The Lodges


Experience Wild New Zealand

Wilderness Lodges are recognised as New Zealand's premier nature discovery & wilderness destinations. They have been at the forefront of the eco-tourism and conservation for 29 years and remain New Zealand owned and operated by the McSweeney-Saunders Family.


Origins of the Wilderness Lodges

The Wilderness Lodges were started by conservations/teachers Anne Saunders and Dr Gerry McSweeney in 1989. Read about their journey from forest conservation campaigners in the 1980s to the development their first Wilderness Lodge at Lake Moeraki, followed by a second incorporating sustainable sheep farming at Arthur's Pass.


Joint Wilderness Lodge Itineraries

Have a look for some travel ideas that combine stays at both the Wilderness Lodges. Visiting both lodges is an excellent way to experience the best of wild New Zealand.


Conservation & Environment

We are passionate about celebrating NZ's natural world and wild landscapes. The environment is at the core of what the Wilderness Lodges do.  We are actively involved in our own conservation projects and work closely with the wider community.


Document Library

For those who appreciate detail, we maintain a document library with various resources outlining different aspects of the Wilderness Lodge operation. Take a look if you want to find out more about wildlife, sheep farming or conservation projects.

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Wilderness Lodge Lake Moeraki is located on the South Island’s West Coast between the Glaciers and Wanaka/Queenstown. It is a comfortable 5.5 hours drive from Wilderness Lodge Arthur’s Pass and 3.5 hours from Queenstown Airport. We have driving notes available for the journey north or south.

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Wilderness Lodge Arthur’s Pass is located on Highway 73 between Christchurch and the West Coast. It is less than 2 hours drive from Christchurch and the towns of Greymouth & Hokitika and a comfortable 5.5 hours to Wilderness Lodge Lake Moeraki. The TranzAlpine train stops in Arthur’s Pass and transfers to/from the lodge are available.

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Getting Here

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