River Rock Estate

We added the Glass house tub to our booking and spent a lovely, relaxing time soaking among olive trees, with excellent wine and snacks. A great way to end the day. Maybe it was the wine talking, but “outstanding” was the first word that came to mind. The place blends boutique style and art with a strong nod to this part of New Zealand's rugged history. I only held back a star for the rooms because we brought our own on four wheels 😉. Great value, and in my view a must when visiting Cromwell. We’ll definitely come back to the South island. Ignore the bad reviews, they say more about the people who posted them and do the hardworking hosts a discredit.

We had a beautiful day enjoying the private spa and sauna together. They provided local wine and a small snack, and we had all the information we needed for a good time. There is a short walk between the spa and sauna, so disposable slippers might be useful. We'd absolutely go again.

The cottages sit right among the working vineyard, so you wake up to rows of grapes as well as the mountains. We absolutely adored our stay at River Rock Estate about three weeks ago. It's near other wineries and hiking trails too. Devil's Creek Track is around 15 min away, and a 50K+ biking trail winds through Cromwell and Bannockburn about 10 min away. I'd highly recommend going to the 5 o'clock tasting with Jan-Marie on at least one night. The stories behind the wine and its labels are fun, and the wine is incredible. We liked it enough to bring a bottle all the way back to the states in our suitcase because we knew we couldn't get it anywhere else.

Please read the negative reviews carefully before booking. We had a bad experience much like several others I've now read. In our three weeks in New Zealand, we'd met friendly people everywhere, but we didn't find the owners here nice. We paid 60$ for a parking spot with no amenities. The host repeatedly said we couldn't use toilets or anything and had us sign a document confirming that. We then asked to use the baths, since that was the only reason to park our van there instead of at a free DOC spot with a better view. They refused. It was 7:30 pm, and they said the baths closed at 9pm and they didn't want us bothering them during dinner. Hard to believe. I tried again a bit later, but they'd locked the door and ignored my knocking. I don't often leave bad reviews, and we'd had a great time in NZ, but this one deserved it. Merry Christmas, and happy travels in NZ :)