In case you arrive in Te Anau without your agenda mapped out, don’t worry – just ask Tony! His local knowledge is extensive and he freely shares it with his guests. He offered us advice on which cruises to take on Milford & /Doubtful Sound, hiking trails around Lake Manapouri and walks to take around Lake Te Anau and through town. He even went on the Internet and printed the weather forecast to help us determine which day of our 3-day stay would be best to explore Milford Sound! We took his advice on everything and it was all exactly what we wanted, especially the cruise on Milford Sound. The cruise company he recommended – and booked for us for free – (Mitre Peak) was much more to our liking than the big, fancy, super touristy Real Journeys that literally loaded bus loads of tourists on each trip. The boat we were on was smaller and more intimate – the cruise lasted longer and went further out into the Sound. And, best of all, the weather was perfect, just as Tony predicted for that day!
The Alpenhorn is in an area of residential homes and a stream of other motels, but was very quiet. It’s a few minutes walk to the lakefront, where we took a stroll every night. Parking was directly in front of each unit. The one really nice thing about the unit was that there was a door separating the kitchen & bathroom (which were on the parking lot side) from the bedroom area, which opened to a small garden area. Closing this door completely blocked out any noise from the parking lot. The unit contained everything you would need: small, but functional kitchen, bedroom with a queen bed and 1 single bed, table & chairs, TV, 2 easy chairs, a room heater and bed warmer! The bathroom had a shower with great water pressure and a cabinet under the sink for toiletries. The number of towels was a bit skimpy, but more were provided if you asked. The wireless internet was only $5.00/day and was the fastest we experienced throughout the South Island. Tony & staff made our stay in Te Anau most memorable
