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All 10 Motueka Attractions »

Jester House Cafe and Tame Eels

320 Aporo Road, Motueka 7173, New Zealand
0064 3 5266742
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Ranked #2 of 5 attractions in Motueka
5.0 of 5 stars 10 Reviews
Type: Nature/ Wildlife Areas
Owner description: The Tame eels at Jester House have been an attraction for 20 years. They are naturally occuring stream fauna in many streams in New Zealand but their... more » Owner description: The Tame eels at Jester House have been an attraction for 20 years. They are naturally occuring stream fauna in many streams in New Zealand but their numbers have deminished due to habitat destruction and over fishing.This is your chance to get upclose and handfeed these suprising creatures « less
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10 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
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    2
    0
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Date Rating
New Zealand
Senior Contributor
29 reviews 29 reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 April 2012

What a find!! Our cousins recommended Jester House and Cafe and we are sooo pleased they did!! Fantastic food...world class and i dont say that lightly as we are regular travellers and have big expectations on food quality. We had the chefs special, a venison stew. Spectacular flavour. And we had the crumbed schnitzel which was also good And the... More

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Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 February 2012 via mobile

Wacky place with all sorts of art, great food and a mob of tame eels. Kids had a great time running round. A must see.

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Ottawa, Canada
Contributor
20 reviews 20 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
18 helpful votes 18 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 February 2012

We've been to this region several times and never passed this place when it was open, so we were anxious to try it on this trip. It didn't disappoint -- the potted pork terrine platter was excellent, as good as we've had anywhere. Tables are set in the garden for good weather, and we had a lovely sunny day. Interesting... More

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Auckland, New Zealand
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 January 2012

We returned with good memories of a visit nine years earlier. The garden is still a haven for kids and our 4yo took delight in showing us bits of quirky play equipment, many of which our 10yo had enjoyed when she was a toddler. The cafe itself is quite a bit more upmarket than it was. It seemed to have... More

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Wellington
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 24 January 2012

We had to ask for directions to get there and we were told to take the old highway, not the new one as the new one misses this place. The place is very welcoming, staffs were very friendly. Very environmental, you should try the unconventional toilets! Food was excellent, my husband is a picky eater and he loved his seafood... More

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Auckland, NZ
Senior Contributor
23 reviews 23 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 January 2012

This is a strange but enchanting cafe which has some great food, while also engrossing the kids in all sorts of games and mysterious activities. Of course the highlight is the eels - who literally jump out of the water to get the food.

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Loweswater, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
32 reviews 32 reviews
Reviews in 19 cities Reviews in 19 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 10 December 2011

We found this lovely cafe on our way from Nelson airport to Marahau. It was an oasis of tranquility and we enjoyed wandering around the colourful gardens with their copious cherry blossom, as well as feeding the tame eels. Our light lunch and pot of tea were excellent. We were so impressed with the savoury muffins that the chef came... More

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NZ
Contributor
13 reviews 13 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 November 2011

Our favourite spot for Lunch. Many tasty options with seasonal specials and a wonderful relaxing garden setting, enjoyed by both adults and children in the play area.

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Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 October 2011

loved the food and different atmosphere. Well worth a visit for a relaxing afternoon in the tasman sun.

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Christchurch, New Zealand
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 September 2011

We had been to Nelson many times and never made it to Jester House - this time we made sure we did and cannot say anything except this place is fantastic. The food was fantastic and the surroundings great for children of all ages and they just love feeding the eels. Will always make sure we go back here each... More

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