The 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 kilometres 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 kilometre of river frontage, it is an ideal locale for a quick practise 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 & 2022: 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.

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