Waitutu Forest Lodge Accommodation

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​Situated on the west bank of the Wairaurahiri River on an ancient marine terrace, sits the Waitutu Forest Lodge. The Lodge was originally built in 1987 by a group of land owners. Materials were taken in by boat and helicopter - it was a magnificent achievement considering the remoteness and climatic conditions.  

The collection of buildings surrounding the Lodge - shown above - consist of the main Lodge, the Lodge Manager's house, a barbeque shelter and large chiller.

​The location of the Lodge offers a perfect place to base yourself for exploring the surrounding untouched podocarp forest and river.  It’s also only a five minute walk to the pristine and unspoilt South Coast.
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The Lodge provides 6 bedrooms with 20 beds, mattresses, pillows and duvets . Linen can be hired. The kitchen/dining room has gas cooking, a fridge, all utensils and crockery, and hot and cold running water. There are flush toilets, hot showers, bath, as well as a large drying cupboard. 
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The Lodge is warm and cosy with plenty of space to sit, chat and relax. 
How the lodge came about...
The Waitutu Block Settlement Act 1997, allowed for a proposed helipad, proposed mooring piles and a proposed house. This set the scene for the future. And so, it didn’t take long before planning had started for a lodge to be built on the SILNA land of Waitutu.
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One of the landowners – Graeme (Tiny) Metzger and his team of other landowners, built the Lodge using new and used materials. Their vision was for the Lodge to be a Marae whereby owners and future owners, would be able to come and stay in the Lodge and connect with their whenua. Tiny’s vision was in keeping with recognising the importance of Māori values.
​To give the Lodge a distinct cultural identity and reflect the relationship of the Lodge and the land to our Iwi and Hapu (Tribe and subtribes). The Lodge was completed in 1998 and has some similarity to how the huts looked on the Titi Islands.