The Whenua Lodge Story

Like anything of value in this world it has to start with a dream that moves to a vision and finally, through dedication, hard work and sheer determination it comes to life.

This dream began some twenty-five years ago, or maybe more, at a time when Queenstown was in its infancy as a global tourist mecca and Glenorchy was an unknown dot on a map.

Pete, a proud Southlander had left New Zealand’s fair shores to pursue fame and fortune internationally but still harboured a deep passion to one day return and create something special in the deep South.

In 2000 that dream took a big step forward when he purchased the Rosie Way site, an expanse of mountainside, dense bush, and scrub, overlooking the Rees, and Dart rivers where they feed Lake Wakatipu. A stunning site, in a relatively unknown location at the time and one not without its challenges.

Owning land in this region is not a set-and-forget exercise in land banking for future development. It’s a living and evolving native landscape that demands regular and arduous maintenance.

One of the biggest challenges facing the environment in Otago is the smothering and invasive Wilding Pine. They grow so fast that they overwhelm the native landscapes, killing native plants, forcing out native flora, fauna and presenting a significant fire hazard.

To control the Wildings on the site for the ten years before building, a hardy and eclectic group of mates were coerced to help the owner clear the site every few years, armed with chainsaws, scrub-cutters, and usually hangovers from the night before.

Days spent cutting through the dense broom and brambles to reach and fell towering trees on the edges of steep craggy bluffs in the searing heat (or pouring rain) was a testament to the friendship and character of this hardy bunch.

However, the initially appealing promise of Pete shouting beers each night and then a final lunch at Queenstown’s famed Botswana Butchery, quickly paled into insignificance as the sheer magnitude of the task became startlingly apparent.

Playful discontent for the size of the prize on offer for the grueling hours and challenging conditions, this group of mates devised a gleeful catch cry, leveled with abandon and at every opportunity to Pete - OUR LAND!
In te reo Māori our land translates to whenua, hence the name Whenua Lodge (feh noo ah).

A mere twenty years on from the initial site purchase planning for the build started to get serious. The brief was clear, a luxury expansive Lodge-esque structure but a space that could comfortably accommodate two people or twenty-two people. The architecture and clever design of Whenua Lodge has delivered on that in spades. Intimate, private cozy spaces for a couple, sit seamlessly amidst bigger expansive areas of the building that are tailor-made for entertaining and hosting large groups of family, friends, or colleagues.

Following two years of inspirational research, meticulous design and planning, re-works, and more re-works Pete signed off a final set of detailed drawings.

When we say detailed, we do mean detailed; every tap, light-fitting and appliance, every material, finish, and fabric all specified to ensure that no detail was left to chance in the finished space.

Throughout the build and the interior, a desire and the pride and confidence to use New Zealand materials and products wherever possible has been met. A showcase of New Zealand fabrics, wall and floor coverings, timbers, stones, and handmade bespoke furniture prove this commitment to local. Equally, solar power, along with water and waste-water management, are all handled with the environment front and center and for the betterment and sustainability of the surrounding native bush. Please enjoy it. Pete.