Surrounded by a thousand acres of virgin forest and overlooking the beach, Furneaux Lodge describes itself as The Jewel in the Queen Charlotte Sound. Accessible only by water taxi or helicopter, the lodge provides a range of accommodation, from its Possums’ Nest with private bunkrooms for backpackers, to two-bedroom chalets and brand new one-bedroom studio units. All in all, it has facilities to accommodate up to 110 people.

The main lodge, a gracious old colonial building, was built in 1904. These days, it accommodates staff on the first floor, and an à la carte restaurant and fully licensed bar on the ground floor.

Jacky and Mark McManus have owned the lodge for almost two years.

“We just love the remoteness of the location and the views are stunning,” says Jacky. “All of the accommodation looks out over the water.”

They have what they describe as a working lifestyle. During the winter, when business is quieter, they live in one of the studio units. Come summer, when the bookings pour in, they relocate to the staff quarters in the main lodge.

“Eventually, we’ll build our own place on the grounds,” says Jacky. “In the meantime, we work such long hours that we’d scarcely have any time to spend at home, so in a way, the whole lodge is our home

Left: Jacky McManus Lodge Owner. Right: Nestled at the foot of Mount Furneaux.