Fiordland Lodge

Lodging Details
There is an ideal room style for every guest who arrives at Fiordland Lodge. The main lodge contains nine spacious and tastefully decorated lodge rooms and deluxe rooms as well as one executive suite, all of which look out over the lodge lawn and to the spectacular mountains in the distance beyond the lake. Four of the five rooms on the ground floor are interconnecting, which are perfect for families and groups traveling together. The main room in the lodge has an extensive library upstairs and several cozy couches downstairs on which you may sit and read or enjoy the view with a cup of tea. There are also two self-contained log cabins on the property that can accommodate groups of up to five each—ideal for couples and families, or simply those guests who prefer additional solitude. Should you ever need anything from the civilized world, Te Anau is only a 10-minute drive away. Altogether, the rooms at Fiordland lodge are luxurious, comfortable, and above all, the perfect place to turn in for the night after a long day of fishing and a delicious meal in the lodge.

Food and Beverages
Cocktail hour precedes the evening meal and guests are invited to relax in any of the well-furnished seating areas within the main lodge—or perhaps by the 11m tall Riverstone fireplace—before migrating to the dining room. The in-house restaurant at Fiordland Lodge is incredibly special, not only for the panoramic views it affords its diners but also for the delectable cuisine it offers.  Food is a tremendous priority here and everything on the mouthwatering menu is very fresh and either locally-grown, sustainably produced, homemade, or harvested from the onsite garden. The menu changes daily, so you can experience as much New Zealand food as possible and avoid eating the same dish twice. It should be noted that the wine list is incredible, featuring many varietals from vineyards around the country and the world.

Typical Length of Stay
Trips of any length can be arranged. There is no set change-over day, so guests can arrive and depart on any day of the week.

Non-Angling Activities and Options
Fiordland Lodge is the perfect place from which to base an adventurous experience in this virtually untouched World Heritage Area, which is easily one of the most beautiful parts of New Zealand. Beyond fly fishing, there are innumerable activities available to guests of the lodge to ensure a fully rounded experience. For novice anglers, children or guests just wanting to try something different, there is the Fish Jet experience on the Waiau River, which holds up to 600 fish per kilometer. Simply step aboard the jet boat and explore pristine scenery whilst throwing a fishing lure at the bank as you go. Jetboat trips without fishing are also available on the Wairaurahiri River. Fiordland National Park is laced with hundreds of tramping (hiking) trails ranging in length from fifteen minutes to eight days! Guests can choose from guided nature walks to heli-hikes and independent excursions to any of the nearby tramps. Multi-day options are plentiful, with three of New Zealand’s “Great Walks” trailheads located less than an hour away from the lodge (Routeburn Track: 2-3 d, Kepler Track: 4-5 d, and the famous Milford Track: 4 d). There are also great day hikes to Key Summit and Lake Marian or you can go check out the Glowworm Caves nearby by night.

A trip to Fiordland National Park would not be complete without a visit to one of the mystical fiord-like sounds on the west coast of New Zealand. Milford Sound is considered the more famous and most visited of the two major sounds with the iconic Mitre Peak soaring straight up out of the water to an altitude of 5,551 feet above sea level. Guests can fly into the sound by plane or helicopter, or simply take the stunning drive—a route chiseled out of the sheer rock mountains covered in waterfalls and glaciers. If tranquility is what you crave, a visit to the secluded waters of Doubtful Sound will haunt you with the sound of silence and enchant you with its rugged beauty. Both sounds can be explored by boat, kayak, or air. With a helipad just out on the front lawn, a plethora of adventures are possible using this exciting mode of transit—and Fiordland Lodge uses only reliable professional operators. From a helicopter, you can hike, fish, bike, or simply take in some of the most breathtaking scenery on the planet. Please call us to help you arrange hiking excursions or helicopter experiences in advance.

Internet / Communications
Wireless internet is available in every room and in the main lodge and most cell phones do pick up the reception at the lodge.

