Ohau House Testimonials

Ohau House guests come from many countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Lao PR, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA, as well, of course, from New Zealand. Many guests are 'returning' guests – some guests have visited three or four times. Many come for honeymoons and return for wedding anniversaries, some for second honeymoons.

Guests share poems, observations, recipes, tourist tips for day trips, and make comments in the Ohau House Guest Book. Guests also make Guest Comments about Ohau House on Bookabach and Facebook. Others submit Reviews to Tripadvisor.

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Guests

The mountains on the other side of Lake Ohau are like a sleeping Buddha, deeply engaged in meditation! – with music from the lake – it's so calm and soothing!
Japanese guest living in Dunedin, New Zealand, June 2009

Stunning. Gorgeous views. I'm honoured to be the first Japanese female visitor from Dunedin to stay at Ohau House.
Japanese guest living in Dunedin, New Zealand, June, 2009

This was such a beautiful place to spend our honeymoon. Everything about this place is amazing.
Honeymooners, Dunedin, New Zealand, April, 2009

What a lovely and peaceful place! Amazing view, lovely location, very well appointed. The most perfect quiet and relaxing location for our honeymoon. We hope to make it back across the Tasman to this great place for an anniversary in the future!
Honeymooners, Sydney, Australia, March, 2009

What a place! I couldn't believe my good luck in finding this beautiful house, beautiful setting. We are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary with a trip to NZ so it really is our second honeymoon. We were in NZ for our honeymoon but nothing like this. We spend most of our time in a tent back then! The ever changing view is unbelievable – from clear sunny days and calm weather to howling gales and beautiful moonlit nights. We explored Temple Valley, the edge of the lake and Ohau Village, Ben Ohau on the other side of the lake, Mt Cook – Hooker Valley Track and I enjoyed a quiet day reading while my husband walked up one of the mountains behind the village to the snowline. We enjoyed the extensive library, Norah Jones CD and the classical CDs, watched some TV – but very little. From here we travel to Queenstown, then Doubtful Sound.
Australian couple, NSW, Australia, October, 2008

Not our honeymoon – but it felt like one. We'll call it our second. From an electrical storm on night one, to brilliant sunshine, to howling gales, to snow flurries, to more sunshine – we experienced it all. What a breathtaking view and exciting environment – always something new to attract your attention. We are grateful for some time away from rest of humanity. No boats, jet-skis, or other noisy distractions while we were here. Also, two trout lunches courtesy of Lake Middleton. Very obliging they were and seemingly plentiful.
New Zealand couple, Dunedin, New Zealand, October 2008

What a place! My husband and I could hardly believe our good fortune. Such a beautiful house. We were very comfortable and wanted for nothing. We still cannot believe this view. This is our first trip to New Zealand but hopefully not our last.
Canadian couple, Toronto, Canada, March 2008

What a fabulous place to spend a week (sadly it can't be forever)! Others have written lovely poems. But to express the wonder of the experience of staying here would require cantos – in fact something on the scale of Milton's 'Paradise Regained'! And it is paradise here. Thank you for all the amenities – even a breadmaker.
Two American couples living in Brisbane, Australia & New York, USA, December 2007

Idyllic! We've covered most of the South Island over the years and this must be the most perfect spot we've found. Quite beautiful and the house has all the best views. The weather was sensational – sunny days, calm until the last night and rain only one evening. We drove up both sides of the lake, walked the Temple viewpoint circuit and lazed away our afternoons on the deck. Got up one night to photograph the full moon over Ben Ohau – magical reflection. And thanks to the house's library, we've caught up with an old neighbour we haven't heard of for more than 30 years!
Couple who live in both Christchurch, New Zealand and in Wales (permanent Summer!), February, 2007

For a 'windy place', Ohau certainly has a calming effect – the air stood still. Fantastic snowboarding, ethereal sunrises, a cosy fireplace and a glass of pinot noir – just what was needed.
New Zealand couple, New Zealand, July 2006

Absolutely fabulous! We loved the house and, of course, Lake Ohau and the spectacular scenery! Just what we needed for our mother and daughter long weekend away! Thank you!
New Zealanders, May 2006

Unlike other honeymooners, we did not climb Ben Ohau but we did stare at it a lot whilst drinking champagne and eating salmon.
Australian honeymooners living in Lao PR, April 2006

