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Nisbet Cottage: Traveller Reviews

6A Elliffe Place, Dunedin 9013, New Zealand
Hotel amenities
Special offer
Extra night B&B
Nisbet Cottage
5.0 of 5 stars 35 Reviews
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35 reviews from our community

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Date Rating
Boston, Massachusetts
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
“Great B&B and tour combination”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 January 2012

I can’t add much to the other wonderful reviews. The cottage was beautiful. The things that exceeded expectations were, a bowl full of cherries as a room snack, towel warmer in the bathroom, great view out of the deck, wine and delicious snacks in the afternoon. Hildegard called in great recommendations for dinners in Dunedin.

As the other reviews stated, the tours were great. It is definitely worth it to leave the house at 4:10AM to see the penguins. We saw yellow eyed penguins, fuzzy views of blue penguins, sea lions, numerous birds and sheep (of course). On the Albatross tour, we saw sea lions, seals, birds of all kinds, including one kind of albatross (which apparently was not the biggest variety).

Hildegard was a perfect hostess and we could not have asked for anything more. We would definitely recommend others to stay and participate in the tours.

Room Tip: Suite 1 was great for us. My wife and I had the king bed and our daughter had the other room with th...
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  • Stayed December 2011, travelled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Doug4650 about Nisbet Cottage
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
HildeGuide, Owner at Nisbet Cottage, responded to this review
9 February 2012
Thank you so much for your review - you described so many things that exceeded your expectations. This is wonderful! I just love hosting our guests at Nisbet Cottage and sharing the wonderful wildlife that lives right at our doorstep. Particularly the sea lion viewing this year exceeded even my expectations :-)
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Dunstable, United Kingdom
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
“An Excellent Stay”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 January 2012

Hildegard is very enthusiastic, knowledgeable and an excellent hostess. We stayed here to experience the early morning wildlife trip. We were made to feel very welcome and had a fantastic day observing the birdlife of the area and, along with Richard the penguins and walrus. After an early start, 4.10am it was a long day but we both thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely do it again. Thanks to you both.

  • Stayed December 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask pg_picture about Nisbet Cottage
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
HildeGuide, Manager at Nisbet Cottage, responded to this review
6 January 2012
Great to hear from you and receive the review of your stay with us. Thank you very much! The Otago Peninsula has so much to offer and we have been seeing the comeback of rare species. In 1994, New Zealand sea lions started breeding on the South Island again, and we also receive occasional visits from Antarctic marine mammals: Leopard Seals, Elephant Seals. Walrus can only be found in the Northern Hemisphere. It is usually the New Zealand sea lion that we encounter on the early morning penguin tour.
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Yorba Linda, CA
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“Excellent B&B Choice”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 December 2011

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.

  • Stayed December 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask Winelover_943 about Nisbet Cottage
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
HildeGuide, Manager at Nisbet Cottage, responded to this review
29 December 2011
What a wonderful review to finish off the year 2011! Thank you very much! It is important to us that our guests have space and privacy - and a glass of wine and nibbles in the guest lounge or on the deck to reflect on the day’s activities!
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Washington DC, District of Columbia
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Superb personalized excellence”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 December 2011

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.

  • Stayed December 2011
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask AJ R about Nisbet Cottage
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
HildeGuide, Manager at Nisbet Cottage, responded to this review
26 December 2011
Thank you for such a wonderful and detailed review! It looks as if the teacher in me is still very much present… We did have a great time together. The natural history and wildlife of the Dunedin area is fascinating. Thanks for staying with us at Nisbet Cottage and all the best for 2012.
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Loweswater, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
32 reviews 32 reviews
Reviews in 16 cities Reviews in 16 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
“A great experience”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 12 December 2011

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.

  • Stayed November 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask FellwalkersCumbria about Nisbet Cottage
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
HildeGuide, Manager at Nisbet Cottage, responded to this review
26 December 2011
This is a fantastic review! Thank you so much! Yes, the wildlife was very ‘co-operative’ on the day and we had some unexpected sightings. Best wishes for the New Year for you – keep travelling and exploring new places. Maybe one day we can welcome you again at Nisbet Cottage.
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Additional Information about Nisbet Cottage

6A Elliffe Place, Dunedin 9013, New Zealand
Price range (per night):* 309 AUD - 499 AUD

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