Central Otago, South Island

Lauder Store 2
Lauder Store 1
Lauder Store 3

Lauder Store Bed & Breakfast

Warm, friendly accommodation and great hospitality with a range of rooms suitable for families and groups - right on the Otago Central Rail Trail and with bike hire also available.
We offer a choice of rooms including bunks, King, Queen or Twin bedrooms, as well as a self-contained apartment.  Perfect for families, the apartment adjoins the main house and
has been renovated from the Old Lauder Store into fully modern and self-contained accommodation with plenty of character – it features historically significant exposed 1900's mud brick walls in a modern and luxurious setting.
There are two bedrooms, a kitchenette, dining area and lounge, plus a private outdoors area. Continental breakfast included. Large shared outdoor area with beautiful rustic country gardens, playground area, and luxury outdoor spa pool.

About Lauder Store

The Lauder Store was built in the early 1900’s and served the local district until 1995 when it closed. The Old Store has been renovated into a modern fully self contained two bedroom apartment. The plaster in areas of the store has been removed to expose the original 1900's sun-dried mud brick walls. You're looking at them right now as they are featured in the background of this page! Mud brick, made from mud and water, was used for building in Central Otago in the early 1900's because of the lack of timber in the area. Mud brick retains warmth in winter and has a cooling effect in summer. These beautiful and historic walls have now been sealed for protection. The small exterior room to the side of the store was the local butcher shop, where the concrete butcher's bench can still be found. The most recent owners of the operational Lauder Store were the late Mr & Mrs Bill Harley. The Harley family kindly donated the original Lauder Store docket that you'll find framed in Reception.The Otago Central Rail Trail Once the route of a bustling railway line, the Rail Trail is a 150km gravel path for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. It's gentle gradient has no steep hills, and takes 3-5 days to complete starting in either direction. The many friendly small towns along the way offer good food and accommodation. Make sure to spend a night with us in Lauder on your travels!

The Otago Central Rail Trail

This is New Zealand’s first Rail Trail and it will take you across old wooden trestle bridges and viaducts, past schist rock, parched hills, tussock grasses, awesome gorge scenery and spectacular mountains, through farmlands and tunnels to historic landmarks, goldfields and pioneer settlements.
Lauder is the perfect spot from which to set out on half day or day rides on the Rail Trail. Within only 7km of Lauder you'll experience some of the most spectacular and historical aspects of the trail.

 

 

Map of New Zealand
  • Central Otago
  • Auckland
  • Bay of Plenty
  • Christchurch
  • Dunedin
  • Coromandel
  • Gisborne
  • Fiordland
  • Marlborough Sounds
  • Manawatu
  • Northland
  • North Canterbury
  • Queenstown
  • South Canterbury
  • Taranaki
  • Southland
  • Taupo
  • Wanaka
  • Waikato
  • Wellington
  • West Coast
  • Whangarei
  • Bay of Islands
  • Tauranga
  • Gisborne
  • Hamilton
  • Napier
  • Kapiti
  • Palmerston North
  • Whanganui
  • New Plymouth
  • Arrowtown
  • Te Anau
  • Akaroa
  • Ashburton
  • Hanmer
  • Kaikoura
  • Methven
  • Mt Cook
  • Oamaru
  • Tekapo
  • Timaru
  • Abel Tasman
  • Motueka
  • Nelson Lakes
  • Blenheim
  • Picton
  • Catlins
  • Gore
  • Stewart Island
  • Central Plateau
  • Invercargill
  • Cromwell
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Westport
  • Glenorchy

Our favourite destinations…

Auckland

New Zealand’s economic heart and biggest city is also an exciting family visitor destination, situated on a sunny harbour with city beaches just minutes away from the CBD. Orientate yourself by heading down to Viaduct Harbour, wandering the waterfront, checking out the super yachts or enjoying the waterfront restaurants. Nearby is the must-visit Sky Tower along with excellent and kid-friendly museums and tons of exciting activities!

Wellington

Wellington is New Zealand’s capital. Here you will find New Zealand's parliament buildings, including the 'Executive Wing', more well-known as 'The Beehive' due to its distinctive shape. Another icon to look out for is the Wellington Tram, which was the main means of public transport between 1878 and 1964.

Christchurch

With a population of around 400,000 Christchurch, in Canterbury, is the South Island ’s largest city, yet much of it has the feel of a small town. Perhaps that’s why it’s known as the Garden City but with the expansive Hagley Park, Botanic Gardens, Port Hills, River Avon and numerous beaches the city certainly has an open, relaxed feel that’s hard to beat.

Queenstown

With its well-deserved reputation as New Zealand’s activity adventure capital you’ll never run out of activities and things to do in Queenstown, but you may run out of time! With breathtaking scenery, activities and festivals, cafes and restaurants, skiing and snowboarding, shopping and wineries, this lakeside alpine resort rates as one of the world’s top vacation destinations for all ages and seasons.

Rotorua

Rotorua sits on the shore of Lake Rotorua, one of sixteen lakes in the area formed by hundreds of thousands of years of eruptions from the Taupo Volcanic Zone. The area is renowned for its geothermal activity and top of any activity list is to see the bubbling mud pools that are around the region for yourself. The Waimangu Volcanic Valley offers a first hand insight into the devastation caused by the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera and is a great place to discover steaming volcanic craters and bubbling, spitting  pools of mud!

Nelson and Golden Bay

The Nelson and Golden Bay regions, at the top of the South Island, boast enviable sunshine hours, glorious sandy beaches, safe swimming spots, lots of wildlife to look out for, and Abel Tasman National Park - an absolute must to explore, on foot, by kayak, your own craft or watertaxi.  Nelson is home to a vibrant arts and crafts community with a fabulous Saturday market, and is close to award-winning wineries and family-friendly bike tracks to take you around the coast.

Hawkes Bay

Napier was rebuilt after the 1931 earthquake and is now known as NZ's Art Deco City.  The Art Deco influence has created a unique city – nowhere else can you see such a varied concentration of art deco style. With over 2,200 sunshine hours a year, Napier is a year-round holiday destination with countless activities to entertain the kids – there's days of entertainment on Marine Parade alone, plus numerous other family-friendly trips and activities.  Add to that the beaches, walks and flat cycle paths, outdoor cafes and entertainment, and you have a perfect holiday destination!

Northland

Beautiful, unspoiled beaches, fishing, historic gum fields, kauri forests – the Far North has it all. With subtropical temperatures, it's often known as ‘the Winterless north', with warm, humid summers and mild winters.
Gateway to the Bay of Islands, Paihia is a pretty, lively beachside town and a perfect base for your family holiday. It’s your start point for Bay of Island adventures including day cruises, sailing, kayaking, swimming with dolphins and reef or wreck diving.