About Owen River Lodge

What makes Owen River Lodge so special? Well, in order to be New Zealand’s very best fishing lodge, a combination of many parts needs to come together.

We have warm luxurious accommodations, a friendly and motivated team of staff members to care for our guests, talented and innovative chefs, a team of happy, skilled fishing guides, modern and well maintained facilities, and understated and unpretentious service. But don’t take our word for it, read what our guests have said about their stay with us.

Our aim is to spoil you rotten, allowing you to unwind, relax and enjoy the stunning countryside around the Lodge.

And, of course, to indulge in our world class trout fishery.

Outstanding setting and views

Owen River Lodge is located in the Owen Valley near Murchison, in the Nelson Lakes district of the South Island of New Zealand.

We’re two kilometers from the main highway down a lovely country lane which follows the Owen River, a leisurely 90 minute drive from Nelson or approximately 4 hours from Christchurch.

The lodge sits on the bank of the Owen River among 16 acres of gardens and farmland.

With almost a kilometer of river frontage, it is an ideal locale for a quick practice before you venture out with your fishing guide or for that quiet after-dinner cast during the evening rise.

Modern New Zealand cuisine

The food at Owen River Lodge could best be described as stunning! Ryan, our head chef, has cooked for leading restaurants in New Zealand, USA and England. We use the very best of fresh, locally-sourced produce, much of which is picked right out of the lodge’s own vegetable and herb garden. Naturally, the tariff includes all meals, beer, some stunning house wine and non-alcoholic beverages.

Fishing Lodge facilities and services

Owen River Lodge is absolutely a specialist fishing lodge. However, the facilities and service offerings we provide have been developed for the angler and the non-angler alike.

To ensure the absolute privacy of our guests, we designed and built six guest cottage suites in the lodge gardens. Each cottage suite comes complete with wonderful views of the river, the valley and the mountains beyond.

The main lodge building includes the dining room, lounge room, sitting room, lodge shop, fly tying area and, of course, the bar.

One of our guest lounge rooms is equipped with Cable TV and DVD player and a Notebook PC for you to check emails etc. If you need to stay “plugged in”, we have a WiFi network with 4G delivered broadband which is accessible in the main lodge building and our guest cottage suites.

In the lodge grounds, just past our herb and vegetable gardens, you will find the dedicated massage room and our outdoor jacuzzi / spa. You’ll also find the path which leads down to over two acres of riverside gardens and a wonderful deck area located right by the river.

It’s a relaxing place to unwind from the stresses of modern life – whether you fish or not! The Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast regions offer a myriad of things to do for our non-fishing guests.

Accolades and awards

The lodge has won numerous accolades, including feature articles in many of the world’s leading fishing and non-fishing magazines:

• World Travel Awards : New Zealand’s leading Lodge 2021
• Qualmark 100% Pure Experience Award winner 2021
• Conde Nast Readers Choice awards 2020 & 2021 : Listed as one of the Top 25 Resorts in Australia and the South Pacific
• Tourisim Industry Association winner Visitor experience award 2019
• TripAdvisor’s “Certificate of Excellence and /or Travellers’ Choice” award every year for the past 11 years !
• Inducted into TripAdvisor’s “Hall of Fame” in 2018 & 2015
• Fodors Editor’s Choice award every year for the past 10 years
• Listed as one of the top 10 fishing lodges of the word by GearPatrol.com (2016)

September 2018 saw Owen River Lodge become the first fishing lodge in New Zealand to win at the New Zealand Tourism Awards, winning the Business Excellence Award.

In May 2018, the Lodge was awarded by Qualmark its prestigious Luxury Lodge certification. This is the highest level of certification in New Zealand.

At the same time, Qualmark also gave us a Gold Sustainable Tourism Business Award—which means Owen River Lodge is now the most highly-accredited fishing lodge in New Zealand.

Qualmark is New Zealand tourism’s official quality rating system for accommodation providers and the broader tourism industry and is wholly owned by Tourism New Zealand.

Our priority is to offer you generous, friendly and unpretentious hospitality.

