as well. When they cut the engines on the return trip and we got to listen to the silence it was just spectacular.

This was an unexpectedly amazing day/evening. The kayaking, while tiring, felt marvelous and it was really fun to then have a bbq and soak in the hot springs. Had wonderful conversations with the other people at the springs, including a other couple who had booked their vacation thru KimKim and Kathrin! We got back into our paddling gear at sunset and went the rest of the way to the glow worm cave with our guide and another couple (our whole group!). Sliding into the tiny cave and seeing the glow worms literally right over our heads was astonishing, and hearing both the ancient tales and the scientific explanation for them was very enlightening (pun intended). Paddled by the light of the full moon back to our starting point and slept very well indeed that night.

Six stars out of five. We cannot find words to express how delighted we were with our stay at Murchison Lodge. Phillip is the consummate host and made us feel welcome from the moment we arrived. It was a highlight of our stay in New Zealand. It's the sort of place that just makes you want to settle in and not move. We should add that the homemade breakfast was the best of our 16 days in NZ. Our only disappointment was that we had to leave.

Great location and very comfortable. It was kind of like staying in our own little cabin. The office even offered a free glowworm walk for anyone interested in the evening--just to be nice. We really enjoyed it.

We don't have the words to describe how beautiful River Birches Lodge is. The design is impeccable. Jason and Rebeca are great hosts, warm and friendly, and made us feel right at home. The room was very well appointed, and the cedar hot tub was an unexpected bonus. They included a lovely breakfast each day and provided great advice about our trip. We stayed in a wide variety of places during our 16 days in NZ (many of them very nice), and by far River Birches was the nicest of the lot. Six stars out of five.

We had a great time. We basically had the sound to ourselves during this trip. There were only 28 other guests onboard the boat, so it never felt crowded. It was rather cozy, actually. And there was SO MUCH FOOD. What a nice surprise. This was one of the best things we did on our trip to NZ.

The place is enormous. It felt like we should host a party there. Fun and quirky, but very comfortable.

We loved this spot. It was right down on the lakeshore, providing a lovely walk into town. We had a full apartment just for the two of us. Everything was like new.

They gave us a large, corner room that was very comfortable. It's easy to see why people might love this place for its funky decor. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The one downside was that the bathroom was very small, surprising given the size of our room. Otherwise, it was an interesting change of pace.

A fairly standard hotel room, clean with a comfortable bed. All you really need if you don't plan on hanging out in the hotel (why would you do that in NZ?). The staff were delightful.

This exceeded our expectations by a mile. The boat trip was lovely (perfect weather). And the food blew us away. We anticipated pretty standard fare, but it turned out to be maybe the largest buffet you'll find just about anywhere. And the food was all great. The herding and shearing demonstration was a fun bonus. It was a perfect way to spend our first evening in NZ following 16 hours of travel to get there.

Really cool. Learned a lot and really enjoyed it besides. They kept the group small so it was just right.

We thought this would be more just a quick, brief touchdown on the glacier. In fact, we spent a couple of hours on the ice. All the gear (including boots, crampons, and rain gear) was provided. Our guide Kate was delightful. Unlike anything was have ever done before. We got a bunch of cool photos.

Lots of fun. We scheduled the Level 1 (short) experience due to time constraints, but we would gladly have extended to do the next level if we could have made it work with our schedule. It was totally safe and manageable--not physically challenging or dodgy. We would gladly do this again.

The hike was beautiful. It was a little harder than we expected (very hilly), but not too difficult. Our one (small) regret is that we allowed too much time to complete it, so we waited around a long time for our boat. If we did it again, we would have scheduled the earlier boat. As it was, we had an extra hour on a beautiful, sunny beach, so no one should feel sorry for us.

It looks cooler on paper. The geothermal site is smaller and much less interesting than Orakei Korako, which was well worth the detour in our opinion. The mud bath was just OK, in part because you have to sit out in the cold air while the mud dries on you. It was interesting, but we would probably not do this one again.

This was the best thing we did in 16 days in NZ. We have been to commercial luaus in Hawaii before and expected something similar. As if. This was a much smaller crowd and a much more intimate experience. We learned a ton, and the talented performers really gave their all. We both found it very moving. And the food was plentiful, with a great variety on the prix fixe menu. Just delightful.

Great for all LOTR fans. But probably the most explicitly commercial, touristy thing we did in NZ.

We loved it. It was a small group (28 guests), and we were basically the only boat in the entire sound. The room was small (of course) but comfortable. And the staff were delightful. So much food you can't believe it.

Very nice updated rooms, helpful staff, great location.

Super-helpful staff, great rooms, great location, breakfast buffet excellent

Room was mere steps away from the lake. Staff was very helpful, even opened the kitchen early for our breakfast

Hotel situated across busy highway from lake. Rooms and other areas show some aging

Rooms were superb, with great views across the lake. Rooms well-appointed with super-comfortable beds. Excellent ala carte buffett.

Aging, large hotel, with little character

One of the top activities on the trip, island is idyllic, and the road passes several beaches where we swam, and some wineries. E-bikes were fun to ride.

Authentic Maori experience

A walking tour visiting varying ponds and steaming geysers. Fascinating geological/historical venue.

The kayak trip to an island for dinner, then across the bay to the glow-work caves and back to the starting point in pitch darkness was one of our top experiences. The cascading heated mineral water baths were wonderful.

Tram ride through the center of Christchurch, with a delicious dinner being served on the tram out of a tiny kitchen. We did find that the booking was for a party of 2, not 4, so we had to squeeze in and miss two of the appetizers.

One of our top experiences. We did have some issues, with a booking mixup between different tour companies, but it was all sorted in the end

Great for Hobbit/Lord of the Rings fans, too long and crowded for the rest. Feels like Univeral Studios. I guess you need to go to check it off the list, because everyone asks if you've been.

Another of our top trips. We were bused to a different location because the water level was low, but our travel companion Harry as well as the other guides were very amusing and the journey went quickly. The rapids were quite exciting to traverse, and the other swimming/jumping added to the fun.

It was a long day: driving to the ferry terminal, ferrying across the lake, then busing across the mountain pass before boarding the ferry on Doubtful Sound. The Sound was beautiful, and we saw dolphins and porpoises, but after all the other beautiful lakes and scenery we had seen before it was a bit anticlimactic given the difficulty of access. We had originally booked the overnight cruise, but it was cancelled due to mechanical issues. Kathryn jumped through hoops to help us rebook an overnight in Te Anai followed by the day cruise. I suspect the overnight cruise would have been a better experience.

I enjoyed bit it was a bit long and crowded

Great location, good breakfast, friendly, helpful staff

This hotel served our needs quite well. The breakfast buffet at the Hermitage was wonderful.

The company that I retired from gave us the gift of a 4 night stay in one of the top floor suites. It was amazing, but I believe all of the rooms at this property were probably very nice as well.

Great location in Christchurch for walking to downtown and the Botanical Gardens.

This property served our needs well, although it might have been nice to stay a little closer to the waterfront area withing walking distance of some restaurants.

The airplane ride through the glaciated mountains was incredible,

Very professional operation, which is definitely what you want when planning to jump out of an airplane!

We enjoyed this experience, but there is no narration as you travel through the city so its a little unclear what you are seeing sometimes. It would be nice if someone was onboard that could say a few words about what you are seeing as you travel on the tram,

This was a very pleasant surprise. We really enjoyed this activity. Small group, and very interesting information shared along the way,