About the Lodge
Hidden Valley Lodge is a renovated historic church in a secluded bush setting with panoramic views overlooking the lake and mountains on Grant and Fran Marshall's farm surrounding the shores of Lake Poerua.
Lodge History
The Hidden Valley Lodge was built in 1923 in the old isolated gold mining town of Waiuta - located in behind the Grey Valley and Reefton.
It was moved to our valley in 1953, two kilometres from its present site. It served the local Catholic community until 1994 when due to lack of congregation numbers, it was put up for tender to be removed.
Grant and Fran Marshall bought the church and moved it to its present site in May 1996 and it opened as Hidden Valley Lodge in December that year.
The name Hidden Valley is taken from the title of a book written by Rona Adshead about the history of the valley in 1985 featuring Lake Poerua on the front cover.
There were some folks who said it could never be moved in one piece however with the help of confident builder friends Steve and Bruce, plenty of 'good old kiwi' number 8 wire and fencing strainers, wires were tied vertically diagonally and horizontally until the building was creaking in outrage! After all that the doubters were nearly vindicated when the vestry which was attached to the end of the building (where the bay window now stands) broke away, it was only held on by a couple of rusty nails. With much cheering and clapping this greatly impressed the local Rotomanu school children who had the afternoon off to watch the grand shift. After a heart stopping trip up the hill, Hidden Valley Lodge was put to rest on its new site by the bush edge overlooking Lake Poerua and the ever-changing scenery below.
Photo: The late Jack Larkin who was involved in the move. Looking very sceptical about the church making it up the hill in one piece.
The Hidden Valley Lodge was built in 1923 in the old isolated gold mining town of Waiuta - located in behind the Grey Valley and Reefton.
It was moved to our valley in 1953, two kilometres from its present site. It served the local Catholic community until 1994 when due to lack of congregation numbers, it was put up for tender to be removed.
Grant and Fran Marshall bought the church and moved it to its present site in May 1996 and it opened as Hidden Valley Lodge in December that year.
The name Hidden Valley is taken from the title of a book written by Rona Adshead about the history of the valley in 1985 featuring Lake Poerua on the front cover.
There were some folks who said it could never be moved in one piece however with the help of confident builder friends Steve and Bruce, plenty of 'good old kiwi' number 8 wire and fencing strainers, wires were tied vertically diagonally and horizontally until the building was creaking in outrage! After all that the doubters were nearly vindicated when the vestry which was attached to the end of the building (where the bay window now stands) broke away, it was only held on by a couple of rusty nails. With much cheering and clapping this greatly impressed the local Rotomanu school children who had the afternoon off to watch the grand shift. After a heart stopping trip up the hill, Hidden Valley Lodge was put to rest on its new site by the bush edge overlooking Lake Poerua and the ever-changing scenery below.
Photo: The late Jack Larkin who was involved in the move. Looking very sceptical about the church making it up the hill in one piece.
