Living and working at Lake Ōhau Lodge was such an experience. As a backpacker, it was a perfect job for a few months as you get to meet a bunch of people, live in a truly stunning area with views of lakes, mountains and the most incredible sunrises/ sunsets, explore a few local areas that you may have missed, and save a decent chunk of your pay check through fairly subsidised living. It is also a great backpacker ski lodge job in the winter months, so if that’s your thing and you’re looking for work in New Zealand in the winter, then this place could be for you.
In this article, we dive into our working holiday experience of living and working at Lake Ōhau Lodge. A lodge situated right beside Lake Ōhau, among barren landscapes, with incredible views of Ben Ohau and the tip of Mount Cook which illuminates red on a clear sunset.
We have written about all our travellers’ jobs in New Zealand; to read about our other experiences, check out the following links:
- Furneaux Lodge, Marlborough Sounds
- Fox Glacier, The West Coast
- The Vulcan Hotel, Saint Bathans
In these articles we give an overview of our time living and working in these remote places and how we found it. We cover important aspects like what the living situation was like, whether we managed to save money in this location or not and what the work-life balance was like.
We found the job on the Backpacker Board. This website is so helpful as you can filter for what type of job you’d like, where you’d like it etc. It is specifically designed for those coming to New Zealand looking for work, but obviously you can also use it if you are a New Zealander.
It has some really useful pieces of information on there, as well as listings for hotels and activities.
If you are looking to work at Lake Ōhau Lodge, send an email over to [email protected] and let them know that you found their email on the Jess & Ben Travel Blog.
Our Facebook group, Live-in Jobs in New Zealand, is a growing tool that you can use to connect you with other employers and employees- check it out and see!
Living and Working at Ohau Lodge
The Living Situation
The living situation at Ōhau Lodge is well… Don’t expect much. Pukaki House, or rather affectionately known as Puke House, was our home for three months in early 2024 and it was a house shared with up to 10 others- which is fine. It was, however, pretty run down and in need of some love. But you’re not here for a 5-star experience, you’re here to travel and make memories! We were a two-minute walk (literally) away from the lodge itself and had quite a lovely outside space which included a small gym set up which was awesome.
The other staff quarters were even more run down and a short drive away from the lodge. Known as The Grottage, this housed slightly less people but had epic views of Lake Ōhau… It doesn’t help with the drafts or the dinginess, but at least the views were good 😉
Please note, that when we were there the lodge was being taken over by new management- this could mean that whenever you are reading this, things may have changed for the better.
Saving Money
This was a good place to save money. We were charged for rent and food here, which cost $200 a week each ($110 rent, $90 food), but the rest was ours (after tax of course).
As we had Duty Manager certificates, we negotiated wages of $26.50. Click here to read more benefits of obtaining your Duty Manager Certificate. The hours were good here, varying between 40-45 each week, therefore the wages worked out to be good. Again, with little to spend your money on (there is literally nothing for miles around here!), the temptations are low. The bar, as usual, is a big draw and a lot of parties started in the bar where you’d spend a bit of money.
Top Tip: When negotiating your contract, make sure that you iron out your room costs. Jess and I both paid $110 a week for the same room, whereas other single folk in the house also paid $110 for the same sized room, which we felt was unfair. We tried to see if we could split the cost of the room, but alas, we failed. Discuss before signing if these things matter to you.
Work-Life Balance
The working hours at Lake Ōhau Lodge were disjointed, but we loved it. As general floor staff (barista or waiting tables) for the breakfast shift, this saw you working anywhere from 05:45-12:00, and then back again in the evening from 17:45-18:45 until the guests have left and the tables are re-laid, which could be between 20:00-21:00. Naturally this will vary, and the shift patterns depended hugely upon when the house guests wanted to eat in the morning. If a group wanted to eat at 06:00 and be on the road for 07:30, our shift would start at 05:45… Yuck! The bar shifts were more regular, with a cool 14:00-close shift in the summer, but you needed a Duty Manager Certificate to do these shifts as you would often be doing them alone.
But we loved the work life balance. For us, we managed to write loads of articles for our travel blog, do some exercise, go for a walk or have a nap in our split shifts. Finishing work at 11:00 or 12:00 meant that we had 5 hours in the afternoon to do what we want- we always said these are the best hours in the day. The sun was shining, and the time was ours.
Best Time of Year to Live and Work at Lake Ōhau Lodge
Arguably, the winter is the best time to work at Lake Ōhau Lodge. This is because the Ōhau Snow Fields are open for business and the place is booming!
We never got to see it as we were there during summer, but so many of the staff members who had done a ski season there said how awesome it was in winter. More young people passing through, more partying, more hours, and a free ski pass for the Ōhau ski fields, plus a pass for the other local ski fields (Coronet Peak, Cardrona, Treble Cone).
Summer was great, but it could be a bit slow. The main type of guest was people walking the TA track or cycling the Alps to Ocean track. We certainly had busy shifts, but apparently winter is when the place comes alive.
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For more New Zealand based travel tips, things to do and our hacks to earn more money while on your working holiday visa, visit our blog!
Our Working Holiday Experience Rating
Overall, this was stunning place to work. The lake, the mountains, the sun rises and sunsets were all incredible. As someone on a working holiday, we do highly recommend doing a stint here. It is a great place to meet people and save money.
Did we miss anything that you’d like answered? Let us know by messaging us on Instagram or leaving a comment on this article. These articles are for you, so we will update them if we can answer your questions!