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The Society

Pirongia Forest Park Lodge Society was formed in 1984 to establish a permanent education facility. The site, by courtesy of the Department of Conservation, is on the north east slope of Mount Pirongia, inside the Forest Park Boundary.

Comprising an area of 4 hectares at the head of a small gully, is bounded to the west by the bush line and to the north by a ravine and the Mangakara Stream. There are magnificent views of the Waikato Valley from this 200 metre elevation.

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The Lodge

The lodge contains an overhead, a slide projector and a screen.

There is a toll-barred telephone and also a BBQ, which is available on request. A level area can be used for outdoor and a small amount of outdoor equipment is available.(See Activities for more information).

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Study Possibilities

The Forest Park contains a rich sample of flora and fauna, while the local area (Pirongia) has considerable historical significance.

Read about the history of Pirongia Mountain here and local sites of interest here.

Opportunites abound for forest, bird, animal and stream studies, compass and orienteering practise and video and camera work.

The Dept. of Conservation booklet 'Pirongia Forest Park' is available for purchase and contains a wealth of information, including tracks and their walking times with suggestions for 1 day, 2 day and 3 day tramps. (See Activities for more information).

Beginning from the lodge site is the Mangakara Nature Walk. (See Activities for more information). Taking about an hour to complete, the track has numbered posts to mark points of interest. A pamphlet describes what to look for at each of the twelve stations and is available from the Dept. of Conservation

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Privacy

Hirers of the lodge are entitled to privacy and exclusive use of the facilities. Casual visitors will not be allowed access during such times.

Potential users may arrange inspection by appointment with the Warden

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Booking Procedure

Lodge charges are inclusive of GST. The lodge is hired on the basis of cost per person per night. See Prices for our current charges.

To confirm a booking, you require a completed registration form (available from the Warden) and a deposit of $100 to be made within 10 days. If no deposit is received the booking may be lost.

The Lodge wardens will supervise arrival and departure. At least half an hours notice of departure time is required to allow for inspection of the lodge.

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Conduct

 
  1. Behaviour
    Groups not reasonably observing the requirements of orderly behaviour, care of property and respect for other residents will not be allowed further use of the lodge. The management committee places the responsibilty for the above with school principals or presidents of other organisations in the first instance.

  2. Site Licence Restriction
    Our site licence prohibits any supplemetary accommodation such as tents, caravans, campervans etc.

  3. Animals
    Animals are not permitted in the buildings and a permit is required from D.O.C. to bring them into the park.

  4. Alcohol
    The society expects supervisors to fully understand the possible implications of having alcohol at the Lodge.

  5. Refuse Disposal
    This is the responsibility of the residents. All refuse must be removed.

  6. Breakages, Damage or Loss
    Breakages, damages or loss of equipment will be charged to those responsible.

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Dept. Of Conservation,
Waikato Area Office,
PO Box 20025,
Northway Street,
Te Rapa,
Hamilton.
Tel: (07) 838 3363
Fax: (07) 838 2658

Web Page: http://www.doc.govt.nz/
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Page Designed by Updated:  March 2007.