Beautiful home, large comfortable rooms, outstanding guided tours!! We had the room with 2 separate bedrooms, each with its own sitting area. We had more space than we could use, and slept like we were home. The complimentary wine and nibbles in the evening before dinner were very enjoyable. We did both of the tours they offered, on separate days - the 6-hr Peninsula Excursion & Albatross Encounter and the 3-hr Sunrise Penguin Walk. Both were excellent. The Penguin Walk was unforgettable - my wife and I and our guide sat for 2 hrs in the sand transfixed by 5 yellow-eyed penguins who were making there way from their nests to the water, approached to within 15 meters of our position, kept their keen eyes on a couple of sea-lions on the beach below us and them, and finally saw 2 of them enter the water. What a joy to spend 2 hours observing their behaviour. Hildegard was an excellent hostess and very knowledgable about the flora and fauna of the Otago peninsula.

Hildegarde made it clear from the second she opened the door to welcome us that nothing was more important to her than giving us the intense introduction we wanted into the nature surrounding Dunedin. She personally took us to see natural forests, albatrosses, and birds of every which kind and she arranged for us a dawn yellow-eyed penguin excursion with her highly informative colleague. Educated in the world of science, Hildegarde's insights into geology, botany, and
birds gave us new insights into all she showed us. And that's not all. Every personal need we had was met too from dinner reservations to a cosy bedroom suite. You can do no better.

Nisbet Cottage is a fine place to stay and Hildegard is a wonderful hostess. We booked this B&B in order to experience the early morning wildlife excursion, as well as the full day tour which is an inclusive package. We were not disappointed. Not only was the accommodation outstanding but the breakfasts were delicious too. We really appreciated the wine and nibbles set out in the guest lounge each evening before we set out for our meal.
Thanks also to Dorothy who serviced our suite to such a high standard during our stay.
We left at 04.20 for our wildlife experience. Steve, our guide was a fountain of knowledge and enthusiasm and yes, despite the cold wind blowing directly from the Antarctic as we walked across Sandfly Bay in the darkness, it was a truly memorable experience. Our sea lion encounters on our return from the hide that morning were simple wonderful. Many thanks Steve.
After a welcome shower and suitably refreshed after a well-earned and tasty breakfast we set off again, now in glorious sunshine, for a day on the Otago peninsular, with Hildegard as our guide. We had a wonderful day and have abiding memories of the beautiful countryside, the pleasure of planting our own native tree, soaking up the knowledge of the flora and fauna from Hildegard, a delicious packed lunch, as well as a fabulous one hour trip aboard the Monarch Wildlife Cruise. We saw numerous seabirds, Hectors dolphins and the unique experience of seeing an albatross taking off from the sea from a short distance in front of the boat.
A long and eventful day, and our sincere thanks to Hildegard for her companionship that day. We truly enjoyed our stay with you.

We stayed at Nisbet Cottage for two nights as part of the package we purchased to go on the eco-tour with Nature Guides Otago, which has the same owner as the Cottage. Our rooms, and the entire place, was just beautiful. Gleaming woodwork, beautiful art by friends and family of the owners, comfortable beds and spacious rooms, expansive views, and delicious breakfast. Hildegard is a wonderful, knowledgeable host. She's a former biology teacher with a passion for the uniqueness of the Otago Peninsula, and it shows.

Through the tour package, we awoke before down to be escorted by flashlight over sand dunes to a hide, from which we watched yellow-eyed penguins make their daily jaunt to the sea. I, a totally non-morning person, did this voluntarily and was awed! Later, HIldegard escorted us around the peninsula, onto a harbor cruise where we saw the nine foot wingspan of Royal Northern Albatrosses, and the antics of tiny blue penguins off the bow of the boat. As the day wound down, we found ourselves planting a native totara tree on a private restoration project. We learned so much, and enjoyed ourselves as well.

Dunedin is a fun college town to walk around in-- it truly is like being in Scotland. All in all, a worthwhile detour. Thank you Hildegard. We had a great time!