The Apple Pickers' Cottages

We hired out all three of the cottages for 3 nights for a very special family get together. It was such a beautiful setting and everyone loved their individual cottages.The location is very peaceful and on the water with a stunning view of the mountains looking over towards Nelson city. When the tide is in, the view is filled with serene blue hues and when it is out you can listen to the sounds and observe the flourishing bird life that live on the mudflats. (Viewing especially good over a coffee, at sunrise.)Each cottage has it's own unique charm and they can be equally private and open depending on if you plan to hang out all together or not. The kids in our family had plenty of space to run around in and kept themselves busy playing on the giant Eucalyptus tree and in the hammock in front of Karaka cottage. The Kayaks were an added bonus and the cottages had everything you need including comfortable beds with bedding, towels, coffee plungers, salad bowls etc.  There is good space for parking and we would highly recommend this gem of a find for anyone looking for a peaceful retreat and re-connection with nature. We cannot thank Elspeth enough for contributing to the memories made here, with her fine attention to detail and welcoming approach. Highly Recommend!

Elspeth’s property, cottages, and hospitality blew us away on our road trip through New Zealand - and was easily the best place we stayed! The Miro cottage had everything we could ever need (including a full kitchen, fresh flowers, apples from the property, etc. ) and we even were able to do laundry on site. The views of the estuary were sublime and made for a beautiful sunset/sunrise. Highly recommend for anyone considering a stay - and will definitely be back!

I had a wonderful few days in Miro Cottage at the Apple Pickers Cottages. It was so peaceful looking out over the Waimea Inlet and mountains beyond. The birdlife was incredible, both on the Inlet and in the native bush around the cottage. A perfect place for a relaxing escape. Highly recommended!

Such a fabulous experience. The cottages are a delight -Simply and beautifully furnished, the beds are really comfortable and the linen was great. We loved the vintage crockery.The outdoor environment is stunning, with views across the tidal mudflats where you can always see at least one species of native bird feeding or floating on the silver water.Elspeth was very friendly and helpful.We have already booked another visit.

The Apple Pickers Cottage are a v special and unique part of New Zealand’s history. We absolutely loved our stay. The cottage are perfectly designed and very comfortable - warm and cosy with peaceful nights. We stayed in April and had beautiful weather. Miro Cottage felt very private with a beautiful aspect across the estuary - changes view throughout the day depending on the tide. Our favorite time was breakfast soaking up the morning sunshine - we recommend ordering the breakfast box. Excellent home made jams and honey from the land. Thank you Elspeth for being a wonderful host!

The Apple Picker’s' Cottages are a family favourite that we have returned to time and time again. Most recently I stayed at Miro with my partner for a few nights and it was, as always, wonderful. The bach is perfectly situated on the shore of the Waimea inlet. Getting there is easy from Nelson airport, with the cottages set in an idyllic location. Miro has a private garden and terrace with views out over the inlet and even a barbeque! It is full of lovely unique features including paintings and photos from the history of the area and walk recommendations - as well as the option to leave food scraps for the chickens - who are very cute! The kitchen is fully stocked with equipment, spices, and it's easy to find wonderful local produce to cook if you wish. Everything has been thought of - including yoga mats. Make sure to bring walking shoes and swimsuits to get the most from what the area offers!Elspeth is an amazing host and clearly puts a lot of love into the cottages and the land around them.We're looking forward to our next visit already!

Another fabulous stay at Apple Pickers Cottages. We’ve stayed at all three cottages over the years and our favourite cottage is Miro. It is super quaint with its own little sun blessed garden from where to watch the spoonbills spoon billing.The view across the estuary was simply breathtaking especially in the early morning light.Elspeth and Kim, the hosts, are casually hospitable. We have seen the results of all their hard work over the years with their continual conservation and restoration of the wetlands. They are environmental warriors and their endless planting of native trees and plants has resulted in a charming landscape with an abundance of beautiful bird life all around.The breakfast is a must, with delicious homemade marmalade and preserves,and special tea blends.There was a well stocked pantry which is great. Much more than the basic salt and pepper!The cottages all have artfully selected retro interiors and furnishings which add to the charm plus modern bathrooms with a good shower.I have no hesitation in recommending The Apple Pickers’ cottages to anyone looking for a truly memorable and unique holiday experience. The perfect place to relax and unwind.Our thanks to the hosts for having the vision to create such a magical place and always striving to make it even better.

Apple Picker's is so beautiful, it truly is such a special place to stay. We have had the good fortune of visiting twice now, and we cannot wait to return. The cottages have been so lovingly decorated, the attention to detail is superb, they are appointed with everything you could possibly need. The only problem now is I compare everywhere else we stay in NZ to here... there is nothing else like it. Thank you, Elspeth and Kim, for sharing your gift of hospitality with us.

We stayed at the Rata Cottage over Easter weekend. The cottage had lovely views of the vineyard and mountains (but not over the estuary - note the other cottages did). We loved having access to the kayaks and paddle boards (the estuary is beautiful to explore and safe even for beginners as it is still and shallow). The hosts were great to deal with and gave us a lovely bowl of apples from their garden. One thing to note is that there is some road noise as you are reasonably close to the highway. The cottage was well supplied and great when sunny and rainy!

Amazing place to relax - everything is put together with such care and thought.The breakfast box is very generous with fresh baked sourdough and spectacular greengage plum jam!Also the cutest egg cups I’ve ever seen!!Close to Mapua for great restaurants and bars.And would throughly recommend a massage by Jo.Most relaxing weekend and so inspiring to see all the planting and work done to restore the estuary and take care of the birds.Loved it - we’ll be back.