Craigieburn Valley, New Zealand

Flockhill

Price per night from$1,945.45

Price information

If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (inclusive of taxes and fees) available in the next 60 days.

Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (NZD3,250.00), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.

Flockhill Photos

Style

All-frills arcadian

Setting

Southern Alps seclusion

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A classic mountain lodge, Flockhill seems to follow the tone of its surrounding Southern Alps like a sheep. But on closer inspection, there’s a cosseting comfort to this farm’s renovation that diverges from its remote setting. Villas and suites are a sleek ode to local artisans, and the Homestead — this retreat’s magnum opus — comes with a pool and private chef. Step into widescreen Alpine scenery with guided hikes, cycles or horseback forays and the lure of farm-fresh fare to return to.

Smith Extra

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A welcome bottle of wine

Facilities

Photos Flockhill facilities

Need to know

Rooms

18 suites.

Check–Out

11am, and earliest check-in is at 3pm.

More details

Rates include breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as non-alcoholic drinks and a two-hour tour of the farm. Rates for the Homestead also include a private chef and alcoholic drinks.

Also

One of the Villas, and one of the bedrooms in the Homestead, are accessible for guests with limited mobility. All of Flockhill’s communal spaces are wheelchair-friendly, too, and mobility bikes are available with advanced notice.

At the hotel

36,000 acres of land with a vegetable garden, working sheep farm, trout pond and lake; wellies and waterproofs to borrow; charged laundry service, and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: TVs, air-conditioning, minibar, Nespresso coffee machine, tea-making kit, bathrobes, slippers and organic bath products. The Homestead, Villas and Deluxe Suites also have books and games.

Our favourite rooms

The Junior Suites make for a blissful base if you’re planning on spending your days exploring these great outdoors. But we’re notably enamoured with the Homestead — a four-bedroom expanse carved into the valley, with its own pool, a vintage-filled wine cellar and private chef.

Poolside

If you’re staying in the Homestead, there’s a private pool etched into its hillside, flanked with refined alfresco living areas and striking mountain backdrops.

Spa

There’s no formal spa, but masseurs can be called for in-room treatments, and the hotel has partnered with Opuke Thermal Pools & Spa, which is around an hour’s drive away (or 15-minute helicopter ride).

Packing tips

Once the hiking gear and walking poles are packed, be sure to download a stargazing app — the Southern Alps’ clear night skies are a scenic stage for constellations.

Also

The namesake land that Flockhill sits on is so-called for its scattered boulders, that sit atop the hill like a flock of sheep.

Children

Welcome; there’s no kids’ club, but activities can be tailored more towards little Smiths, and there’s ample sleeping space for families in the Homestead.

Sustainability efforts

Almost all of Flockhill’s produce is grown on-site, and everything else comes straight from local suppliers. The resident working flock is used for agro-ecological pest control, which has resulted in the return of many native bird species. The hotel’s farmers also work closely with Canterbury University to remove harmful plant species and protect local flora.

Food and Drink

Photos Flockhill food and drink

Top Table

Any of the window tables make for an awe-inspiring meal; for something more intimate, request a seat at the Chef’s Table.

Dress Code

During the day, countryside chic works well, but come evening, ditch the wellies and waders for something a touch more elegant.

Hotel restaurant

In such arcadian surroundings, you can trust the food is as local as those serving it. And the chefs at Sugarloaf stay true to that Southern Alps ethos, preparing their dishes with almost all ingredients grown on-site. Sally — Flockhill’s head gardener — drops off her harvest each morning and regional farmers supply the rest of the goods, meaning seasonal plates are ever-changing, but expect traditional, flavour-filled fare with a fine-dining touch and you’ll be right on the mark.

Hotel bar

There isn’t a separate bar, but you’ll find light bites and a mixture of classic and creative cocktails at Sugarloaf. Anyone bunking at the Homestead will also have access to a private wine cellar, filled with local labels, gins and whiskies.

Last orders

Breakfast is served from 7am; lunch from noon and dinner from 6pm. The bar is open between 7am and 1am.

Room service

Available in the Deluxe Suites and Villas during the restaurant’s opening hours. If you’re staying in the Homestead, you’ll have a private chef on hand for meals.

Location

Photos Flockhill location
Address
Flockhill
Great Alpine Highway
Craigieburn Valley
7580
New Zealand

Flockhill is cradled by the Craigieburn Valley’s snow-capped peaks and abutting lakes, in the heart of South Island’s Southern Alps.

Planes

Christchurch Airport is your closest international option, and staff can arrange private transfers for the 90-minute drive to Flockhill, at an additional cost.

Trains

The storied, scenic TranzAlpine rail route runs between Christchurch and Greymouth (daily during warmer months; less frequently in autumn and winter), with a stop at Arthur’s Pass — the hotel’s nearest train station, around 20 minutes away by car. Private transfers can be arranged for $125 each way.

Automobiles

A set of wheels will come in useful around these rural parts, and there’s free valet parking at the hotel, with private spots outside the Homestead, and each villa and suite.

Other

If you’re bringing the chopper, there’s a private helipad on-site.

Worth getting out of bed for

Recce Flockhill’s verdant 36,000 acres with a guided ATV tour, before picking up a pair of wellies and getting to know its corners in closer detail: meeting resident sheepdogs, learning to help herd the flock and visiting the woolshed. There are cooking classes at Sugarloaf, if frying comes more naturally than farming; and during the evening, clear, unpolluted skies make for a dreamy spot to stargaze. The creatively inclined can also try their hand at the historic art of pounamu (greenstone) carving over at a studio on the West Coast.

Scout the Southern Alps that surround you along its hiking trails, cycling routes and on horseback. Take your rods to the Porter and Broken River for a spot of fly fishing — more experienced anglers may want to try the Winding Stream, instead — or visit Lake Pearson for kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. There’s rock climbing at the Flock Hill boulders and wades through the Cave Stream Scenic Reserve for the more adventurous, too. If you’re visiting during August or September, you’re within easy reach of the Craigieburn Valley’s three ski areas for anyone craving a stint on the slopes.

Reviews

Photos Flockhill reviews

Anonymous review

By Mr & Mrs Smith

Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this rural retreat in Canterbury and unpacked their m?nuka honey and homemade truffles, a full account of their back-to-the-land break will be with you. In the meantime, to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside Flockhill in Craigieburn Valley…

When it came to scouting filming locations apt for CS Lewis’s world of Narnia, Flock Hill was high on director Andrew Adamson’s agenda. Fittingly so, given its mystical, verdant backdrops, looming mountains and freshwater lakes. And though you’re unlikely to find talking lions and friendly fauns, there’s a distinct magic that still encompasses Flockhill lodge — a bucolic, all-frills base for your very own South Island sojourn.

Set across 36,000 acres, this hotel is the consummate host. Whether you’re exploring on foot, by bike or horseback, guides are on hand for every route; resident shepherds (and their canine companions) will teach you the lay of the land, and cooking classes show you how to use its bounty with deft skill. Villas and suites entice with locally made textiles, hand-crafted furnishings and a backdrop of Purple Hill panoramas. And — if you’re checked in to the Homestead — a private chef waits in the wings for your every whim and want. These Southern Alps have cast their spell on us, too...

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Price per night from $1,945.45