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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

The bed linen is brown in colour, has stains. The room 307 is horrible, bath room has a shower that does not work and the plumber who installed it would have told the owner. Remove the Timu Shower and install a cheap slide rail. The room on arrival was damp and cold, towels were damp. Our room is advertised as a motel. No cooking facilities, bathroom is in serious need of a make over. Vanity is in need of replacement, no bathroom heater or extractor. TV does not work and from reviews has not worked for a very long time. A double bed and single bed. Get all double beds replaced with queens. No chairs to sit around the table in the room, no bedside lamps. Walls in the room are dirty and a serious lack of cleaning. A serious safety issue the Smoke Alarm is not working battery has been removed. We paid $410.00 for 3 nights for an over priced Cabin. The restraunt is only a cafe and the food is hugely over priced $70.00 for 2 burgers and a few chips and two soft drinks. The communal kitchen smells musty and the microwave and toast and grill is a bio Hazzard they are so dirty you may get salmonella. Advertising is using the former owners good name, it changed hands and is in poor quality. The new owner has not taken any of the reviews seriously if they had it would be of a better standard. Stripped the bed and looked at the matteress protector and the stains show someone had a good time. Fire extinguisher has not been checked or tested in 2 years

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

I stayed in the Kiwiana Cabin with shared bathroom. It was really very tiny with a small round table I could just about place my laptop on after removing some tea making equipment - there was no milk. I would not recommend it for two people. It was a hot day so I had to open the windows and door but then all kinds of flying things come in. There is no mosquito net. The worst was the smell of the bedding. It smelled like it had been on the bed for quite some time and gotten damp. The room does not have a refigerator. WiFi was good for most of the time but suddenly it did not work anymore. They should have security going round. Opposite was a lady on a camper site who shouted and swore for 4 hours till after 11pm. I did not dare say anything as a woman alone. |Parking was good right in front of the house. The Fish&Chips in the restaurant were very good, especially the fish and the sauce. I found the price appropriate. |The location is perfect to visit the cathedral caves and the McLean Falls.