How To Get There
Air New Zealand and Qantas run daily International flights from Los Angeles to Auckland on the North Island of New Zealand.  Air New Zealand also offers non-stops from San Francisco and Houston.  Typically, we choose to take an overnight flight, which makes the transition to this faraway time zone much easier. You simply take off, enjoy dinner and hopefully a full night of sleep, and then you wake up for breakfast and land in the morning 14 hours later—you just skip forward two days since you cross the International Dateline. From Auckland, you will catch one of the hourly flights to Queenstown.  In Queenstown, you may choose to rent a car for the scenic drive to Fiordland Lodge (roughly 2 hours), or we can arrange for a shuttle to transport you to the Lodge. Of course, there is the option to be transported from Queenstown directly to the front lawn of the lodge in a helicopter.  Please advise in advance so that the pilots can confirm safe weather conditions on the day of your arrival.

Arrival and Departure Details / Times
Upon arrival in Auckland, you will need to pass through immigration and customs—a process that is notoriously challenging for anglers traveling with fishing gear and outdoor equipment due to the strict biosecurity regulations in New Zealand. If you would like to bring your own equipment into the country, please let us know so that we can give you the best possible information on how to do so in a way that will not result in the confiscation of your gear! Once you have cleared this process, you will need to proceed to the domestic terminal either by bus or by walking five minutes along the clearly marked path. Air New Zealand representatives will be standing by to assist you in checking your luggage to Queenstown. Be aware that carry-on restrictions are tighter on regional aircraft, so you may have to check an additional bag. In Queenstown, all rental car companies have desks that are located next to baggage claim. Remember, if you are going to drive in New Zealand, they drive on the LEFT side of the road. Check-in time is after 2:00 pm and check-out is before 10:00 am.

Documents Required
Valid passport, fishing license, and proof of departure from New Zealand (return plane ticket is adequate). Travelers will need to apply for a NZeTA (New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority) before entering the country. This is a "short-term" via for those who are visiting New Zealand under 3-months and are traveling with a valid passport from a visa wavier country. 

Travel Arrangements
Yellow Dog provides airline reservations ad ticketing assistance through etcTravel Group, and a full-service airline logistics agent that can help book airline tickets, hotels, rental cars, and more. You can click here to request a quote or contact Yellow Dog for more information at 406-585-8667. etcTravel Group offers dedicated support services for all Yellow Dog clients. Service fees may apply when booking or researching tickets, and etcTravel will discuss this with you before sending quotes. 

Travel Tools
– Airline Ticketing
– Moon Phases
– Rent This Rod
– Trip Insurance and Emergency Evacuation
– Global Rescue Membership

General Information
With nearly 40 gin-clear rivers and streams within a 1.5-hour drive from the lodge, fishing options are aplenty. The lodge provides access to dozens of famous rivers—the Upakarao, Eglington, Clinton, and the Oreti to name a few—as well as countless others that are well off the beaten path. Depending on the weather, guests can elect to fish the remote rivers of Fiordland’s backcountry or the wide streams that weave through the lush countryside and flow past hundreds of curious sheep. Both experiences require a certain degree of fitness and balance to navigate narrow slots, rocky banks, and slippery riverbeds that lead to good fishing.

The region boasts a healthy population of both rainbow and brown trout ranging from three to five pounds on average, with specimens regularly weighing in at over six pounds. Guides focus on upstream sight fishing techniques and clients will often be required to make very accurate casts (as opposed to long casts) in order to hook the more clever, quality trout that give this fishery its reputation. Multi-day trips can be organized for the more adventurous angler.

Boats and Equipment
All fishing is done on foot and is accessed either by 4WD or helicopter. All gear is provided, from rods, reels, and flies, to waders and boots.  

Package Rates
Bear in mind that Yellow Dog’s services are completely free to you! When you book a trip with Yellow dog, you never pay more than you would when you book directly with the lodge or outfitter or any other booking agency. All prices listed below are per person, based on double occupancy, and quoted in US dollars. Trips of any length can be arranged, so please call Yellow Dog for details and custom package pricing. Please call to inquire about rates for Fiordland Lodge.

