Mt Cook Accommodation, New Zealand

Omahau Downs Introduction

Omahau Downs, the High Country experience one kilometre from Twizel township, offers a variety of Mt Cook accommodation including bed and breakfast and self-contained cottages.

Omahau Downs is part of an historic high country sheep station in the celebrated Mackenzie Basin. Our Mt Cook accommodation offers a unique country atmosphere, access to a number of activities, views of Mt Cook and surrounds, and unique fauna.

Mt Cook Accommodation History

As part of the Mackenzie/Waitaki Basins, our Mt Cook accommodation forms part of a nationally recognised and regionally outstanding landscape. The unique Mackenzie Basin retains a number of natural predominant values including glacial topography, geopreservation sites, its own ecological region, habitat to a number of endangered species, and is a highly valued natural setting and location for a number of tourist attractions and recreational pursuits.

Formerly, Omahau Station was part of the Ben Ohau run, applied for in 1857 by H and S Fraser and subdivided in 1918 into Bendrose, Ruataniwha, and Omahau Stations. Acquired from the Maori owners under the Kemp Deed of Purchase 1848, Omahau Station became Crown Land subject to the Land Act 1948.

Omahau is a 188-hectare, (470-acre), farm currently grazing merino sheep and a few cattle. Our proximity to Twizel and Mt Cook allows easy access to both town facilities and also the outdoor activities associated with the rivers, lakes and mountains.

The Twizel area has a very low rainfall and therefore experiences some of the highest sunshine hours in New Zealand. Having a crystal clear atmosphere the show of stars at night is regularly spectacular.

An old wagon track crosses the flats to Lake Tekapo and is visible behind the Omahau Woolshed.

Mt Cook Accommodation

Omahau Downs offer a range of Mt Cook accommodation with single, double and twin-share options:

• Bed and breakfast lodge
• Self-contained cottage
• Self-contained farm cottage

Bed linen is supplied for all beds and facilities are all modern, clean and tidy.

Family pricing and meals are also available on request and we can arrange farm walks, mountain biking and package tours to Mt Cook.

Guests are welcome to take an evening walk across the farm to the river. We also have available 'happy hour' with wine and nibbles for our guests on the front deck viewing out to Mt Cook.

Just imagine lying in our outdoor woodfire bath-house with a glass of wine and uninterrupted views of Mt Cook!

For further information about our Mt Cook cottages, please contact us or visit our Twizel lodge Web site.

Aoraki/Mt Cook and Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park

Aoraki/Mt Cook
Photographer: Gareth Eyres
(www.exposure.co.nz)

Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, a world heritage listed site covers over 7,000 hectares of breathtaking alpine scenery, preserved in its natural state for visitors to enjoy. Aoraki/Mt Cook is Australasia's highest mountain and has the longest glacier in the Southern Hemisphere—the Tasman Glacier.

A professional mountain guide can take you to the peak of Aoraki/Mt Cook (3,754 metres) or one of twenty-seven other peaks above 2,100 metres according to your climbing skill level. The alpine tramping routes in Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park are for the experienced. The weather can be severe and groups attempting the trips must be properly equipped.

Lake Tekapo, Aoraki/Mt Cook
Photographer: Ron Laughlin

For less physical experiences there are scenic airplane or helicopter flights, ranging from flights over Aoraki/Mt Cook and Westland National Parks, to the famous ski plane landings on the Tasman Glacier (pioneered in this area during the 1950s), and helicopter landings on mountain-top snowfields. Flight seeing tours are available from Tekapo, Twizel and Glentanner Park.

Tekapo lies on the shore of the turquoise blue Lake Tekapo while the Tekapo River supports a high number of takeable fish and is arguably the best in the Central South Island

Mt Dobson, Ohau, and Round Hill, the three smaller ski fields in the region, offer excellent training grounds for ski race teams, and for skiers and snowboarders looking to escape the crowds of commercial fields.

Twizel is a great base from which to explore several interesting spots in the Mackenzie Basin. Lake Benmore is only ten minutes drive and Lake Ruataniwha, the site of national rowing championships, is within walking distance. A five-minute drive to Lake Pukaki has Mt Cook and the Southern Alps framed between lake and sky. Around Twizel fishing is a major activity, and a short-cut to finding the spots with the biggest trout is to hire a guide, while hunting guides take hunters to their choice of thar, chamois, or deer.

For further information about our Mt Cook cottages, please contact us or visit our Twizel lodge Web site.