The Solo Scale:

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When I was booking my itinerary for New Zealand, I worked with a New Zealand based travel agency to help me pick my hotels & excursions. If you’d like to do the same, check out my post about Relaxing Journeys. As we worked on the itinerary, my agent made a suggestion that didn’t appear on any of the posted options. I would spend two nights at a little hotel in the Sounds — Lochmara Lodge.

I had no idea what it was. The only thing I knew was that it was just outside of Picton and would be my first stay on the South Island. That left me utterly unprepared for how utterly idyllic and perfect my stay would be — even with the rain washing out the last morning I spent there.

After disembarking the Interislander in Picton, I had a couple of hours to spare. The only transport to the lodge is a boat that departs at fixed points in the day. I dropped my bags off at the agency that would be taking me across, then had an amazing lunch in Picton on a beautifully sunny day. You can do like I did and spend the time reading on the beach or you can explore town. When it’s time to go, it’s just under a half an hour to arrive at Lochmara Lodge.

The transport is an additional fee, but considering I got private transport, it was worth the price. I didn’t get to see any wildlife on that trip, but it is a possibility! I checked in and received the Bell Bird Unit. This room came with the most incredible view of paradise.

On my first day, since I had arrived just after 3PM, the front desk warned me that it wasn’t advisable to do the Queen Charlotte Track hike since it would take too long and would leave me in the dark on my return. Given that I spent over 4 hours hiking the next day, they were absolutely correct. Instead, I explored the grounds of Lochmara (not small at all!) and ran into some Kunekune pigs (which are massive!). They also have laundry on site, but you’ll have to use their detergent (given that it’s an eco-hotel).

Being so isolated, there’s only one option for food. This is the on-site restaurant, but luckily, it’s an absolutely fantastic place to eat. My dinner on the first day was a rib-eye served with mushrooms + gorgonzola alongside potatoes & cherry tomatoes. The dessert menu boasts a gluten-free brownie that’s light as air and served with ice cream and berries. All of it was fantastic.

At night, bio-luminescent glow-worms will light up Glowworm Gully. If you head back down to the docks, you can see the bio-luminescence in play in the water. Down here at the dock, you’re also far enough away from the light pollution of the resort. That means you get an incredible view of the stars that’s difficult to find in many other places.

On my second full day at Lochmara Lodge, I kicked it off with breakfast at the cafe (poached eggs). Being solo came in handy because I was able to develop a rapport with the waitress, who was also the front desk clerk. She let me into the back of the front desk where I got to see the two baby Kunekune pigs! While they were super adorable, they definitely grow into massive pigs!

After breakfast, it was off to the underwater reef tour. This is a slight extra cost, but extremely affordable at only $22NZD. The tour is only a 5 minute walk away from the Lodge. It begins with feeding stingrays in the cove and walking by touch tanks full of sea urchins. Then, you head underwater to watch the mullets swim and try and escape the birds trying to eat them. All the while, the resort’s resident dog helped, fascinated especially by the stingrays swimming in the cove. The entire experience was just around 90 minutes. By the time it was done, it was now lunch hour.

Then, it was off towards the trail. The Track here is the Queen Charlotte Track. On the way, I timed it perfectly to see the pig and eel feeding demonstrations. My afternoon was dedicated to hiking, and it’s a lot. You should come prepared with hiking shoes, water bottles, and walking sticks. This goes doubly if you’re going when I did when the ground gets wet thanks to the rain. I did a part of the Track, but still spent 3.5 hours on it. There were forests of dead pines, amazing views of the Sounds, and the bird-song and the wildlife are incredible. Upon my return to Lochmara Lodge, I was in for a treat — more wildlife. This time, the alpacas and sheep out grazing!

That evening, it was back to the cafe. There’s only one restaurant option, don’t forget, so it’s lucky that the menu items are so delicious and the waitstaff is fantastic. Dinner that evening was salmon, followed by a chocolate caramel cheesecake. After a long day of hiking, there wasn’t much energy left, which meant that my long day in the Lochmara wilderness was over and departure day was nigh.

I experienced heavy rain on the last day, which was lucky as I’d done all my outdoor activities the day before. The water taxi was leaving mid-morning, so I had time to read a book overlooking the Sounds before checking out, leaving paradise behind.

Some caveats to keep in mind:

• There is internet (though limited and slow), which makes it a good excuse to disconnect.
• You’ll also only have the one restaurant for food options, but it’s fantastic and there are so many things to try.
• There’s also a laundry facility on site, but you’ll have to use the eco detergent they provide, so make sure you can get your hands on some change.

With only a limited amount of rooms, Lochmara Lodge is a hidden gem, but absolutely one that you should discover if you’re in Marlborough and want a truly unique experience you’ll never forget.

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