We've never underestimated something so much in our lives. Glen Dene is, without question, the most incredible experience we have ever shared.
Mental note: Enjoy your walk through Queenstown's airport; it's the only flat ground you'll see.
Richard doesn't call Glen Dene a "hunting lodge" in the traditional sense, and after spending time there, I wouldn't either. It's not some manicured destination with antlers on every wall and boot polish by the front door. It's a living, breathing piece of family legacy, tucked between Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea, surrounded by 6,000-foot snowcapped peaks and the kind of silence you can feel in your chest.
New Zealand has some of the world’s most spectacular views. This view is from the dinner table in camp at Glen Dene.
"My grandfather bought this land in 1929," Richard told me. "He was an outdoorsman, loved to fish and travel. Fished all over the world, really. And my father? He was a shooter. A bird hunter. Big game when he had the time. I suppose we just grew up in it."
That legacy runs deep. You can feel it in Richard's talk about the land. It's not marketing; it's memory.
As a teenager, Richard wasn't just hiking these hills; he was hunting them, managing them, and learning their rhythms. He joined New Zealand's government culling teams, working under legends like Frank Woolf and Waddy Cameron to help manage pigs, wallabies, goats, and deer, names you don't hear much anymore unless you were there or you knew someone who was.
"We were out there hunting and managing simultaneously," he said. "That was just life."
Then, one day, a neighbor, a Texan no less, changed everything. Bobby Hill pulled Richard aside and said, "You work too hard on those sheep. Ever thought about making a living from hunting?"
Richard hadn't, but he couldn't shake the idea. That conversation opened a new door. What we'd call wildlife ranching in the States was still a foreign concept in New Zealand. There were no native mammals beyond a bat. Every big game species had been introduced, as had the ideas of management, guided hunting, and safari-style outfitting.
And yet, Richard made it work.
Today, Glen Dene is still a working sheep farm, but it's also one of the premier hunting destinations in New Zealand and, more importantly, one of the most welcoming.
That's by design.
The geodesic domes are almost worth the trip just by themselves. Cozy, fun, and romantic, they’re the perfect landing spot after a long day of hunting or touring.
Richard built the place with couples in mind. The lodge is warm, cozy, and personal, but the real wow factor comes from the geodesic dome luxury tents equipped with heated tile bathrooms, coffee bars, and just enough separation from the main lodge to feel like a true safari.
"It's a great couples destination," Richard told me. "We want wives here. This place is meant to be shared."
Richard and his wife, Sarah, are intimately involved in every client’s experience at Glen Dene. You’re not simply guests at a lodge, per say, you’re part of the family while you stay in New Zealand.
He's right. While you're scaling ridges and glassing for tahr, your partner can be wine tasting in Wanaka, fly fishing in alpine rivers, or shopping for world-class merino and possum wools. At the end of the day? A fire, a bottle of Central Otago red, and stories worth remembering.
My wife, Wendy, spend the week with several different Glen Dene staffers, like Emily, who served as incredibly personal tour guides.
Wendy had the vacation of a lifetime. And I'll say this: if I hadn't fired a single shot, seen a red stag, or glassed a single tahr, it still would've been worth every penny because she loved Glen Dene and its world-class staff that much.
The Wanaka Tree is as iconic as it gets for New Zealand vacationers. Here, Julie, staff with Glen Dene, toured with Wendy.
And that's precisely what happened. Sure, the hunting was unforgettable. But what Glen Dene meant to Wendy was the best trophy. It was the first time I'd seen her truly smile since losing her mom. I don't know how you put a price on something like that. But I know I'll never forget it.
Every meal at Glen Dene was superb, but the best one wasn’t even on the menu. When I mentioned that crepes were a favorite of mine, the breakfast chef whipped these up for the hunters in camp.
Glen Dene might be warm-hearted, but don't mistake it for soft. This is still New Zealand. The terrain is steep and unforgiving. Red stag, chamois, fallow deer, tahr, and even feral goats roam the ridgelines and riverbeds. Bowhunters are welcome. So are riflemen. This is it if you've ever wanted to test yourself vertically.
Richard's favorite? Chamois.
"That's where I cut my teeth," he said. "Camping in the mountains as a teenager, chasing them on foot. No bears. No snakes. No spiders. You get a gun young here, and you learn the land."
The hunts are honest. The kind that stays with you long after the dust settles. I got my tail handed to me more than once chasing red stag and tahr, and I loved every second of it.
My red deer stag hunt gave me a proper welcome to New Zealand’s tough, vertical, and breathtaking views.
As for logistics? Richard's team runs a tight ship. From guiding to export permits, they've got it dialed. It's mountain hunting with pro-level support. But Glen Dene's spirit stretches far beyond its hunters. Through their Hunters for the Hungry program, the team donates hundreds of meals a year to nearby food banks and families in need.
Your hard-earned trophies receive the best care and handling by Glene Dene’s meticulous staff.
"Many of our clients take 50 pounds of meat home," Richard said. "But the rest? We give it away. Last year, we served over 300 meals. That doesn't count what we gave to the staff and the local surf club."
It's a reminder that when hunting's done right, it feeds more than just the hunter.
We took plenty of meat home, but there was also more than enough left to make meaningful contribution to the local community.
If you're dreaming of an international adventure and wondering if New Zealand is worth the trip, let me make it easy for you: it is.
This selfie of us was taken the day we left Glen Dene, and that’s the smile Wendy wore the entire time we were in New Zealand. World class hunting was just icing on the cake.
Glen Dene isn't just another outfitter. It's a collision of history, conservation, and soul-shaking hunting. A place where the mountains give back. A place where your partner might just fall in love with the outdoors and you all over again.
Just make sure you leave room in your luggage for meat, for memories, and for the feeling that somehow beautiful doesn't begin to cover it.
And when you do finally get there?
You'll be glad Richard traded a few sheep for something wilder.
