Birdsong Cottage - nestled up against Mt Aspiring National Park

Large two unit, very quiet with full kitchen.

This was a comfortable, rustic place, a true cottage feel. Close to many walking trails. Restaurant available a very short walk away.

Beautiful garden and cozy cottage! Lovely to have games and dvds for both adults and kids. And interesting books about the local environment and alpine region. Wish we could have stayed another night.

Fantastic, cosy and atmospheric place in an amazing location. We loved absolutely everything about our stay here. Such a gem and the spa bath was incredible. Go in after dark, don't use the jet streams (so there will be no noise) and enjoy the stars and the sounds of the Ruru, the frogs and other creatures of the night.

Beautiful cottage, wonderful views, great hot tub!

The location of this property can't be beat. We were plopped right in the heart of Mt Aspiring National Park with quick access to hiking and exploring. The owners seem to be wonderful and kind people. The house itself is a marvelous, historic place. The hot tub really helps elevate the value of the experience. The house could really use a thorough cleaning. We were asked to take shoes off in the house and our socks got dirty walking around on the carpet! If the carpets were scrubbed and the house were dejunked and scrubbed clean, it would be a 5 star place. The owner was working abroad and difficult to access. Husband was there, but not involved. I would stay there again because of it's location, but not my first choice.

Great location in rural area. Sadly no tv reception or coffee.

It was interesting to experience the culture of the area through a stay in the bush. We knew the stay would be more rustic than many of our accommodations. Some areas were a bit more rustic than we had planned... but the back porch, view and birds were a big plus.

Unique rustic cottage, comfortable and cosy. Close to nature and we could hear birdsongs in the morning. Lots of bush walks within a short drive. The cottage had all the facilities for self catering, however bring all your own supplies. There is mobile phone coverage.

Nice to have table and chairs outside.

We loved our stay and our time in Makarora. It was spacious, with good kitchen facilities, BBQ, and comfy bed, lovely outdoor deck, aircon and fire box to choose from. Lots of Kiwi cottage charm. Birdlife and song incredible, hence the apt name! Close to some lovely walks too. Top spot for exploring the Haast Pass corridor, Lake Hawea and to escape the crowds of Wanaka but not too far away for a day trip. The cafe next door was closed for winter, but the cafe up the road was fantastic. 24hr petrol available in Makarora was reassuring.

Our second time staying at this idealic setting. So private, so beautiful, so welcoming, a perfect break. Easy reach to Blue Pools, Haast in one direction and Lake Hawea, Wanaka and beyond the other.

Birdsong Cottage is well named with a multitude of birds in the surrounding bush and we could hear morepork at night. Beautiful location, good directions and cosy. I would suggest the shower could be improved and the pool chemicals would be better out of reach of children.

Heatpump was good, and the setting was nice. Some nice eclectic touches in the decor, but overall maintenance was below standard.

Lovrly setting, friendly owners

We loved the Birdsong Cottage! Highlights include the songbirds and overall feel of the cottage. We also enjoyed the cafe nearby. The Cottage is well-loved. The hostess was super helpful and communicative.

This is a aptly named rustic cottage like you'd find in an English romantic novel. There's lots of space. The concentration of birds was phenomenal. It is literally next to three walking trails all with their own charm. Ideally located for Mt. Aspiring hikes.

Fabulous one night stop over at Bird Song Cottage. We were lucky enough to see our favourite birds:)

Host was lovely and helpful. This rustic cottage is a wee gem. Peaceful and comfortable. Lovely place to spend a few days.

Great location for exploring Mt Aspiring. Beds were very comfortable.

Very rustic , very quaint , clean and quite. Beautiful.

Plenty of room, all neat and tidy

Birdsong Cottage is a delightful, charming and quirky property at Makarora, with a real old time kiwi crib/ bach feel. The birds’ song was constant during the day and we also heard a ruru (morepork) one night.This was a fantastic base for us to explore parts of the tracks along the Haast Highway and both Mount Aspiring National Park and Hāwea Conservation Park. A real bonus was the extension to the nearby Makarora Bush Track with a recently constructed Charteris trail through a QEII covenanted forest area meaning a lovely walk up to an hour if you doubled back.The cottage had a power outage the first two nights - not the hosts’ fault - and they were fantastic in their communication and management of this problem.Absolutely recommended and we would like to go back!

Delightful quirky cottage away from the Christmas madness - just what we needed to relax.

The loveliest hosts and a beautiful traditional cottage made for a great stay at Birdsong Cottage.

never saw the host.

We had a lovely stay at the cottage. Host was very welcoming. Had the best nights sleep the beds were very comfortable. Movie selection was great and the bbq worked well. Unfortunately the hot tub wasn’t working which we only found out when we went to use it but completely understand. The only other thing was also the door to the property only locked form the outside. Not a big issue but as two young girls travelling alone we did get a bit anxious about this. Overall loved our stay and would recommend.

The house is very cozy and clean. We had a wonderful time with the spa while enjoying the spectacular views of the mountain.