We aim to provide you with the very best holiday/vacation possible and would like you to think of our lodge as your very own private luxury fishing club.

The Fishing

Over the years, New Zealand has developed a reputation for having the best sighted river fishing for trout in the world. And Owen River Lodge, with its easy access to the Nelson, Marlborough, North Canterbury and West Coast fisheries at the top of the South Island, is perfectly positioned to put you at the center of all the action.

Fly fishing – top of the South Island

Here you can enjoy fly fishing on numerous blue-ribbon streams and rivers, with over 30 waters accessible by road (most within one hour’s drive) and countless others by helicopter. The region offers huge variety, ranging from small, intimate rivers like the Owen River, to iconic freestone rivers such as the Wairau.

The average trout size ranges from 3lb to 6lb (there’s nothing average about that!) but each season our fishery grants many an angler’s dream of landing a 10 pounder.

A sighted brown trout fishery

You may have heard New Zealand’s rivers referred to as being “gin clear”. Well, it’s true!
Imagine stalking a 7lb or 8lb wild brown trout in water so clear that it looks 12 inches deep when in fact it’s up to your waist.

The fishing in our region involves walking and wading up stream and fishing for sighted brown trout. This means that for the majority of the rivers, you must see the fish before the fish sees you.

You should use a dull-colored fly line, long leaders and fine tippet. Unlike lake fishing, the majority of the casting you will do will be medium to short distances—accuracy being much more important than the ability to cast the complete fly line. Generally, anglers use a 5 or 6 weight rod, 9 to 10 feet in length.

Catch and Release fishing

We practice catch and release fishing, given many of our trout are resident browns, we have witnessed that the vast majority of fish, if handled & released correctly, live on to be caught again one day.

Accommodations

We designed our six, purpose-built guest cottage suites at Owen River Lodge with both the angler and non-angler in mind. They are located in the garden, a short stroll from the main lodge building.

These luxuriously-appointed suites enjoy stunning views of the water, the valley and Kahurangi National Park, with the delightful sound of the Owen River in the background.

Their design emphasizes light and space, accentuated by soaring, cathedral-type ceilings. They all feature fine art works and 100 year-old recycled Oregon beams and woodwork. Our accommodation suites can be configured with either a king-size double bed or twin single beds. We have a total capacity of 12 guests.

Features of our cottage suites

Suites are equipped with reverse cycle air conditioning, an electronic safe, ironing facilities, an alarm clock, mini bar stocked with complimentary soft drinks, premium New Zealand fruit juices, our own home made mineral waters, and tea and coffee making facilities – with real freshly ground coffee beans.

They also contain en suite bathrooms equipped with oversized towels, bathrobes, a hairdryer and, of course, quality New Zealand made shower gels, body lotion, shampoo and conditioner.

We have WiFi available in our guest cottage suites and the main lodge building, so you can email pictures of all the enormous trout you’ve been catching to family and friends back home.

Rest and relax in comfort

We get a lot of great feedback from our guests about how comfortable our beds are. Duvets/comforters are filled with 100% Kiwi Merino wool and we offer a range of pillows to help ensure you get great sleeps while you’re with us.

Spacious verandas provide a great location for a late-afternoon reading session as the sound of the river murmurs up from below. Alternatively, you can watch for rising trout, or just soak up the breathtaking views.

Travel Details

Flying

New Zealand has 3 primary international airports: Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. From any of these cities you can catch a direct flight to Nelson. We recommend Air New Zealand – proudly the national carrier of New Zealand. We can arrange private transfers to the lodge from Nelson, please call/email us for details.

Driving

We are located 2 kilometers down a country lane from State Highway 6 (opposite the Owen River Tavern), 15 minutes north of Murchison, a leisurely 90 minute drive from Nelson or approximately 3.5 hours from Christchurch (please give way to the sheep).

Driving from Nelson

Drive out from the airport, take the first roundabout and turn to the right. Follow this road (about 1 kilometer) until it ends at a T-intersection /roundabout. Turn right. You are now on the highway (State Highway 6) that will take you all the way to the lodge (just follow the signs to Murchison).

