Finalist ‘thrilled’

An Oamaru accommodation provider has featured in the 2026 Lion Hospitality New Zealand Awards for Excellence.

Tirohanga Nui, near the Oamaru Lookout Point, was a finalist in the best boutique or luxury accommodation category.

Other finalists included Coronet Ridge Resort, Craggy Range, Delamore Lodge, Hapuku Lodge & Tree Houses and The Landing.

Winners at the Hospitality New Zealand Awards were announced at an event on Wednesday evening in Rotorua.

Tirohanga Nui director and founder Maree Shepherd (pictured with her 5-year-old cavoodle Zoey) said she was "absolutely thrilled" to be a finalist, given she was a "new entrant to the hospitality industry, and previously coming from 25 years of dairy farming — and alongside other well-established accommodation providers, one as long as 24 years".

The lodge opened in December.

Mrs Shepherd said her dog Zoey, who she called the HR manager, was also a part of the lodge’s offering.