Directions

From Westport, take State Highway 67 through Granity, north towards Karamea. Our car park is about 1km past Hector on the right hand side.
As the lodge is only accessible by walking track, it is suggested to arrive at the car park at the bottom of the hill before 8p.m. to ensure your walk is in good light.
We will transport your luggage by arrangement.

The Old Slaughter House

Unique lodge situated on Slaughterhouse Hill, 100 metres above the sea.

25minutes north of Westport on the way to Karamea. 10minute bush walk to the lodge.  Astounding views from our verandas of the Tasman Sea from Cape Foulwind to Wekakura Point.  Ready Access to tourist attractions, outdoor pursuits, beautiful beaches, rivers and walks.

Welcome to The Old Slaughterhouse Travellers’ Lodge in Hector, winner of the 2004 BBH Best Hostel award.

The origins of The Old Slaughterhouse go back to Ireland in 1993. I fell in love with the idea of hostels and lodges, when travelling there.  Just before leaving Ireland to come back to New Zealand the idea of building and operating a travellers’ lodge occurred to me.

The name ‘The Old Slaughterhouse’ originates from an abattoir that operated on Slaughterhouse hill until the mid-1940s.

The lodge was hand built, using mostly recycled timber, doors and windows, with all construction taking place on site.

We generate our electric energy using a mini-hydro system. This limits the use of electric powered utensils such as microwave ovens, hairdryers, washing machine and internet.

Our fully equipped kitchen has two gas hobs and one gas oven, and we heat the lodge with driftwood from the beach.

Our water supply comes from a spring here on the property.

One of the unique features of this lodge is that it is not accessible by car. We have a 500 meter bush walk to the lodge, which takes about 8-10 minutes. We will transport your luggage by quad bike from the car park to the lodge by arrangement.

The Old Slaughterhouse offers you a choice of either a relaxing retreat or an activity filled visit.There are many kilometres of unspoilt deserted beaches, beautiful rivers and fascinating walks, like the Charming Creek Walk, in the northern Buller.Explore the numerous Mountain bike Trails in this area and around Denniston.You can also enjoy the tranquility and peace at this unique place 100 metres above the sea and read a book, listen to music or sit and do nothing.On many occasions during the summer months you can observe from our verandas Hectors Dolphins surfing and feeding in the water. A truly unique experience!

The lodge is situated almost halfway between Punakaiki and Karamea, which makes it an ideal place to plan a day trip to the Karamea area. There you will find the start of the Heaphy Track and the Oparara Basin, both truly magic places to visit.

The Old Slaughterhouse is also close enough to take a day trip to Punakaiki and the iconic Pancake Rocks, and you can experience the wonder of the West Coast Heritage highway.

….and come back to homemade baking and sit back on the veranda to watch a breathtaking sunset.

If you enjoy being surrounded by peace and tranquility, uninterrupted views of the sea, bush and sky, beautiful sunsets, birdsong and nature, then an enjoyable stay at The Old Slaughterhouse should be assured.