Whistling Frog - Cafe, Bar, Dining, Camping, Lodging - Catlins, NZ

Location wise: its just at the entrance of the McLean Falls. I felt it was just nice for either a morning trek or good place to rest after visiting the falls in the late evening. Rooms: i had the cabin, shared living spaces bathrooms and kitchens. Everything was very clean and neat. Loved the kitchen, its huge! And i liked that they had a dish washer so i could load that up instead of manual washing the dishes. The staff would help run it the next day. Service: Called the reception a few times for firewood and milk, they would always deliver it quickly. Good attitude from the staff too. Overall good service. Only nuances were 1. Initial check communications could be improved/ more informative and 2. The restaurant prices are slightly pricey. The room for a solo traveller was also on the high side but for a pair, its actually okie. The brilliant skies and onsite service more than make up for it.

Very disappointed, we recommend not to stay here in the off season. The check in welcome was blah. The chalet was the furthest from the cafe, the heating was off so consequently freezing cold on arrival. Worse was the frozen out of a packet cheap burger patty, the best of the 6 available dinner options. The restaurant was also cold, we had to ask for the heating to be turned on.

We stayed one night at the Whistling Frog while on a driving tour of the Catlins. We were a large group so booked the whole lodge which was perfect for us - 10 rooms (5 with ensuite) and a large kitchen / lounge / pool room. We had a great stay and dinner at the restaurant was very good. Ideal location for a stopover in the beautiful Catlins areas. We were unlucky to be there on a cloudy night - the star gazing and potential view of the Southern Aurora would be amazing! Wed highly recommend it.

Comfortable and clean stay in a motel type room. No cooking facilities in the room, but a large share kitchen is available 2 doors up. The bed was very comfortable but the bathroom really needs updating. The sink had cracks and the woodwork around the shower had peeling paint. We had a lovely meal in the restaurant, pizza & salad. Both were made with very fresh ingredients and were very tasty. The wine list is good too. Great place to stay while exploring the Catlins

Stopped in for a quick bite, waited 40 minutes for our take away which we thought would be redeemed by the food. I ordered fish and chips, and received fish and wedges… I wasn’t told it would be wedges. This is a $35 serve of fish and wedges. The fish was nice, but most definitely not $35 nice… And I don’t eat wedges (hence why I ordered fish and CHIPS). Anyway just a heads up, perhaps try the burger?

Very nice food and very accommodating staff. I ordered pork ribs and I asked if I can change the fried into mashed potatoes and he happily changed it without any extra cost. Also he gave me free salad which was really nice. My friends ordered the squid twist and butter chicken and they loved it! Super yummy.

We stayed in room 23 (ensuite room). Beds were comfy, very clean and good heatere were provided in rooms with it being in winter and extra blankets were a nice touch. My main feedback is that our shower drain was severely clogged with hair, so when we took showers the water wouldn't drain properly and therefore the shower would flood a lot and water would flood onto the shower floor. I would suggest making house keeping aware that it's important to check and clean drains. Other than that it was very clean! The communal kitchen area we used was very modern and clean too. The restaurant felt a bit too cold to us when we were there but hard to get perfect, food was really nice. I love the location and how secluded it is in the heart of the catlins with tracks near by, perfect to escape life for a bit. Overall great and do reccommend.

Well prepared and presented food. Very tasty. Interesing decor. A great stop for a bite to eat along the scenic highway. Not from from Cathredral caves - a must see if the tide is right. Only criticism bathrooms needed a bit of a clean

The Whistling Frog Cafe and Motel is a collection of wonderful small cabins and larger rooms in a well landscaped setting right near the wild beaches and forest of the Catlins complete with a cafe to make you feel comfortable in your home away from home. We loved our room which had everything we could have wanted from a small TV (awesome DVD selection in the lobby) to a great bed and eco-friendly toiletries. This stop on our most recent tour was a nice break from the rougher spots we had been traveling on. Do make sure to try the pie at the cafe. I really loved the little NZ flag in the fries and the pie tasted totally gourmet. If you are an early rise be sure to make first call for breakfast, sometimes their kitchen can get backed up in the morning. All in all, this is a perfectly nice place to pitch your tent for the night.

Very generous portions and all tasted excellent - especially the Mushroom egg lettuce and Brie on whole grain bread special with roast vegetable salad special. Pricey, but worth it. Nice fire going too. Chocolate in hot chocolate drink from Dunedin. (Cadbury). Eggs from their own property - fed on veggie scraps so bright gold yolks.