Timber Trail Lodge

The Lodge also organised our bikes for the trail. They were in excellent condition and gave us a good ride - we were greeted by a cheerful and well organised member of staff at bike collection who gave a brief but concise orientation before we left. ||The Lodge itself gave a masterclass in hospitality. Young member of staff on arrival delivered all relevant information in a slick 2 minute presentation. Good service throughout, motivated staff. Premises clean. Comfortable beds, starched white bed linen. Evening dinner was varied, healthy and generous. Nice touches - interesting selection of loose leaf teas and some snacks for residents to graze on for free. Well curated wine selection. And a barista even attended in the morning!

Truly one of the best tourism businesses in NZ, makes it so easy for the family to have a great nature experience. The lodge is very clean and comfortable. The meals were absolutely awesome- everyone was full and satisfied; and they even catered for a diabetic diet which is incredible. It was so nice to be able to enjoy a cold local beer ( Lawnmover Lager from Ruapehu!) after a challenging but enjoyable day, and a beautiful outlook. Despite being the middle of nowhere, cans of craft beer were still $12; way less than most bars in the big cities. Many tourism business's put Kiwis off by charging like a wounded bull. The shuttle, the lodge, the trail...it's all awesome. Do it.

The lodge was a great experience. Very clean and tidy. Easy system with dropping off bags and having pizza and a beer on arrival. The meals were fabulous and the staff were very happy to help. Beer and wine was very reasonably priced and had lots to choose from. We had tea, cooked breakfast and packed lunch. All things were tasty and well prepared. ||Plenty of space in the room. Loved the big comfy bed and balcony. Every thing was easy and I would highly recommend as a stopover on this amazing track. Would definitely stay again. ||Thank you

We did the 1 night Southern package which included bikes and accommodation.|Seamless transport to the lodge after driving to the base at Ongarue.|Pizza on the deck after checking in .|Room (ensuite) was spotless and very comfortable with a deck outside to relax on .|Evening dinner was excellent and breakfast and the supplied lunch all of a high standard.|On the morning of our ride ,realised one of our bikes had a puncture, one of the team immediately solved the issue by conjuring up another bike … awesome service.|The ride itself was challenging but easily achieved on e bikes and if you’re into mountain biking is a must do . Took us about four hours to do the 45km section between the lodge and Ongarue.|Highly recommend both the Lodge and the trail , both exceptional and memorable.

Great location for our two day ride. Sitting on the deck watching the sun go down with a drink in hand, perfect after a big ride. Delicious meals, friendly service and comfortable rooms.

Loved the whole experience. Dropping off our bags so they were delivered to the lodge for the night and then being dropped to the beginning of the track was super easy. The Timber Trail Lodge was outstanding! Loved the food on offer, it was a delicious dinner and we had the cereal and spreads the next morning (to get an early start) and was a great choice. Coffee and tea anytime you wanted it along with bikkies. The rooms were excellent, clean and comfortable. We had one that slept 3 as went away with my husband and friend and room accommodated all three of us easily. Toilets and showers were great. The actual trail ride was great. You do need some level of fitness but if you do then well worth it.

We had an incredible time at the Lodge and biking the trail. I just wanted to give a special shout out to the cooking staff on delivering the guests some of the most fresh and delicious food we’ve had since arriving in Aotearoa. Well done and Nga Mihi!

A group of 6 of us went on the two night package and the whole thing was gold class! We were a mix of biking abilities from expert to absolute novice and although it was challenging in places the bike hire with the package made it all very easy and enjoyable. The staff, rooms, service and food were exceptional. Every little detail was the classic kiwi experience and the forest is stunning - even in the rain! The Lodge has everything you need and you definitely don’t go hungry! Stunning all round.