Lake Rotoroa Lodge was built in the early 1920s, and has been lovingly restored and protected to this day. The ten individual guest rooms, which have en-suite bathrooms, include brass beds replete with feather quilts. Add to that some eccentricities in the décor, artworks, fixtures and fittings and the result is a charming and comfortable New Zealand country house.

This is a very special lodge in a very special place.

The hallway on the ground floor of the two-storey lodge captures the attention the moment you enter the front door. It contains an eclectic mix of objets d'art, paintings, stag trophies from the lodge's early days and, of course, the occasional trout.

The sitting room and bar is immediately to the right of the entrance hall with a large picture window which frames a stunning view of the lake and the dramatic mountain peaks of the Travers Range: Misery, Cupola, Hopeless and Angelus. In the evening, guests gather around the bar to tell stories of the day's fishing, to recommend a glorious walk taken or place visited.

Passing the lodge's well-stocked wine cellar, pausing only to more closely examine yet another item of quirky memorabilia, guests arrive at the lodge's elegant dining room, which shares a view of the lake that is almost identical to that recently enjoyed in the sitting room. Here fine dinners are enjoyed, complemented by wines from the region's world-renowned vineyards.