Wooden Heart Café and Benneydale Lodge

Located in the heart of the King Country in the Central North Island, approximately 3 hours from Auckland and 4 hours from Wellington, between lake Taupo and Te Kuiti, lies the town of Benneydale. Originally a coal mining town, Benneydale is the gateway to the Timber Trail an 85 km track winding through the Pureora Forest Park. Boasting some of the highest and longest suspension bridges in New Zealand, the track meander through ancient forest, ancestral Maori land, alongside the historic Ongarue Tramway. Open to cyclists and walkers alike, the timber trail is a must-do for visitors to this area. Abundant bird life, pigs, deer and wild goats flourish within the 78,000-hectare Pureora Forest Park. The Benneydale Lodge is ideally located, providing clean, comfortable accommodation and facilities to visitors to the Timber Trail and Pureora Forest Park. Refurbished in 2014, the lodge features eight comfortably furnished double rooms. There is one additional room with one double bed and two singles. There is a shared bathroom, lounge and kitchen. The Wooden Heart Café on site provides meals and refreshments, as well as an all-day meal combo. Secure parking is available and complimentary services include free WI-FI and daily servicing of rooms. Drop-offs and pick-ups from the timber trail are available on request.