As you drive south along State Highway 8, one view stands out more than others. On a crisp, clear, sunny day the view is world class, and on a dreary, grey day it’s still pretty outstanding. The vibrant turquoise blue of Lake Pukaki is punctuated by Aotearoa’s tallest mountain, Aoraki Mt Cook. And it’s this view that guests of Lakestone Lodge can enjoy regardless of what room they are in. It is a boutique experience with not only phenomenal alpine views, but out-of-this-world astro views too.
As owner/operator Mike Bacchus tells it, the seed of Lakestone Lodge was planted in Mongolia.
“Anna [my wife] and I were living in Mongolia because I was working as a geologist,” he said. “We were living in a yurt and Anna had a thought that they would be a great accommodation option along a cycle trail.”
Once back in Aotearoa, the couple heard about an upcoming cycle trail, the Alps 2 Ocean, and thought somewhere along the proposed route would be the ideal spot for their yurt retreat. Unsurprisingly, finding the land for this dream wasn’t easy. After searching for the right bit of land for 8 years the couple struck it lucky in 2013 when a piece of land did become available in what they thought was the most incredible spot in the world and far surpassed their expectations. They bought it immediately.
They quickly realised that the extreme wind zone would not be suitable for the tents and had to go back to the drawing board and build something more solid to withstand the extreme Te Manahuna/Mackenzie environment.
They broke ground in 2015 and slowly watched as their vision grew up around them. Not even the infamous snow of June 2015 stopped construction. While this was happening, the couple lived with their then infant children in Twizel, and really got to know the community.
“We love being a part of the Twizel community,” Mike said. “Now we like to help out and give back with local fundraisers by offering stays at the lodge.”
Mike and Anna recently hosted a fundraiser for the Twizel Kindergarten, bringing Twizel locals up to the lodge for a 3-course dining experience that not only raised money for local kids, but also gave locals a chance to enjoy something special right on their doorstep.
When the doors officially opened in 2016, Mike and Anna knew they had built something special. And not long after, they welcomed head chef Steffen Ekerdt along with his wife, Selina who have been at the lodge ever since. Steffen and Mike work closely to ensure guests have an elite dining experience, while Selina puts her experience working as a masseuse in 5-star resorts in Switzerland to good use – yet another way Lakestone Lodge offer a unique experience in Te Manahuna/Mackenzie.
Designed to be as eco-friendly as possible, Lakestone Lodge runs off grid. Solar panels are installed on the roof to harness the sunshine hours of the Mackenzie, and water is sourced from a bore. They aren’t connected to any council mains, so they also look after their own sewerage.
Guests to the 6-room lodge also get to enjoy comfortable, double-glazed rooms, with concrete walls that absorb heat and reflect it back into the rooms. But the real novelty is, of course, the view. Each room faces Lake Pukaki, and guests can bask in the glory of Aoraki Mt Cook from the comfort of their own private courtyard. Or, for a luxury experience, from the bath with a glass of champagne in hand. There is also a honeymoon suite that has its own outdoor hot tub.
When they’re not relaxing at lodge, guests have the option of taking a complimentary mountain bike to explore the Alps 2 Ocean trail, which they can pick up right across the road, or walking the Pukaki Kettlehole Trail up the back of the lodge. However, the lodge is more than an outdoor adventure stop off, it is also just a place to relax.
“Following the COVID 19 restrictions, we had people flying down from Auckland to Christchurch then driving down here just to stay with us,” Mike recalled. “They’d take the odd day trip into Twizel, or into the national park, but the majority of time was spent relaxing here with us.”
The Lakestone Lodge experience isn’t complete without an evening under the stars. Mike, Kerry Bellringer, or Ben Prince act as night sky guides as guests relax on reclining chairs with the comfort of a warm blanket and a mulled wine while they gaze up at the Milky Way.
“Most of our guests have travelled the world and seen mountain views,” Mike said. “But not many of them have had the opportunity to see the Milky Way like we can in Te Manahuna/Mackenzie.”
The question almost all guests ask the small, dedicated team who work at Lakestone Lodge is “do you ever get sick of the view?” and the answer is “no”. As Mike said, “it’s the same lake and mountains but they always look different due to different atmospheric conditions and it’s storms that we love watching the most as everything changes so quickly”.
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