Your Host

The hands behind the build

Five years, a great deal of care, and one quiet corner of the Sounds.

Lionel, the owner, with his Jack Russell beside his Triumph motorcycle, the cabin behind

Kia ora

I'm Lionel

I built The Milestone by hand over five years — clearing the site, milling the timber, and slowly shaping a place that sits lightly in the bush. It began as somewhere to be still, and became something I couldn't wait to share.

When you stay, you'll have the whole place to yourself. I'm nearby for a tip on the tides, the best spot to watch the sun go down, or — as a keen rider myself — the best loops on Queen Charlotte Drive. Otherwise, I leave you to the quiet.

✎ Bio copy is a draft — confirm Lionel's own words before launch.

The hand-built timber cabin nestled into the native bush, glass and timber catching the light

Why I built it

Built to belong here

Everything here was chosen slowly — the timber that silvers in the salt air, the glass that pulls the water inside, the decks angled to the evening sun. A cabin that disappears into its setting, and gives the forest back its quiet.

The warm timber interior — bed, lounge and kitchenette, with sliding glass doors to the bush

When you arrive

Looked after, start to finish

You'll find the cabin warm, the kettle ready, and a guest guide with everything you need — the good walks, the tides, the local makers, and how the barbecue likes to be lit. Anything else, I'm a message away.