The lodge is located about 100 kilometers from the airport. On the way (50 kilometers approx) you will go over the Motueka Bridge/River – keep following the signs to Murchison.

You will see a sign on your left pointing to St. Arnaud (don’t turn off) – you are now 20 kilometers approximately from the lodge. You will then see a sign on your left saying Lake Rotoroa (don’t turn off here either). You are now about 10 kilometers from the lodge.

You will soon see the Owen River Tavern on your left – don’t worry you can’t miss it. It’s a two-story white pub/hotel in the middle of nowhere.

Slow down and just before the bridge, turn right up Owen Valley East Road. This is just after the pub, but before you cross the Owen River bridge. The lodge is two kilometers on your left.

Driving from Christchurch

Head out of Christchurch towards Kaikoura/Picton (State Highway 1) and drive though Amberley.

Approximately 10 kilometers after you leave Amberley you need to turn left off the highway towards Hanmer Springs/West coast (State Highway 7).

This will take you over the Lewis Pass. The next turn is at Springs Junction. Turn/veer to the right and follow the signs to Murchison (State Highway 65).

The Lodge is 20 kilometers after you leave Murchison (towards Nelson on State Highway 6). On reaching the Owen River bridge, cross it and turn sharp left onto Owen Valley East Road. The lodge is located two kilometers down this road on the left.

Travel Tips

New Zealand is a 3.5 hour flight from Eastern Australia. From the West Coast of the United States, a direct flight to New Zealand is 12 hours. From other places on the Pacific Rim, like Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo, flights take around 10 hours.

New Zealand Customs officers are very serious about maintaining New Zealand’s disease-free status. Its imperative that you declare any fishing equipment you have !

Please make sure your boots and waders are absolutely dry and spotless with no mud, grass or any other material attached to them. We recommend that you do not bring any fly tying materials (e.g. feathers).

2022 Dates Available:

• 8 > 21 October 2022

2023 Dates Available:

• 31 March > 22 April 2023

We have a 3-night minimum stay requirement, all rates quoted include GST.

Rates Include: pre dinner canapés, a three course dinner, cooked English or Continental breakfast, a picnic lunch daily, New Zealand house wine, beer, Wi-Fi, the use of all lodge facilities, including the use of loan fly fishing equipment such as Simms G3 waders & wading boots, Current model Sage rods & reels, mountain bikes etc. GST and accommodation in one of our guest cottage suites.

To secure your booking we require a deposit of 50% of the accommodation & guiding tariff – We accept Visa, MasterCard & American Express. Accounts settled using a Visa, MasterCard or American Express credit cards will attract a transaction fee of 2 % of the value of the transaction.

Owen River Lodge is a small boutique lodge and cancellations affect us greatly. If your reservation is cancelled within 90 Days of arrival there will be a charge of 25% of the accommodation & guiding.

Within 60 Days of arrival, there will be a charge of 50% Within 45 Days of arrival, there will be a charge of 75% Within 30 Days of arrival, there will be a charge of 100%

If you are unable to make a trip due to official government travel restrictions implemented because of the Covid-19 coronavirus, all payments will be credited to a future stay at Owen River Lodge.

This credit will be valid for 24 months.

We strongly encourage all guests to purchase travel insurance. 

FRA Cancellation/Refund Policy

At the time of booking 50% of the trip is due and payable. At 90 days the remainder plus all VAT and taxes are due. Cancellation greater than 90 days from the date of trip, all monies refunded less $100 fee if a replacement angler is found. Cancellation within 90 Days, no refunds are provided unless a qualified replacement angler is provided. No refunds are provided for trip cancellation due to Weather, Acts of God, Airline/Travel issues.

Travel Insurance

Front Range Anglers recommends all anglers to have Medical Evacuation Insurance- we recommend Global Rescue, and we HIGHLY recommend Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance. FOR ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT: KIM D’[email protected] – 617.459.4200

CLICK HERE TO VIEW FRA GENERAL TERMS & CANCELLATION POLICY

Trip  Insurance is strongly advised & recommended!