Canterbury · New Zealand
Flockhill Lodge
A thirty-six-thousand-acre high country station between Christchurch and Arthur's Pass
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Flockhill is a working sheep station of some 36,000 acres in the Craigieburn Valley, on the Great Alpine Highway about ninety minutes from Christchurch airport and close to Arthur's Pass. It is among the newest of New Zealand's serious lodges, and the setting - limestone tors, beech forest, braided rivers and a ring of mountains - is as good as the South Island high country gets.
There are two ways to stay. The Homestead is a standalone four-bedroom residence for up to eight, taken as a buyout with a private chef and attendant. The Villas are seven buildings holding fourteen private suites, with access to the shared Sugarloaf Restaurant and pool - the better fit for couples.
The experience programme leans on the land: hiking the tussock tops, mountain biking, caving in the limestone, kayaking and paddleboarding on the station lakes, station work with the musterers, and cooking classes. The Castle Hill boulders, a site of significance to Ngai Tahu and a magnet for climbers, are just down the road.
At a glance
What to expect
- 36,000-acre station
- Sugarloaf Restaurant
- Private chef at the Homestead
- Swimming pool
- Guided hiking and caving
- Mountain biking
- Kayaking and paddleboarding
- High country station activities
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