Perfect blue skies and a perfect blue lake. Did we take a wrong turn and spend our honeymoon in heaven? Thanks for a beautiful hideaway.
Honeymooners, Melbourne, Australia – January 2006

Crossed water falls, tasted icebergs, tasted mountain rain, feared Ohau winds and hugged my family daily. Thanks for letting us bask in such unique and precious beauty – never have we felt bigger and smaller at the exact same time.
Family from Toronto, Canada, November 2005

We had a wonderful honeymoon here… climbed to very top of Ben Ohau (very sore) – will remember this place fondly and hope to be back ...
Honeymooners, Sydney, Australia, July 2005

The views are magnificent from every aspect. We loved the colours, shadows and changing moods of the sky, the lake, and the mountains. And the house is superbly comfortable. We loved every minute. This is our first experience in New Zealand.
Family from South Africa, April 2005

Artists and Writers in Residence

It has been a joy and a privilege to have been the first 'writer in retreat' at Ohau House. There is almost monastic calm here where daily life consists not of emails, letters, phone calls and appointments but of wind, sun, rain, cloud, thunder and lightning (and more wind). The ever changing outlook across the lake and way into the mountains has provided both solace and grounding in the ‘real’ world. And precisely the kind of mentally uncluttered environment that has allowed me to make a flying start with a new book.
Philip Temple, Writer in Residence (selected by NZSA), November 2006

Sometimes life gives us surprising journeys. Long before I wrote we came to Lake Ohau and wandered around the then almost houseless village in the awe inspiring beauty of the mountains and lake. Now years later, here I am as a writer in a spot I like to think I might have stood.
Elizabeth Pulford, Writer in Residence (selected by NZSA), November 2007

 One of the most perfect weeks of my life. Thank you so much - what a fantastic place. I could easily live there. Yesterday I watched two crested grebes in Lake Middleton chasing fish and swallowing them down - it was just magic. Key back in correct place - though it had to be prised from my hand.
Laurence Fearnley, Writer in Residence (selected by NZSA), February 2008

I just want to tell you that I had a wonderful time (again) at Ohau. I spent the time working out my next novel - the Mount Cook one, just thinking about the different strands and playing around with bits and pieces. I'll always be grateful for such a well timed, wonderful week.
Laurence Fearnley, Writer in Residence (selected by NZSA), June 2008

Laurence Fearnley's novel The Hut Builder has won the fiction award at the NZ Post Book Awards for 2011. She explains how it grew out of her stubborn reaction to being told her writing was "too New Zealand". ... read more

No words can express my appreciate and learning from this trip to New Zealand which will be not only great memory to carry forward but also allow me to explore new ventures. We had family gathering yesterday in Beijing when my brother and his daughter, came home. My father has got his preferred 30 photos in NZ printed in 10 inch size showing us. My parents asked me again to thank you in a formal way. Even though I told them I had sent sincerely thanks message to you already - also on behalf of them! Beijing is very cold now. We are all missing the clear Blue Sky and the unpredictable and irregular clouds at Ohau.
Song Houjoun, Calligrapher and Photographer (by invitation), March 2009
Comments written by his daughter, Song Hong who accompanied him from Beijing to New Zealand and was his translator/interpreter.

Bookabach Members

Rarely do the pictures exceed reality. Lake Ohau house is one of those few places we have stayed that falls into this exclusive category. We had the best time, in the most gorgeous location. But maybe we are better off keeping this a secret?

The house is very modern, both outside and in, and it's very comfortable, spotless and well equipped. The situation is breathtakingly beautiful. Wonderful views, and totally peaceful. We would certainly go back.

Loved the isolation and the beautiful dramatic scenery of Lake Ohau and the surrounding mountain ranges, all in full view from the house... the house is truely a fabulous place to stay. There are some excellent walks: climbing to the top of Ben Ohau then returning via the Greta Stream valley, and the walks in the beautiful Temple Valley... we took our 13month old daughter with us on all the walks... she loved it too!

The house, location and views are stunning. I'd recommend just spending one day staring at the views and watching the weather change. The drive to the end of the lake, and further, is well worth it. Don't miss Mt. Cook/Aoraki which can actually be seen from the house in good weather. Go for a glide at Omarama. Live on salmon from the nearby salmon farm. Get supplies from Pak'n'Save in Christchurch when you land, they have an excellent nut selection.

Read more testimonials from Bookabach members.