Expect plenty of changes at the Catlins Woodstock Lodge under new owners Adele and Gary Dawkins.
The couple own Creative Conditioning health and fitness centre in Dunedin, splitting their time between the centre and Woodstock.
Mrs Dawkins' parents, Dianna and Roger Sellars, own a 800ha farm next to Woodstock, and Adele had been interested in the lodge for many years.
But Adele and Gary really fell in love with Woodstock when they were married there last year. A coating of snow on the ground on their wedding day prompted them to consider holding winter weddings at their newly acquired venue.
They want to offer a wider range of activities.
"Traditionally, the winter months have been quiet here. We want to change that," Mrs Dawkins said.
They plan to put a large open fire in the function room, and hope to encourage many winter weddings and midwinter events.
Woodstock Lodge is on a 4ha section, and can accommodate more than 48 people in units with a range of comfort levels.
Woodstock will no longer operate as a camping ground. - This camping season, expected to finish mid-February, will be its last.
Mrs Dawkins said while Woodstock was a lovely spot to camp, it was unfair to expect those hiring the function centre for weddings and other events to have strangers show up and stay in campervans and tents.
"People love to have the whole place to themselves. It's a lovely, peaceful spot we have here, right by the Catlins River."
The couple had big changes in store for Woodstock, including a new name and a focus on becoming a retreat for weddings, conferences and health and fitness getaways.
The previous owners, Russell and Veda Kirk, had owned the property for decades.
Mr Kirk said he and Mrs Kirk wished the Dawkins well and they would keep an eye on the changes made to Woodstock and were interested in its progress.
Mr Kirk started the Woodstock Music Festival, which became a popular event on the music calendar.
The first festival was held in January 1989 after Mr Kirk was playing music with friends in his woolshed and it became too noisy. They decided to look for another venue.
The group inspected a large paddock on the Kirk property, 10km south of Owaka, and decided the Tawanui setting, with a nearby stream and natural theatre-like setting, was the perfect spot.
This year, the inaugural Catlins River Festival was held there, drawing large crowds, but whether or not it will return in the next few years is uncertain.
The lodge began as a function centre nine years ago, and Mr Kirk said he and his wife were happy to pass the lodge on to its new owners.
"It was all just a bare paddock when we started Woodstock. Adele and Gary are a great young couple, who have the passion to give Woodstock the lift it needs."