Heli-fishing cost is determined by the amount of time the helicopter will take to get to the remote site and the number of people on the flight, so the price can only be worked out on an individual cost basis when booked.

What’s Included:

• All meals and welcome drink
• Complimentary top range waders, boots, rods, and reels
• Guide for 1-2 people
• Picnic lunch
• GST

What’s Not Included:

• International airfare to Auckland and domestic airfare to Queenstown
• Transport from Queenstown to the lodge
• Alcoholic Beverages (with the exception of a welcome drink)
• Heli-fishing cost
• Gratuities for guides and staff

Children & Families
Log cabins are the best option for families. Interconnecting rooms are available and can be booked in conjunction with Lodge rooms. In respect to other guest’s private dining arrangements or dining in the restaurant before 7 pm will be made for families dining with children under the age of 10. The following applies for groups traveling with children:

Children between 5-11 years: $250

Children under 5 years of age using beds $250

Infants less than 3 years of age free of charge if using existing bedding NOTE: A Holiday season surcharge of NZD $200 per room per night, including 15% GST applies to guests staying December 24 through January 3 (inclusive). A two-night minimum stay applies 24 December through to 10 January. There is a maximum of 2 people per Lodge and Deluxe room only. 

Fiordland Lodge (South Island, New Zealand)
TERMS AND CONDITIONS – CANCELLATIONS
A non-refundable deposit of 50% per person is due at the time of booking to hold both space and guides on all packages. No space or guides will be held without receipt of deposit. Full pre-payment is due 90 days prior to date of trip. Since deposits and payments are non-refundable regardless of reason, Yellow Dog strongly recommends that anglers and guests purchase travel insurance for your trip. If a cancelled package is resold by either the lodge or by Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, then a full refund will be sent minus a $100.00 per person cancellation fee charged by Yellow Dog Flyfishing. For that to happen, however, all cancellations must be received in writing, sent to Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, LLC. No refunds can be made for unused arrangements or fishing time lost due to inclement weather. In no event will the lodge or Yellow Dog be responsible for any cancellation of services or operations due to inclement weather, any event of force majeure, airline delays, missed travel connections, or any other reason beyond the control of the operator. If your flights are late and connections are missed, the operator is not responsible for alternative travel arrangements including flights, hotels, meals and any other expenses incurred. Please note that fishing with and visiting this operation may require flying in helicopters. Passengers must understand and accept the risks which are inherent in and associated with such means of conveyance. Yellow Dog will not be responsible for any loss, damage or injury arising while practicing sportfishing or any other activity, or for any loss, damage or injury suffered aboard helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft. Receipt of deposit and/or final payment is acknowledgment that registrant has read and accepts the deposit, cancellation, refund and responsibility clauses for these packages. Once again, Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures strongly recommends that anglers and guests purchase travel insurance for all New Zealand packages.

Payment Terms for All Yellow Dog Trip Bookings  
Unless otherwise noted on your invoice, for all trips less than 90 days out, full payment is required after receipt of the confirmation email to secure guides and reservations. For trips outside of 90 days, a 50% deposit is required upon receipt of confirmation email to confirm your reservations.   

Yellow Dog accepts on-line payments via a secure payment portal – a quick and easy way to complete your trip reservation. Please reach out to accounting@yellowdogflyfishing.com to gain access. 

Yellow Dog Flyfishing Standard Forms of Payment 

• Debit card (fee-free) and credit card (3% convenience fee) - to pay via card please utilize the customer payment portal. If you need assistance, reach out to 406-585-8667 ext. #3 
• Wires - please include name and/or invoice number for reference on your wire. Please reach out to accounting@yellowdogflyfishing.com for wiring instructions. (client is responsible for wiring fees) 
• Physical check - please include your invoice number in the memo. Mail checks to 213 S. Willson Ave. Bozeman, MT, 59715

If you have any questions about alternate payment methods, please contact Yellow Dog at (406) 585-8667 ext. #3. We are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM MT.