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We are passionate about the Mackenzie High Country. We were coming here for years on holiday, before moving from Australia permanently in 2003. We love the tranquility of our rural setting and the majesty of the scenery.
We didn't set out to build luxury lodge accommoation but when we found this beautiful place we knew we had to do it justice and build the best we could.
We have walked many of the tracks in nearby World Heritage listed Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park and flown through the stunning mountains in ski plane and helicopter. We have spent hours in the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre at Mt Cook village which is an entertaining and interesting experience.
Moving to Twizel was a homecoming to New Zealand for Rosalie as her parents were from Auckland, but moved to Sydney where she grew up. She spent many years as an international travel consultant which nurtured her love of travel and pleasure in new experiences. She and Russell have travelled extensively and still get "itchy feet" on a regular basis
Rosalie loves to cook and has searched for the freshest produce to serve at Matuka Lodge. "Our eggs come from a local farm where the chooks run around in the grass as chooks are supposed to do. We are fortunate to have superb locally farmed salmon which is completely natural, antibiotic and additive free, and is processed at the Twizel Aoraki Smokehouse. The delicious borage (viper's bugloss) honey comes from local bees and we buy the exceptional ham and bacon from free-range Havoc farm at Waimate."
Rosalie was travelling in Zululand, South Africa when she met Russell and experienced a "Mills and Boon" moment, falling for the tall handsome ranch manager. A holiday romance turned into a lifelong partnership.
Russell is passionate about fly fishing, with the ultimate thrill coming from stalking a big trout, catching it with a fly he’s tied himself, then releasing it to fight another day. He considers the local streams and lakes provide some of New Zealand's best fly fishing. Semi retirement in Twizel is Russell's idea of heaven.
Growing up near Johannesburg Russell has worked in gold mines, on road construction and spent several years as a professional hunter and photographic safari guide, before moving to Australia to marry Rosalie. There he worked as a builder, before returning to the bush to work for the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Rosalie and Russell have been interested in sustainable environmental practices for years and when they designed Matuka Lodge they took advantage of its north facing aspect to get maximum benefit from the winter sun through passive solar heating. Very little sun enters the lodge during the summer and a breeze off the trout pond keeps the temperature pleasant all summer. The Lodge is a timber frame construction on a concrete slab, clad in Coloursteel and lined with plasterboard. It has double glazing and is fully insulated.
During construction Russell put on his old nailbag and worked with a team of local tradesmen. Rosalie had fun decorating the lodge, using some of the furniture they'd brought with them from Australia and finding other pieces in antique shops in Dunedin and Christchurch. Rugs and artifacts they've collected on their travels are on display.
We obtain our water from our own well and the trout pond in front of the Lodge is fed by a stream that flows out of, and back into, the Fraser River. The pond has developed into a wetland sanctuary for resident and migrating birds and Spring is a special time when the grey ducks breed and we have ducklings bobbing around in the water. There are no formal gardens, with the grounds planted with mainly native grasses and tussocks, with deciduous trees and conifers in the woodlot.
In October 2008 John and Colleen Clark joined the team at Matuka Lodge. They have been friends with Rosalie and Russell for thirty years, since John and Rosalie worked together for nearly ten years in the 80s when John was manager of East West Airlines in Armidale, NSW, and Rosalie was a travel consultant. They had been working together for several years when they discovered they shared the same wedding anniversary - same time, same day, same year. When the airline was wound up they went their separate ways but kept in touch.
 Having raised their family and being newly retired, John and Col decided to leave Brisbane and, when not busy at the Lodge, will pursue their dream of exploring New Zealand in their motorhome. John has also worked in the mining industry when he and Col were first married and they worked in outback Australia and lived in a campervan. John has recently worked in telecommunications. John flies large power kites when he can find an appropriate beach and has a keen interest in aviation. While attending to the needs of their four children Colleen ran her own successful home services business, providing for the needs of mainly elderly people. John and Colleen have six grandchildren.
Chris Lavery has been the housekeeper at Matuka Lodge almost from the beginning. She’s the one responsible for keeping the Lodge up to 5 star level of cleanliness and we couldn’t do without her. She also bakes the fabulous shortbread. Chris lives in Twizel with her husband and daughter Crystal.
At Matuka Lodge we are committed to pursuing environmentally sustainable practices wherever possible and are proud to have achieved Qualmark Enviro Silver status. We recycle almost all their waste, compost all vegetable material, grow salad greens and some vegetables in our organic vegetable garden, have allowed the grounds to regenerate with native grasses and have planted hundreds of trees. Cleaning and personal products are from companies that use natural ingredients without synthetic chemicals.
We would love to meet you. Go to Bookings and choose your room.
Come and share the magic of Matuka Lodge.
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Matuka Lodge owners and hosts - Russell and Rosalie Smith
"We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to this unique corner of New Zealand"
rated by Qualmark
among the best available
in New Zealand
come and share the magic
of Matuka Lodge
make a Booking now
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