Paradise Trust owns and operates the historic property known as Paradise, on Paradise Road beyond Glenorchy at the head of Lake Wakatipu. It is a charitable trust running a roughly 200-acre property of forest, lakeshore, mountain clearings and heritage buildings, offering what it calls accessible wilderness accommodation. The trust operates on a not-for-profit basis, with funds beyond essential operating costs going back into the property.
Paradise House, originally Eden Grove, was designed by the architect William Mason as a rural retreat in 1883 and was run as a tourist guest house by the Aitken family from the mid-1880s until the early 1940s; by 1890 capacity had been extended with the addition of the Miller House wing. The Miller family bought the property in 1949 and continued to host visitors in cottages and huts around the property. Following the death of David Miller in 1998 and a nationwide appeal for a new owner, the property passed to the Paradise Charitable Trust, formed that year to preserve and enhance Paradise for visitors, particularly children and families. Miller House and The Annexe are Category 1 historic places; Miller House was restored to a luxurious standard after a fire in May 2014.
Three tiers, all bookable individually or together. Boutique accommodation sleeps 12 across Miller House (8 beds) and The Annexe (4 beds), the latter once the original staff quarters. Historic cottages are Big Cottage (8), Bushveldt (7 in summer, 3 in winter) and Garden of Eden (6). Back country style huts, off the grid, are Dart (2), Dolans (3), Nox (2), Prydes Camp (6), School House (2) and The Boiler Room (6). The trust's published totals are 54 beds in summer and 30 in winter. Some accommodation is suitable for people with mobility issues.
Paradise Hall is the main indoor gathering space. Built in 1911 as Glenorchy Primary School, it was gifted to the trust, cut into 18 pieces in 2014 and relocated 20km to Paradise with Central Lakes funding. It has a large dining table seating up to 16, lounge chairs, a fireplace and a piano, with a kitchenette equipped with sink, hot water zip, food warmer and crockery for up to 20. There is no in-house catering; caterers operate out of Glenorchy and Queenstown.
Paradise can be hired exclusively, closing the gates to the public. Published options are day hire without accommodation for up to 300 people, one-night exclusive hire, and a three-day two-night event package. Non-exclusive day hire of the hall and property runs 10am to 4pm in bands from 1-10 people up to 80-300. Helicopter landings are permitted with prior approval and a landing fee. The trust lists corporate events, retreats and team building among its occasions, citing the 200 acres of forest walks, lake shore and mountain clearings.
Paradise has been used by film-makers for productions including The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Wolverine, The Lovely Bones and Narnia, along with television commercials and Taylor Swift's Out of the Woods music video.
This is a rustic, self-directed venue rather than a serviced conference hotel: no in-house kitchen, no AV inventory, a 16-seat dining table as the largest indoor table, and mixed accommodation from luxury homestead rooms to backcountry bunks. That makes it well suited to exclusive-use incentive programmes, wilderness team-building days, film and production groups, and small leadership retreats prepared to bring in caterers and build their own programme. Organisers should confirm seasonal bed availability, catering and exclusive-hire terms directly with the trust.
Capacity
No spaces listed for this property yet.
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