Trout lodge fishing for a buyer
Tongariro retreat hosted president, Hollywood stars
Afamous North Island trout lodge that was a “fishing hideout” for a former US president, several Hollywood stars and some sporting greats is on the market.
Tongariro Lodge was set up by legendary angler and guide Tony Hayes in 1982 and has gained a reputation as one of the best flyfishing lodges in the world and featuring in major fishing and travel publications.
More than three decades on, Hayes has put the lodge, at the southern end of Lake Taupō and on the banks of the Tongariro River, up for sale so he can retire, and the agency marketing the iconic property has both international and local buyers in its sights.
The lodge started as a smaller
boutique accommodation offering with just the main lodge for the restaurant and six chalets each sleeping two guests.
Colliers manager of special projects Roger Seavill said its allinclusive packages attracted the rich and famous looking for a fishing
hideout and was how the Tongariro Lodge made its name.
It was during this time that former US president Jimmy Carter, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace star Liam Neeson, Robert Mitchum, and Larry Hagman, of Dallas fame, all stayed in the lodge.
“All sorts of people have come. It’s still a great conduit to some of the best fishing in the world and he still has special access to all sorts of rivers and fishing spots. They were there for fishing.”
The lodge borders one of the world’s best fly-fishing rivers, which is home to a diverse range of species including rainbow and brown trout.
More recently, an international tennis star retreated at the lodge before his game, Seavill said.
“People come into the country for whatever reason and if they have a yearning for trout fishing . . . they probably scoot down there,” he said.
“It is recognised as a trout fishing mecca worldwide.”
The lodge has expanded over the years to include a total of 10 onebedroom chalets and 17 villas, ranging between two and five bedrooms and accommodating up to 110 guests. A separate, two-bedroom manager’s accommodation is also on site.
There’s also a spa pool, helipad, petanque area and an all-weather tennis court.
The 9.1 hectare lodge sits at the south end of Lake Taupō just 2.5km from Tū rangi and while most famous for its fly fishing, it has also become a base for other outdoor activities such as the Tongariro Crossing, tramping and mountain biking tracks, snow skiing at Mount Ruapehu and whitewater rafting at Lake Taupō.