Image: DOC
Cookson Cottage.
Cookson Cottage

Located in Coromandel Forest Park and Kauaeranga Valley in the Coromandel region

Base yourself at Cookson Cottage and explore the Kauaeranga Valley.

Cookson Cottage is set in the bush.

Facilities

Sleeps maximum of 8 people:

  • Room A: 2 sets of bunks, 4 people
  • Room B: 1 set bunks, 2 people
  • Living room: 1 set of bunks, 2 people

The cottage has a heat pump.

Large lawn – shared with the adjacent cottage.

Kauaeranga Valley Visitor Centre is nearby with:

  • basic supplies
  • free wi-fi at visitor centre
  • heat pump

What to bring

  • You need to bring your own linen.

Check in and out time

Check in after 3.00 pm, check out before 11.00 am.
  • $161 per night (no additional guest charge)
  • $50 cleaning fee

Minimum stay 2 nights.

Backcountry Hut Passes and Backcountry Hut Tickets cannot be used at this hut.

Bookings

Bookings for 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026

Bookings open at 9.30 am on Tuesday 13 May 2025.

All bookings are first-come first-served. We do not have waiting lists for bookings for future seasons or facilities that are already booked-out.

Bookings for stays up to 30 June 2025

Bookings are currently open.

Book Cookson Cottage online.

A $10 service fee applies to phone and in-person booking. This is a limited service – book online first. An in-person booking is dependent on there being space available.

From State Highway 25 at the southern entrance to Thames, turn right into Banks Street beside the BP service station. Banks Street veers right into Parawai Road, which then becomes Kauaeranga Valley Road. The road changes from sealed to gravel after 10 km.  A further 2–3 km will get you to the Visitor Centre, where you can pick up the keys and instructions.
  • The nearest shops are in Thames.
  • Vodafone and Spark have cell coverage.

Read the Kauaeranga and Broken Hills campground rules.

Swimming

There is a water hole 5 minutes walk from the cottage.

Walking and tramping

Walks in the Kauraeranga Valley range from 20 minutes to a full day.

Kauaeranga Valley is close to the Tairua/Pauanui beaches on the east coast (1 hour) and Cathedral Cove/Whangamata (1 hour 30 minutes). Thames and the Thames Coast are 20 minutes away.