Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / New Zealand / Wanaka / Minaret Station Alpine Lodge
Minaret Station Alpine Lodge
Wanaka, New Zealand · Independent · Grand Luxury
Reachable only by helicopter, Minaret Station sits in a high alpine meadow at about 3,000 feet on the western shores of Lake Wanaka, on a 50,000-acre working high-country farm bordered by Mount Aspiring National Park. Four private chalets and a central Mountain Kitchen lodge accommodate a maximum of 12 guests, often booked for exclusive use, on land owned by the Wallis family since 1995.
- 4 rooms
- Opened 2010
About Minaret Station Alpine Lodge
- Minaret Station Alpine Lodge is reachable only by helicopter, a 25 to 30 minute flight from Queenstown or 15 to 20 minutes from Wanaka.
- Sir Tim Wallis, known as Hurricane Tim, pioneered helicopter venison recovery and backcountry heli-access from the station in 1963.
- The Wallis family has owned the land since 1995, though their connection to the station dates to the early 1960s.
History
Minaret Station Alpine Lodge sits in a high alpine meadow at about 3,000 feet on the western shores of Lake Wanaka, on a 50,000-acre working high-country farm bordered by Mount Aspiring National Park and reachable only by helicopter. The land has been in the Wallis family since 1995, though their connection dates to the early 1960s, when Sir Tim Wallis — "Hurricane Tim" — pioneered helicopter venison recovery and backcountry heli-access from 1963.
The lodge comprises four private luxury chalets arranged around a central lodge, the Mountain Kitchen, accommodating a maximum of 12 guests and often booked for exclusive use — an intimate, helicopter-only wilderness retreat on New Zealand's South Island.
Restaurants and bars
- Mountain Kitchen — Restaurant
Experiences
- Scenic helicopter flights — Spectacular scenic helicopter flights from Queenstown or Wanaka, with an alpine landing.
- Helicopter touring — An extensive range of helicopter touring across New Zealand's South Island.
- Hiking — Hiking in the Southern Alps and South Island landscapes.
- Heli skiing — Heli skiing, a pioneering activity of the Wallis family company since 1963.
- Backcountry fly fishing — Backcountry fly fishing on South Island waters.
- Guided hunting — Guided hunting experiences on the South Island.
Amenities
- Hot tub
- All-inclusive
Open Minaret Station Alpine Lodge in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
More hotels in Wanaka
- Mahu Whenua Homestead — Independent · Grand Luxury