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19 - 24 of 57 reviews
Reviewed March 1, 2017

A warm and friendly welcome by hosts Tim & Debbie Short dispelled any travel fatigue, thereby quickly ensuring a comfortable sense of "belonging."
Our cabin was well appointed and, as with the dining room/lounge of the main lodge, facilities anticipated every need. Including diverse library resources.
Tea and freshly baked scones, served in the adjoining grounds, from a grassy viewpoint overlooking the surrounding landscape, ensured that we were recharged and anticipating interesting discoveries of on-site flora and fauna. Our hosts enthusiastically shared insights of their initiatives and motivations, along with their knowledgeable comments and observations of the diverse natural species on the property. Suffice to say a night-time walk in the woods, led by Tim and Debbie, will leave you with magical and memorable impressions that will last a lifetime!
Our visit culminated with a delicious full breakfast, with choices to suit all tastes and preferences, prior to our further explorations of NZ's natural beauty.
Mt Tutu is a "must see" for everyone who resonates with the miracles of nature.
Tim & Debbie Short are the perfect stewards for this very special enterprise.
10/10 on all counts!

Date of stay: January 2017
  • Trip type: Traveled with family
    • Value
    • Location
    • Service
Thank William N
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MountTutuEcoTauranga, Owner at Mount Tutu Eco-Sanctuary, responded to this reviewResponded March 10, 2017

You are very kind! It was a pleasure to meet kindred spirits and share our sanctuary with you. So pleased you had a memorable experience.

Next month we are hosting for 6 days a film crew from Ocean Television in Canada, for a mother and daughter travel documentary.

Recently we got a lovely surprise in the letter box! Thank you so much. Campbell River looks very beautiful.

We will remember you, take care.

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Reviewed January 18, 2017

No one would believe it, but I actually dreamt about this place before I found it. Then, I happened to click my way into the website and realized the front page was the image from the dream. Trusting that it was "meant to be", I booked it and was not disappointed!
Debbie and Tim were fabulous hosts, helpful and friendlier than I expected. Their breakfast was tasty and their humor and playfulness contagious. They are truly both inspirational people and I loved their energy.
The whare was a perfect size and nestled into the bush nicely. The tuis serenade you in the day and the stars are very bright at night.
Highlights include the Mt. Tutu sheep (Alfie is a big star!) and the gloworm walk is amazing! It was better than in Waitomo!
Definitely recommend for a nice night or two of peace and enjoy the bushwalking around the property!

Room tip: Pukeko faces out toward the field
Date of stay: January 2017
  • Trip type: Traveled solo
    • Rooms
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
Thank KatieTL
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MountTutuEcoTauranga, Owner at Mount Tutu Eco-Sanctuary, responded to this reviewResponded January 23, 2017

We are so pleased that your vision of our sanctuary appeared in your dream! You can feel as though you never left, by liking our Facebook page and see new images regularly posted. We have also featured your review on our Facebook page. Thank you so much for your lovely, kind comments. We were so pleased to meet you and share our sanctuary with you.
Tim and Debbie.

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Reviewed August 20, 2016

We stayed for one night at Mount Tutu eco sanctuary in one of Tim and Debbie's bush whare. Tim and Debbie are lovely people who are passionnate about their little paradise and they can be. The place is lovely and quiet and we loved the wildlife in the sanctuary. We had an excellent dinner and breakfast but the moment that we foung really magical was the glow worms tour. Thank you Tim and Debbie for that lovely but too short stay. We know where to come back in New Zealand...

Date of stay: August 2016
  • Trip type: Traveled as a couple
    • Rooms
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
Thank AgnesandAlain
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MountTutuEcoTauranga, Owner at Mount Tutu Eco-Sanctuary, responded to this reviewResponded January 23, 2017

Thank you so much for your kind comments and we are so pleased you had a memorable visit. We hope to see you again in the future.
Tim and Debbie

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Reviewed July 11, 2016

Tim and Debbie have created a real sanctuary here, where you are woken by native birdsong and see constellations of glow worms at night. Once, all NZ was like this but these days it can only be achieved by thousands of hours of hard work controlling possums, rats and even mice (which would snack on glow worms if they were present). My children and I had a wonderful stay and it's great to be able to support the important conservation work that Tim and Debbie and their daughters are doing.

Date of stay: July 2016
  • Trip type: Traveled with family
    • Value
    • Location
    • Service
Thank AnnaP13463
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MountTutuEcoTauranga, Owner at Mount Tutu Eco-Sanctuary, responded to this reviewResponded January 23, 2017

Thanks so much for your kind comments. We would love to see you and your family again sometime. We get so much pleasure in sharing our sanctuary and the reward from conservation efforts is the florishing of nature when given a chance.
Tim and Debbie

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Reviewed June 21, 2016

We stayed at Mount Tutu for a night on a trip to Tauranga and we absolutely loved it. The "whares" were cozy and had everything we needed including tea, coffee and biscuits. Debbie also brought over some delicious brownies which was a lovely touch. In the evening we went to the guest lounge and it was nice to sit by the fire before Tim and Debbie took us on the glow worm tour.
The tour was an adventure in itself, as we journeyed down to the nearby stream and in the darkness natures bright lights astounded us.
The next morning, after a wonderful breakfast, we went for a nice forest walk and once again marveled at the amazing untouched nature.
Overall, one of the highlights of our trip, such a unique place with wonderful hosts. Would definitely recommend and hope to be back!

Date of stay: June 2016
  • Trip type: Traveled with family
    • Location
    • Cleanliness
    • Service
Thank monarch123
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MountTutuEcoTauranga, Owner at Mount Tutu Eco-Sanctuary, responded to this reviewResponded January 23, 2017

Thank you so much for your lovely comments. We are so pleased you enjoyed your stay. We hope to see you again sometime and we always offer a special deal for return guests, and also to referred guests if you ask them to mention your name.
Tim and Debbie

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