It was a beautiful setting and the bird sounds were wonderful! I loved the cabin. The beds were super warm

pleasant greeting upon arrival, room clean and warm - was a wet, cold day - Host brought over dry kindling for the fire.authentic rustic building with all required conveniences

Loved our overnight at Birdsong! The deck and hot pool were great for bird listening and spotting. We had everything we needed for a comfy stay. Quirky and old school amenities with all the good stuff.If we are being picky We could have done with a second set of towels as we used the hot tub and needed a shower the next morning. Also struggled with the fire as kept going out, maybe flue needs cleaning? Heat pump was more than adequate to keep us all warm and cosy!

If you love New Zealand bush especially silver beech forest, glacial pools, mountain views, peace and quiet - you’ll love it here! Such a good base to explore the area.

Check in was suprr easy , and the house is so cozy , we feel right at home straight away ! Have full kitchen ware and oven , we had no problem cooking meals. We loved it here !

The location is great for walking trails along the pass, and overall the bach was comfortable enough. There was plenty of bedding and it warmed up well. The wood burner and supply of logs were lovely.There is a mouse issue, with one dead on arrival and droppings in the cupboard. It's not uncommon close to the bush but a heads up would've been appreciated. The only mouse-proof areas to store food were the fridge and microwave.The fridge was a poorly functioning mini-fridge, not a standard fridge and freezer as per the photo, which made things difficult for a four night stay and medication. It struggled to keep anything chilled on any setting.The toilet facilities were okay. The shower drain was blocked and would immediately overflow with sediment from the drain, but the water was nice and hot. Surfaces were dusted and it wasn't musty. However, socks continuously collected a lot of hair from the carpet, and some dirty tissues were under the sofa when we shuffled it to face the TV. Some furniture covers were stained but seemed clean.The spa was out of order during our stay, but the hosts let us know it might be an issue a few days in advance. The view from the lounge is of the host's carpark, but out the back is private and surrounded by trees. The bird presence was akin to Dunedin botanic gardens and university grounds.The collection of DVD's was a nice range.Overall the bach was fit for purpose, but not a relaxing stay in itself.

Cottage was cosy enough for the 2 of us. Unfortunately, the spa was out of order, but these things happen and the host did communicate with us on this. Close enough to Haast to do a drive and check out the waterfalls.

Amazing little cabin for a getaway in the bush. Older property with classic kiwi batch vibes.

A beautiful country cottage is the best way to describe Sarah’s place. We stayed there for two nights as the rural part of our trip and loved it. It had everything we needed including a fire place. The property and grounds were beautiful and right behind the house was Mt Shrimpton which was an incredible forest hike. Photos of the hike below! Sarah was so so lovely and had so much knowledge about Makarora and the surrounding area. She actually picked us up from Wānaka to bring us to the house as we didn’t end up hiring a car. It was such a cosy stay, highly recommended!

House smelt very musty, no tea or coffee provided. Shower wouldn't get to a desired temperature which was OK we just had a spa. Old fittings, furnishings, linen. Mouse droppings around the jug. Lots of birdlife which was nice.

Great stop over and accommodation style for touring cyclists. Close to facilities.

Birdsong cottage was indeed like going to grandmas house. Everything was old and mismatched. Lights were not great in living area. No tea or coffee provided. Coffee machine requires special pods.Ok for a night but no longer. View was of a carport and owners shed.

Cute little house surrounded by beautiful bush, had everything we needed, wish we could have stayed longer

My partner and I had a great stay at the Birdsong cottage! The views around the cottage were stunning and we enjoyed the hot tub after a long day of hiking and driving. The kitchen was well-equipped for us to cook dinner and had some instant coffee for the morning. We especially loved the DVD collection and watched What We Do in the Shadows for the first time! Also, we couldn't have asked for a better location for the night before our Brewster Hut hike. Thanks again!

good spot, lovely back garden, great birdlife

The cottage is a reasonably rustic bach but is quite comfortable. The fridge was quite small with no separate freezer and the icebox in the fridge didn't keep ffGood base to explore the area. The best part is the spa in the private back garden and the sheltered back deck with solar lights. Hosts house right next door. Hosts are friendly and helpful. are helpful

The property was neglected, especially the cottage. On arrival, it was closed up tightly and smelled old and musty. The bed and pillows and bedclothes smelled musty, the hot tub had so much chlorine that when opened, it was overpowering. We were looking forwarf tothis stay and were awfully disappointed!

A cute cottage nestled against the forest

My wife and I stayed three nights. This is perfect rustic home for a get away. The hot tub was running and we jumped straight in after a long days walking and travelling. Good internet. Great views. Kitchen has everything you need. Good weather throughout, but could just as easily stay inside on a rainy day.

Birdsong truly is the right name for this spot. We saw a tree with 12 woodpigeons on it!! Loved the location and spa was perfect for relaxing. Will book again

It was a lovely cottage with all the old school stuff in it brought back such fond childhood memories. Thanks for being great hosts.

charming little cottage, very homely and cozy. We enjoyed our stay here.

Exactly what we needed - 5 stars Thank you very much

We had a great time Cheers

Lovely hot tub, area, ground, cottage, fireplace, kitchen, bedrooms, everything amazing 10/10

Lovely eclectic cottage with fascinating bits and pieces. Check out the bathroom sink stand. My favourite.

It is quiet and feels like home. Close to beautiful places. Worth visit.