Tongariro Lodge History
The Beginning
The Tongariro River and Lake Taupo were first made famous in the 1920's by Zane Gray, the world renowned American author and angler. The Queen Mother, Presidents and many famous people have since cast a line in this fabled river.
Tongariro Lodge was established in 1982 by legendary angler and guide Tony Hayes, originally as an 8 unit Fishing Lodge and has enjoyed considerable fame and success as a business ever since.
The Legacy
Tongariro Lodge has featured in major fishing and travel publications in the USA, Australia and Europe, along with extensive coverage in New Zealand. These prestigious publications include: The New Yorker, Conde Naste Traveller, Gourmet Magazine, New York Times, Esquire, Forbes FYI, Fly Fisherman, Fly Rod and Reel, Wild On The Fly, Air New Zealand, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, United Airlines in-flight magazines.
The lodge has had major exposure on Australian, New Zealand and American prime time television, with shows such as Greg Norman's Clear Water Big Fish series, Rex Hunt Outdoor Show, Fly Fishing The World and ABC World of Sports.
The Who's Who of world fly fishing have all stayed at Tongariro Lodge along with many famous celebrities such as President Jimmy Carter, Robert Mitchum, Liam Neeson, Larry Hagman, Timothy Dalton, Malcom Fraser and many others.