12 August 2026
Aspiring Lodge: Back Where It Belongs
When the school launched its brand-new website recently, the response was overwhelmingly positive. There was just one glaring omission – and Old Boys were quick to point it out: "Where was Aspiring Lodge?"
For generations of OBHS boys, Aspiring Lodge is far more than a building in the Matukituki Valley. It is memories of cold mornings, wet shoes, campfires, tramping, fishing, kayaking, friendships and a healthy dose of being pushed outside the comfort zone.
For many Old Boys, their time at the Lodge remains one of the highlights of their school years.
So, when the new website went live without a mention of it, the messages started coming in from Old Boys near and far.
The omission was only temporary. The Lodge's page had deliberately been left waiting for the return of Richard Roe, who was away on sabbatical. We wanted his input before doing justice to a facility that has played such an important role in the life of the school.
Richard is now back, and so is Aspiring Lodge – complete with its own page and a fantastic collection of photographs.
And the Lodge is still very much being put to good use.
Nestled on the edge of Mt Aspiring National Park in the West Branch of the Matukituki Valley, the OBHS Outdoor Education Lodge has been part of the school's character since it opened in 1975. Built entirely through funds raised by OBHS boys and their families, it has provided generations of students with opportunities to learn, lead and challenge themselves in an extraordinary outdoor environment.
The Lodge today
OBHS students have several opportunities to experience the Lodge during their school years.
Year 9 – Hostel Orientation Camp
New hostel boys and senior student leaders spend a long weekend together early in Term 1. It is an opportunity to build friendships, settle into boarding life and begin their journey as part of the OBHS brotherhood.
Year 10 – Outdoor Education Camp
Every Year 10 student spends a week at the Lodge with their curriculum class. The programme develops resilience, teamwork, problem-solving and leadership, with activities including tramping, overnight camping, orienteering, fishing, kayaking and outdoor cooking.
Perhaps just as importantly, it gives students the chance to disconnect from technology and learn to communicate face-to-face.
Year 12 – Leadership Camp
Selected students can apply to attend a leadership programme after their NCEA external examinations, preparing them for leadership responsibilities in their final year.
Year 13 – Giving Back
Senior students have the opportunity to return to the Lodge as leaders, helping with Year 10 camps and mentoring younger boys.
The Lodge is also used by the First XV as a pre-season training base, while OBHS families can book the bunkrooms at selected times when a Lodge Manager is in residence.
Old Boys and their families also regularly return to the Matukituki, sharing an experience that clearly means as much to them now as it did when they were boys.
In April, Old Boy Mark von Huben shared some great photographs from a private booking at the Lodge – another reminder that the place continues to create memories long after boys leave the school gates.
50 years of Aspiring Lodge
Next year marks a significant milestone: 50 years since Aspiring Lodge opened its doors in 1975.
We are planning a special weekend in Wanaka over Labour Weekend 2027 to celebrate the Lodge, the people who made it possible and the countless OBHS boys who have passed through its doors over the past five decades.
So, put Labour Weekend in Wanaka in your diaries now, more details to come.
We're looking forward to bringing people together to share stories, revisit old memories and celebrate one of the truly special parts of the OBHS experience.