press kit
The design stakes on New Zealand’s South Island were elevated when a chic hideaway on the shores of Lake Wakatipu was unveiled with the opening of Matakauri Lodge in 2010.
With two successful North Island lodges in The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs and The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, the trifecta was completed when Julian Robertson and son Jay discovered the perfect spot for a South Island luxury lodge.
Visiting Matakauri Lodge for the first time on a scouting mission for the perfect South Island property, father and son were initially astounded by the lakeside position. However, it was when the beautiful old steam ship TSS Earnslaw cruised into view that the pair knew they had found somewhere special.
Billed as an “organic spa”, the existing circa 2000 lodge on the shores of Lake Wakatipu was purchased in 2009. The lodge and its eight surrounding suites displayed the hallmarks of contemporary New Zealand architecture – bold natural materials such as schist stone and timber, however, the overall feel was dated and not of the calibre of the family’s two North Island lodges.
Enlisting their ‘tried and true’ team of Auckland-based architects Sumich Chaplin and renowned lodge interior designer Virginia Fisher, the task of raising the new acquisition to the standard of its sister properties began, with the property being completely refurbished and extensive additions undertaken.
The Robertsons took a broader view with the design brief than the architects, insisting that they strive to build the lodge as a model for other developments in Queenstown, the kind that enhances rather than detracts from the beauty and nature of its surrounds.
To take utmost advantage of the Lake Wakatipu vistas across to The Remarkables, Cecil, and Walter Peaks, wall to wall tall glass windows were incorporated to frame the stunning views from every angle, with the architecture making the most of its location.
The exterior of the lodge is constructed of local schist stone, and extensions adhered to that theme. Use of simple forms and natural material such as cedar and beech ensured the built structures blended with the landscape. Peaked roofing echoes the commanding peaks across the lake, and wooden shingles merge into the woodland tree line.
The renovations took around 18 months and Matakauri Lodge opened in its spectacular new guise in late 2010.
Driving in through forested headland towards the glistening alpine lake and arriving at the lodge, the sheer grandeur and towering presence of Cecil & Walter Peaks immediately awes. The lodge plays to its strengths and lets nature take centre stage. In fact, few properties in the world have such an inspiring arrival and strong sense of place.
| “The lodge is arguably the South Island’s most written about hotel property, but its world class spa, facilities, Virginia Fisher interiors, spectacular location and exceptional service makes it deserving of all the hype it gets”. - The Australian Financial Review. |
While not on the scale of the “sister properties” on the North Island, Matakauri counters its smaller size with the vastness of what lies outside. There are no other buildings in sight - just lush native bush, deep, still waters and dramatic towering mountains so close to seemingly touch.
This bold landscape demanded strong colour palettes, and Virginia Fisher let this provide her cue for the interiors, which echo the foliage and the changing seasons. Less formal and more contemporary in style, Matakauri feels airy, light and eclectic. Fisher’s signature style is also evident in the tactile textures and touches of the industrial, almost Scandinavian-chic, feel.
Large area rugs add warmth to rustic pine floorboards and white wainscoted ceilings, while plush sofas, soft cushions, and a white-washed sideboard add to the sophisticated, yet cosy feel. The striking, free-standing central fireplace, with its brushed rust coloured flue, separates the two tiered and convivial room, the lower level being the dramatic dining area with full glass windows for front row seats of the scenery.
A staircase off the main reception foyer leads up to the library, a charming and snug space, complete with a fireplace, cosy seating, and a dining and games table. A coffee table in this space comes with a unique story, made from reclaimed timber that washed up on New Zealand’s shores from the 2004 tsunami in Thailand.
Important pieces of New Zealand and international contemporary art were incorporated throughout, including pieces by Stephen Banbury, Callum Innes as well as Pablo Picasso.
The lodge has eleven suites, eight of which are in outlying buildings spanning off from the central lodge. Each suite has its own private porch, expansive bedroom (many on a raised mezzanine level) with concertinaed shutters to separate the lower sitting area with its well-placed daybed and open fireplace. Other signature touches as walk-in robes and a generous bathroom with deep, inviting free-standing tubs, which many have exclaimed to be the most scenic in the world, are part of the mix.
With a growing demand for additional suites, in 2014 Sumich Chaplain and Virginia Fisher were called on to design the four-bedroom Owner’s Cottage, now known as the Matakauri Four Bedroom Villa. Conceived as a place for families and groups of friends to enjoy their own private lodge setting, the completed Owner’s Cottage surpassed all expectations and truly upped the ante on the comforts of a lodge, and for hospitality on the South Island of New Zealand.
From the spacious living and dining area with a large fireplace, the deep and lush sofa with silver rabbit throws, stand out art including some Picasso ceramics, and a ‘de rigueur’ floor to ceiling glass rear wall to fully capture the gobsmacking views, the Owner’s Cottage is the ultimate alpine hideaway.
For the Cottage’s four generous and utterly private suites, each with their own terraces, Fisher chose a soothing colour scheme of soft creamy golds, which shimmers when the light pours in from the lakeside, making for an ambiance more of a private home than commercial hotel lodgings.
The more contemporary in both architecture and design of the three New Zealand lodges, Matakauri Lodge has been the “go to” for savvy travellers from around the world who are captivated as much by its eclectic and chic design as by its unparalleled lakeside location. Known as Rosewood Matakauri since December 2023, the legacy of the Robertson’s property is in good hands.
