Theo's Cottage at Ngā Manu Nature Reserve

It's so beautiful and quiet. The staff were beyond helpful. It's was a very enjoyable stay in a wonderful spot.

Amazing night. So peaceful. Staff are lovely, bed is comfy, heater is on a thermostat that works ands keeps the place the temp you want it. An old cottage building but homely, comfy and warm, and access to the bird park whenever you want is amazing too. We did the bird close encounter the next day and it was so cool. The kaka was friendly enough to jump on my partner and have photos, and the baby kea is a character. Amazing place to stay

I wanted to stay here for 3 nights and booked the accommodation via Booking.com. After a few hours I was sent a message that the room was not available for the time and the booking was cancelled. I can only speculate whether they are overwhelmed with their booking system in the accommodation or have got another booking in that suited them better, in any case very unreliable and not recommendable...

at least ten out of five for this - especially the location - probably the highlight of a ten week visit to New Zealand - thank you so much for this! Pete and Caroline

This place is a true gem! Easy to access from the car park, but yet beautifully nestled into the Sanctuary. It is such a special feeling wondering around the sanctuary after closing hours, smelling the scent of dactylanthus vibrating through the evening forest, visiting the nocturnal geckos at their enclosure and enjoying the stars from the viewing platform! The staff is very lovely and super helpful, too. :-) A must do if you are in the area!

A quiet peaceful location in the middle of nowhere with access to the nature reserve day and night

I received a voucher for a night at Theo’s Cottage plus a Native Bird experience for my birthday and my 5 year old granddaughter and I stayed on a Friday night. The staff were very welcoming and friendly during our whole stay, and Woodie was especially helpful and knowledgeable. We took our own food but there is easy access to go in and out to dine or grab takeaways. It was amazing having the park to ourselves once it closed, we adventured all over the place and took torches for the evening where we explored and even saw some eels. The cottage was perfect, it had everything we needed and was really comfortable. The Tūī feeder outside the deck was a constant source of entertainment. The native bird encounter was just as wonderful! It really was the best birthday present ever!

Highly recommended unique opportunity to stay overnight at a nature reserve and have the whole place to yourselves - this is not an opportunity that comes along everyday! It is also possible to book a kiwi encounter to accompany your overnight stay. The cottage itself is comfortable, has a lovely outlook and has all of the things you’ll need to allow you to cater for yourselves. If you want to head out for dinner, Ngā Manu’s central location makes it easy to pop out to a range of great restaurants. For us, the highlight was having the reserve to ourselves - talking multiple walks at different times to observe the changes in the park, not to mention the dawn chorus! Star gazing at night (without ambient light) and barbecuing on BBQ island were also great. Highly recommended. We definitely plan on returning.

We had a wonderful evening at Theo's Cottage. The cottage is well equipped and the bedroom is spacious and comfortable. Staying at the cabin allowed us to explore an otherwise empty park before and after closing time and this was an amazing experience

What a delight to have the whole sanctuary to ourselves after hours! We did the night time kiwi experience too - brilliant to walk back to a cuppa and a cosy bed.

We visited just before Christmas 2024 We stayed overnight as we attended a friend's Wedding on the premises. Our cottage had an incredibly comfortable King Size bed, clean bedding and fluffy pillows. Stax of pillows. The mini kitchen fully equipped with essentials and the fridge cold. The only thing missing in the bar fridge were beers and possibly some white wine to enjoy at Sundowner time. The shower functional and plenty towels provided. Also a washing machine & dryer. We slept soundly . At daybreak we strolled around the Reserve and watched a variety of feathered birds going about their morning. The solitude of the entire dawn experience was phenomenal especially after the wedding and dancing of the night before. We definitely can recommend this Establishment.

Theo’s Cottage is a fabulous hidden local gem. This was our second stay. The bedroom has been upgraded with new beds that can be configured as two singles or a king bed. The kitchen now has an air fryer. The curtains look new. The cottage is spotlessly clean and very comfortable. The bird feeder outside the lounge attracted numerous tui. We loved watching them. To have Nga Manu to ourselves when the staff leave at night and before they arrive in the morning is magical. Can’t wait to return!

A wonderful setting to rest and relax while enjoying access to Nga Manu Reserve. The cottage is comfortable and has everything you need. After hours access to the reserve is a bonus.