Blanket Bay - Owner's Residence

The Location

The Owner’s Residence sits within the wider Blanket Bay estate at the northern end of Lake Wakatipu, on land forming part of a 60,000-acre high country station bordered by Fiordland and Mount Aspiring National Parks. The drive from Queenstown follows the lake’s edge for around forty minutes, with the Southern Alps building steadily ahead; a helicopter transfer from Queenstown Airport covers the same ground in minutes. From this position, families can reach three of New Zealand’s classic walking tracks — the Routeburn, the Greenstone-Caples and the Rees-Dart — along with the Dart River, whose jet boat and kayak routes gave this stretch of country a starring role in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. It is a rare setting for a private family residence: genuinely remote, bordered on two sides by national park, yet close enough to Queenstown for an easy transfer at either end of the stay.

The Residence

Accessed by its own private driveway, the Owner’s Residence is built across two connected buildings set amongst established gardens. The main house holds two large bedrooms, each with its own ensuite; the master bedroom adds a stone fireplace, wooden floors and views across Lake Wakatipu to the Humboldt Mountains. Its main lounge and dining area centre on a second large stone fireplace beneath a picture window looking straight out over the lake, while the rustic country kitchen overlooks a stone courtyard and the garden walkway leading to the separate, elevated studio. That studio adds a further two bedrooms, each with its own ensuite, giving the Residence four bedrooms in total and comfortable capacity for groups of four to ten or more guests. Fully self-contained yet only a short walk from the Main Lodge, it is designed for families and groups who want a private home base with the option of stepping into the wider resort whenever they choose.

The Experience

Life at the Owner’s Residence can be as private or as connected as a group prefers. Breakfast, pre-dinner cocktails and dinner are included and can be taken within the Residence’s own kitchen and dining room or at the Lodge, where chef Dan Reynolds’ nightly five-course degustation menu is served in the Dining Room, on the Grand Terrace, or in the more intimate wine cave and tasting room. By day, the surrounding wilderness is fully accessible: heli-skiing across untracked Southern Alps powder, heli-fishing to remote South Island rivers, Dart River jet boat safaris, guided walks along the Routeburn, horse riding, and scenic flights to Milford Sound and Fiordland — all suited equally to a family group of mixed ages or a full multi-generational booking. The Lodge’s spa, steam rooms, gym and heated outdoor lap pool are included throughout the stay. It is a setting built for the particular rhythm of a family holiday — everyone under one roof, with the whole of Blanket Bay still on hand.

Property Details

Location: Owner’s Residence, Blanket Bay, Glenorchy, on Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand — approximately 40 minutes by road or minutes by helicopter from Queenstown

Accommodation: Main house — 2 bedrooms, each with ensuite, master with stone fireplace; separate elevated Studio — 2 bedrooms, each with ensuite; connected by a walkway through a private courtyard

Capacity: 4–10+ guests

Access: Private driveway, fully self-contained

Dining: Rates include breakfast, pre-dinner cocktails and dinner, taken privately in the Residence or at the Lodge’s Dining Room, Grand Terrace, wine cave or tasting room

Wellness: Full access to the Blanket Bay Spa, steam rooms, gym, hot tub and heated outdoor lap pool (summer months)

Setting: Positioned within the wider Blanket Bay estate on a 60,000-acre high country station, bordered by Fiordland and Mount Aspiring National Parks

Season dates, rates and minimum night stay requirements may apply. Please contact one of our team for accurate availability and quotes.  The Owner’s Residence can be booked as a two or three bedroom option also.