About | Radfords on the Lake

Radfords on the Lake is owned by Te Anau locals Kerri and Steve James.

Sharing Fiordland’s beautiful environment and unique experiences with our guests is our passion – we love helping our guests to experience the absolute best of this region with luxurious accommodation and top-notch customer service. Our Radfords on the Lake team are committed to providing an experience that’s second-to-none.

In 2013, Radfords won the AA Tourism Supreme Host of the Year Award and in 2015 AWS Fiordland Operator of the Year Award, 2016 Finalists for Hospitality NZ Excellence in Customer Service and Accommodation Host of the Year, and 2021 Qualmark 100% Pure New Zealand Experience Awards.

Steve runs the farm in conjunction with his agricultural contracting business. He has been involved in the farming sector all his life. The farm is located seven km from Te Anau; it has a mix of 3,000 stock units comprising of sheep, deer and cattle running on 273 hectares. Day tours of our farm are a popular guest add-on and are available by prior arrangement.

Kerri manages and runs Radford’s on the Lake, in collaboration with her daughter Shelley and mother Phyllis who keep the gardens and grounds to an impeccable standard – it really is a family affair!

We are Qualmark Rated 5-Star with a Gold Sustainability Award. Qualmark is New Zealand’s official mark of quality; Radfords on the Lake has met or scored above industry best practice standards to be recipients of these awards.

Our passion for the environment

Kaitiakitanga is a Maori term that means guardianship of the land. We never take our stunning environment for granted and are committed to preserving our ‘slice of paradise’ here in Fiordland – we do everything we can to reduce our footprint on the environment.

We support the wider Fiordland environment through the following initiatives

We are long-time, committed sponsors of the Antipodes Islands Parakeets (Kakariki), who live nearby in the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary – only a 20 minute stroll from Radfords on the Lake! See them in action here
We are silver sponsors of the Fiordland Trails Trust, which recently created the Lake2Lake cycle trail linking Lake Te Anau with Lake Manapouri
All proceeds from DVD hire is donated back to the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary

Within Radfords on the Lake itself, we reduce our environmental footprint via

Being proactive with recycling, including donating goods from our apartments to the local church’s second hand store whenever anything is updated
Wherever possible, buying locally and buying in bulk to reduce packaging and freight
We compost everything, and have a worm farm where our kitchen scraps go
All of our units have been re-lined with polystyrene to contain heat, reducing the energy resources we consume
Our bikes are free-to-use for guests, reducing the need for motor vehicles to explore locally
We are proudly 99% chemical free and use natural cleaning products
We use colour-coded microfibre cloths for each different cleaning purpose – reducing waste

The Tiaki Promise & Maanakitanga

Click here to find out more

Discovering the very best of Fiordland

From our three Great Walks to Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound and ancient glow worm caves, Fiordland is unlike anywhere else on earth and is one of New Zealand’s most spectacular places to visit. We’ve crafted a range of packages that help guests make the most of this special place – all packages use the very best operators in the region.

Click here to learn more about the Fiordland region.

Explore Fiordland from Above!

“When a place is so special it’s been awarded World Heritage status, seeing it from the air is an absolute Must-Do.”

Southern Lake Helicopters, based on the edge of Te Anau Lake, just minutes from Radfords, offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience for visitors to the region. From their spectacular Milford Sound scenic flight to landing in a hanging valley in Doubtful Sound, a scenic flight makes an unforgettable addition to your New Zealand vacation.

We received a warm welcome and enjoyed a warm room and a wonderful view. A beautifully presented breakfast had been left in our room for us to prepare. We appreciated the attention to detail, such as plenty of hooks in the bathroom and a good range of kitchenware.

Bob1NZ – July 2021 – New Zealand Read Reviews
"We stayed in a beautiful 2 Bedroom Apartment at Radfords on the Lake. Both Bedrooms were the same in detail. Attention to detail in decor was amazing and, the grounds were beautifully manicured. Kerri was very knowledgeable recommending all the best attractions to see and do. The best accommodation we experienced on our South Island trip. Would visit again!"

Kathgram – May 2021 – Wellington, New Zealand Read Reviews
"We stayed with you the day before doing the Kepler on April 7th. Just wanted to thank you for a great stay! The room was fantastic, so clean and the beds super comfy. A very generous breakfast provided too. Shelley, who checked us in, was super friendly and helpful and made 2 excellent recommendations which we acted on. The local movie and the Fat duck cafe. Both very enjoyable. We will be recommending you highly. Thanks so much!"

VanessaJ72 – May 2021 – Auckland, New Zealand Read Reviews
"We stayed 2 nights and I would rate it one of the best motels I have ever stayed in. The rooms were reasonably large, the extras were great, like towel warming racks, plenty of heat serving of the room was first class by Kylie and Kerri at reception was very helpful and welcoming. The property is beautifully presented."

Grant O – July 2021 – Broadbeach, Australia Read Reviews