Last Light Lodge

Fiordland & Southland


This friendly cafe, surrounded by food gardens, bees and a chook run, stands out for its homemade cookies, pies and truffles, and smoothies thick enough to hold up a straw. There's a good all-day selection of food: fish and chips, panini, chicken curry and plenty more. The deck is a fine place to tackle a beer in fair weather.

It also has fairly ordinary rooms in a former forestry workers' bunkhouse (single/double $60/90), though its campsites (from $16), edged with edible plants, are lovely. Dorm beds in a yurt are $22, though they get hot in summer.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Fiordland & Southland attractions

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2. McCracken's Rest

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3. Clifden Suspension Bridge

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4. Orepuki Beach

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5. Monkey Island

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A former Māori whaling lookout, this grassy islet lies just metres off shore and is accessible at low tide. It's 4km southeast of Orepuki.

6. Te Hikoi Southern Journey

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Oh, that all small-town museums could be this good! The riveting Riverton museum starts with a 16-minute film about Pākehā sealer Jack Price and his Māori…