Fish and Game Environmental award

Manuka Point Lodge is an award winning, luxury hunting lodge and recipient of the coveted ‘Natural World Award’ from Fish and Game New Zealand. The conservation efforts of the Patterson family are showcased throughout Manuka Point by the pristine wilderness, lush foliage, native forests and crystal clear alpine rivers. Environmental Award Recipient 2018 – Manuka Point Station and Lodge This station (Ranch) is located in the headwaters of the Rakaia River, situated on the true left bank, opposite Double Hill Station. Access is across the mainstream of the Rakaia proper. The farm’s main source of income is from their Game Estates and hunting operation, offering International guests the chance to hunt for Big game animals and fish in pristine waters. The station also has an extensive livestock operation, with a flock of rare Arapawa sheep and herds of Fallow and Red deer. Don and Julie Patterson bought the station 16 years ago and moved up from Southbridge. Don was raised on the banks of Harts Creek. It was here, at a tender age he caught his first Brown trout, bobbed for eels and took his first swim. The Patterson family are great stewards of the land and run a high-yielding, low environmental impact operation. The existence of healthy tussock drylands and wetland plant species on their property is testament to their desire to keep things as natural as possible. Which is very commendable, given the pressures on many high country farms to intensify their farming operations. 2004 was the last time fertiliser or chemicals of any nature were applied. The rewards for this approach are easy to observe, with the Lodge set in a stunning mountainous location, bordered by tussock grasslands and native beech forest. Their desire to work with the environment has delivered significant benefits for our spawning areas and also helped maintain a wider diversity of native plant, bird and animal species in their locality. Fish and Game staff have a long history of working with Manuka Point Station, given the primary spawning streams on their property and the regular spawning stream monitoring undertaken by Fish and Game. The jug is always hot at Manuka Point! Don and Julie Patterson are great ambassadors across both the farming and sports hunting/fishing sectors. They have also focused on environmental initiatives within their lodge, e.g. recycling and heating with renewable geothermal energy; to ensure they are walking the talk with the locals and their discerning International guests. We felt their positive efforts worthy of the award. Scott Pearson / Environmental Advisor