As you arrive at the front gate to this private estate the first thing you notice is the rusty, old McCormick-Deering tractor, complete with its starter crank handle. Behind is the impressive Lauderdale steel sign that floats on the distant horizon.
Lauderdale, originally one of the farmstead blocks for the 44,800 acre Lauder Station, established in the late 1850s. The three schist buildings on the property date from this era. They were originally the Married Quarters, the Stables (single men's quarters, blacksmiths) and the Chaff House.
In 1869, the operation of the station moved north towards St Bathans. Jack and Hugh Handyside built a house on the property in 1875 to replace one which lacked flooring and was infested with rats. Lauder Station was sold in 1882 and broken up into smaller runs. The home block was bought by Claus Gerkins, a former gold miner from St Bathans. On Good Friday, April 3 1896, a fire raged through the homestead and Mr Gerkins' body was found among the smouldering ruins. Some stories say Gerkin’s son came up from Dunedin and they quarrelled over money, resulting in the death of Mr Gerkins and an arson to destroy evidence. After the fire, the ruins were searched for his stash of gold but was never found. Another story says it is thought Claus was overcome by smoke as he tried to go back into the house to retrieve more of his valuables. The original homestead was not restored as there were no stonemasons available. The property was bought by the Leask family early in the 1900s, and the main mud brick house, still in use today, was built in 1908.
In 1996, the Smythes bought the property which was now in disrepair. Windows were broken and the house was filthy. They began the hard work creating the existing parkland and stablised the ruins. They sourced five cabins from the Pleasant Valley Holiday Park which had originally been tuberculosis isolation units and just needed a bit of a tidy up. After restoring them they were placed around the property for guests. In 2000, the Otago Central Rail Trail was opened. The Smythes would arrange to pick people up from Lauder and bring them home.
When the former Becks Presbyterian Church was offered for sale the Smythes were delighted. After purchasing it they transported it to the property. The first wedding was held in the restored church on February 26, 2005. The Smythe's daughter Nicole married James Redgrave. The reception was held in the only new building on the property which has since had a commercial kitchen added.
In 2010, Lauderdale was bought by Karen and Jean-Michel Jefferson as their family home and a base for their travel business. They initially ran weddings and other events successfully for a few years. Stopping them as their high-end tourism business (www.ahipara.com) grew rapidly and their children complained about a lack of privacy at home.
Now, with the children grown up and tourism at an all-time low due to the Covid pandemic they have decided to open Lauderdale for events again! Check it out - Lauderdale
Over the last ten years they have made quite a number of improvements to the property and have more in the pipeline. Current facilities include a purpose-built function centre, iconic bar as well as the historic church, old ruins and a 150-year old Redwood grove. Karen and Jean-Michel have been involved in high-end bespoke tourism for over 20 years and bring the same sophisticated approach to this business. The Central Otago location means there are many interesting authentic activities available from farm-based to backcountry to curling with locals. Food options are varied, allowing flexibility. The venue has both food and alcohol licenses and can also supply casual sophisticated platters. They have used barbecue specialists as well as food carts, and can also supply high-end caterers.
Lauderdale can take on all aspects of your special day with connections to local accommodation and transport providers, photographers, bands, florists and even wedding dress designers. Karen and Jean-Michel’s approach to this property since they have been its custodians has been to preserve, enhance and respect. They have a sustainable, low waste policy (draft beer, soft drinks), solar power, tree planting, land improvement and re-investment. The people they work with are the same sort of people, ones who care deeply about the land. The character and charm scattered around the property such as early farming equipment add to the overall feel of this stunning location.
Our weekend spent in this hidden oasis was so peaceful and relaxing. We filled up our days with walks to the river and doing a few jobs around the property such as clearing fallen branches off fences and repairing a chiller unit to store the beer kegs in. This will be a place we will definitely return to with plans to hire the venue for Brent’s 60th birthday party next year.
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