Te Mata Lodge was built in the 1960s as a church youth camp. Over the years it has changed hands and directions a few times, most recently in March 2013 when it was purchased by the current owners, Murray & Dorothy along with their daughter Jovana and her husband Michael.

Over ten years ago, the owners at the time, had made some major changes, particularly converting the original “lodge” – the meeting room with communal kitchen/pool table/open fireplace and lounge – into their family’s home. This freed up the home for another self-contained unit – the two bedroom cottage.

When the previous owners, the Reeds purchased the property, the tourist accommodation aspect had stalled. So in addition to breathing life into the business, several renovations were made – the building of the indoor/outdoor kitchen, the conversion of cabins into lounge rooms, re-painting and redecorating units, the development of walking tracks, native bird trails, orchards, picnic areas and the building of two chalets.

The owners see Te Mata Lodge as a “work in progress” and have a heart to develop Te Mata Lodge further by introducing a Not-For-Profit aspect. The cabins on the property will be used to facilitate retreats and youth programmes through a recently established charitable trust called LivingWell Trust.