Night Sky Cottages are located out in the countryside along Glen Lyon Road although they're just 2.5kms from the Twizel village centre. Kahu & Kea Cottages are luxury one bedroom cottages which can be booked individually or together if you have friends or family travelling in a group. The cottages come complete with well-equipped full size kitchens. There's an oven, microwave, fridge, freezer, toa
ster and jug. Tea, coffee, salt, pepper, herbs and cooking oil are supplied. There's free wifi & a large screen TV and both cottages have double glazed windows, a log burner and a heat pump to keep you toasty warm during the cooler months or air conditioning for those long hot summer nights. Kahu Cottage has a fabulous cedar clad, double stainless steel bath set in beautiful garden surroundings just off the bedroom deck. Relax under the clear night sky; watch the Milky Way rise overhead, look for falling stars and follow satellites across the night sky. Kahu has a spacious open plan lounge & dining room opening onto a private deck with garden & mountain views. There’s also a comfy sofa in a sunny nook off the entrance and near the back deck, from where you can also relax and watch the sun go down. Kahu has a super-king bed with an electric blanket and a large walk-in-wardrobe with plenty of storage space, luggage rack and an armchair with side table. The bathroom includes shower, toilet, vanity, fan heater & a heated towel rail. The fully equipped laundry has it's own room beside the nook. There is no guest access to Kahu’s garage. Kea Cottage is smaller than Kahu but just as luxurious & very private. The lounge and dining area are cosy & compact, the lounge opens out onto the front deck with garden & mountain views. Kea also has magnificent views across farmland to Ben Ohau (the mountain that gives the range its name) and further on to the Ohau Range. An outdoor table, chairs are located on the south side of the cottage in a private courtyard. Kea has a king bed with an electric blanket and a large walk-in wardrobe with plenty of storage space, a luggage rack, armchair and side table. The bathroom includes a shower, toilet, vanity, fan heater & a heated towel rail. The washing machine is also located in the bathroom, the drier is out in the mudroom off the end of the carport. Kea Cottage also has its own picket fenced cottage garden. Both cottages have great views of Ben Ohau Range, and the spectacular sunrises & fabulous sunsets the high country is famous for. Night Sky Cottages- as the name suggests- are right beneath the magnificent night sky of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve. During winter you may even catch sight of the Aurora Australis, the Southern Lights (aka Lady Aurora) dancing on the southern horizon. Guests have access to the surrounding lawns, herb garden, spinach and strawberry patch, gooseberry, blackberries & currant canes (when in season) & a large wild flower garden. Feel free to use the herbs & vegetables and to pick the berries & flowers (leaving enough for following guests of course!)
Kahu Cottage is named after New Zealand's native Harrier Hawk, we have several resident Kahu who have territory above the cottages, you may see them soaring on the thermals high above or flying their daily circuit- which includes sweeping over the farmland behind the cottages and the river in front- for prey. Listen for their high pitched plaintive call to locate them in the sky. You may also see them being chased by the noisy local magpies & plovers. Kea Cottage is named after New Zealand's cheeky mountain parrot which, if you visit nearby Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, you might just see. Kea are endemic to New Zealand and the only truly alpine parrot in the world. They are also only found in the South Island. A glossy olive brown with a splash of bright orange-red under their wings, Kea are curious birds who like to check out visitors to their mountain domain. This often gets them into trouble, they have a very strong bill which can tear equipment and vehicles fittings apart in seconds. Twizel is the heart of the Mackenzie High Country and the cottages are a perfect base for guests to explore the fabulous Mackenzie Basin and enjoy the great outdoors. With five large lakes, numerous rivers and several dozen kilometres of turquoise blue canals within a 50km radius, there's plenty of places to enjoy your favourite watersport or fish for that trophy trout or salmon. The world famous A2O (Alps to Ocean) Cycle Track passes through Twizel, and in fact section three of the trail- Twizel to Lake Ohau- passes the cottages' front gate on its way to the lake (stay in Kahu Cottage and relax those weary bodies in our outdoor bathtub right under the stars). There are various short walks around the village & along the Twizel River and a good number of longer day & overnight tramping tracks in the nearby mountains, not to mention several ski-fields within a short drive. Tiny Loch Cameron, a local favourite swimming spot (and photography location) is just a few kilometres down Glen Lyon Road, as is the stunning turquoise blue Pukaki Canal. The Fraser Stream - another favourite swimming spot- is just a short walk from the cottages. Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, the Hooker Valley & Tasman Glacier are just 40 minutes drive away (Twizel is the closest village to Mt Cook). Lakes Tekapo, Alexandrina, McGregor and the Mt John Observatory just 50 minutes drive. To the south, Lake Ohau, Omarama's Clay Cliffs, the Upper Waitaki Lakes and the Ahuriri Valley are all within easy reach by vehicle and are also less than an hour’s drive away. Lake Ruataniwha, the Ohau Canals & Lake Benmore are all just a few kilometres away on the outskirts of Twizel. Make Twizel your next destination, follow Night Sky Cottages’ page for more information on the Mackenzie High Country. I’ll be adding photos regularly to the Mackenzie Country Photo Album on more ideas on where to visit & what to see during your stay; the possibilities are endless.
