Anchorstone

Love Stewart Island and liked Anchorstone. Lovely comfortable cabins in great location, its a bit away from hub area of the Island so you need the car. Its expensive so I expect everything to be spot on. The letdown was quality of of wifi and television quality which was very lacking. Not a strong wifi signal and tv channels kept cutting out and buffering. Other places on island have a strong wifi signal. (The South Seas Hotel) Now I fully appreciate that it is remote here but when you are paying this much money…I expect alot. And not too much to do in evenings, so wanted to watch films, but couldnt. Also by paying by card there was a surcharge whichever way you pay, credit or bank card. If I knew that I would have brought cash. There was extra charge for use of car, not much, but I think it should just be included in price, would be surprised if people turned down use of the cars.

My stay at Anchorstone could not have been more perfect. Bill met me at the ferry and took me on a tour of town which was awesome to get my bearings straight away. I stayed in the Super King Cabin, I'm not sure how different the cabins are but mine had absolutely everything I could possibly need. There's a very good hairdryer in the bathroom which was appreciated on a cold night. They also have a red torch for kiwi spotting, umbrella, beach towels, hot water bottles, even a tote bag you can borrow for a walk down to the shops. The bed was comfy and the duvet was super warm, with a hot water bottle I was nice and snug on a cold night. There is heating and cooling although I didn't use this, there's also a TV which I didn't use. There's milk provided in the fridge and some ginger biscuits with the tea/coffee/hot choc/coffee pods. They also have wifi, I was using a OneNZ data SIM for my trip and had signal on pretty much all of the island and Ulva island, except for parts of the Rakiura track (I only walked about 2hours of it from Lee Bay). The afternoon I arrived I had a visit from a Kākā on my balcony which was awesome. Then the morning I left, I had 3 of them fly down to say good morning! Sadly I think previous guests have fed them, please don't do this. Human food is bad for them but regardless of the type of food, feeding wildlife is problematic for a number of other reasons. They are literally surrounded by national park, they have plenty of food available. They were more than happy to just pose for some photos and have a yarn 😂 Having use of the car was definitely worth the $30 a day - the part of the island you can drive on is not that big but I saved a lot of time being able to drive to Golden Bay (to get the ferry over to Ulva island), to Ackers point, to Lee Bay, and down to the township (and back home from town at 1am in the rain after my kiwi spotting tour!) I was also able to offer a lift to some hikers I met at the pub who were starting on the Rakiura great walk. Without the car you're looking a 30 min walk each way into town, potentially in very different weather to when you left, on top of all the walking you'll want to do at Ulva and on the many walking tracks around the island. I only had 2 days on Stewart Island so having the car enabled me to see and do everything I wanted to. I wish I'd had more time on the island because I would've liked to have spent more time just relaxing on the balcony and enjoying the serenity of Anchorstone.

Unique and cozy cabin accommodation with more than you could ever need, and kakapos visiting for happy hour on the deck, to boot! Owner Kath and her son Bill were helpful and kind and the tiny Suzuki car was a Godsend! I only wish I’d been able to spend more time here—I guess that means I’ll have to return!

Bill and Kath are top draw. Great accommodation, picked us up off the Ferry, hired a car for what is a pittance and gave great advice. Booking was clear concise with no issues. I had missed a flight and had to cancel short notice. No penalty, no quibbling about cancellation policy understood that I had no control being in an RTA. Will definitely visit Stewart Island and stay here again.

It started with a bumpy but super fun plane ride on a windy day...way quicker and more exciting than the boat ride! Picked up by Bill who owns Anchorstone with his mom. Great insights from Bill on the short ride from "downtown" Oban to the property - if he asks whether you want to see some sights before you check in say YES! Property is lovely, and consists of three identical small bach houses. Fully equipped with everything you need and a complete kitchen. Nice touch with mom's Christmas cake which was yummy! Beds were super comfy, place was extremely clean, and showers and bathroom perfect. Includes your own Suzuki car - each of three were colour coded per house. We had a wonderful stay and will definitely return to Anchorstone on our next Stewart Island trip.