Seek & hide
From glamping in the North Island to a Southern eco retreat, get away from it all with these magical New Zealand hideaways.
Castaways Karioitahi Beach, Waiuku
Just 50 minutes drive from New Zealand’s biggest city, Castaways feels like a world away from the big smoke. Perched on the cli tops overlooking the black sands of Karioitahi Beach, just north of Port Waikato, it’s the ideal place to wash away the working week.
Karioitahi Beach is part of a long stretch of coast that runs from the Manukau Harbour entrance down to the mouth of the Waikato River. Looking down the beach, it seems to go on forever, with the sand and water disappearing into a single point far in the distance. Although it’s early in summer, the water is refreshing.
The ‘glam camping’ experiences at Castaways take you far from the resort itself, past livestock and empty paddocks. The tents have been in operation since 2013, since Castaways’ owner Gavin Shine decided to do something a bit di erent. An initial trial tent out the back of the main resort proved popular, and now Castaways o ers Glam Camps that are set up for all conditions.
Near a cli edge, a vast panorama out over the Tasman Sea opens up before us. The water looks particularly blue from up here, the sky and the sea fading into one.
Our tent is positioned to make the most of these views. The A-frame structure is topped with a canvas roof and its sturdy wooden frame and sliding front door are designed to protect us from even the wildest of west coast weather. It’s warm and cosy,
and there’s everything we could need, including all the fixings for a delicious dinner and breakfast. The tent also runs on solar power and there’s a gas barbecue for us to cook on.
While the area immediately around the tent is groomed, the surrounding slopes are covered in long, shaggy grass. The adjacent trees evoke an enchanted woodland, complete with dappled light, mossy knolls and pine-needle-laden clearings.
As dusk rolls in, we experience one of the real standouts of our stay — the outdoor bath. Deep and wide, it is sunk harmoniously into a mound of grass. Soaking in the hot water is bliss, as it erases the final vestiges of a week in the city.
While it might not be the most remote of places, this truly is a retreat. Its stripped back luxury and striking location are all you really need to unwind. Up high on those cli tops, nothing can touch you and the world feels a million miles away.
Blockhill Eco Cabin Parnassus, North Canterbury
Pulling o the road into Blockhill, visitors are greeted by a rambling, abundant landscape, which sits in stark contrast to the pastoral lands surrounding the property. Diverse plants grow in ample clusters all around the main house. A ginger cat suns itself on the wooden deck, and two enormous sunflowers stand tall, cheerfully greeting any visitor who stumbles into this wild and wonderful habitat.
Blockhill’s eco cabin stands in a patch of mature trees at the edge of the property. The place is burgundy red on the outside, with a roof made up of a mixture of terracotta and black tiles. The e ect is quite lovely — the colours blending with the browns of the parched dirt and the beech tree surrounds. The main house and the cabin were both here when Melisa and Olmec Sinclair purchased the property around eight years ago, although the cabin was a shell of what it is today. Inside, the cabin is one rectangular room, with a kitchen at one end and a carpeted lounge space at the other. Delicate carved patterns swirl and curl up the wooden window frames. The wood-burning stove heats the neighbouring hot-water tank as well as the room. Above the lounge is a generously sized loft bedroom, with a window for ventilation.
A short path leads to the open-air shower and composting toilet. Recycled bricks create the structure of the bathroom, with glass bricks inserted to keep the space light and bright. A small pebble-filled pot with a hose attached to a tree trunk makes a charming hand basin, and further down in the garden a woodfired bath sits ready for use when the summer fire ban ends.
The cabin looks onto a valley filled with beech forest, with a wooden deck to provide a view across the treetops.
An afternoon spent alternating between basking in the sun on the deck and enjoying the cool shade of the hammock is the perfect introduction to this slower pace of life. The late afternoon light makes the hazy valley glow orange, and dandelion clocks drift on the breeze.
The following day brings breakfast, which includes delicious fresh peaches from one of the property’s trees, and a tour of the property. Olmec is passionate about permaculture, the method of cultivation the couple use on their two hectares of land. The couple are keen to create a diverse ecosystem, slowly getting rid of grass and introducing new gardens among the trees.
A huge part of the design is constructed around water, and makes the most of what rainfall they get. This is especially important in the current drought-like conditions.
As I prepare to leave Blockhill and the Eco Cabin, I reflect on what we’ve seen. The focus on practicality and throwing o the pressures of perfection makes for a simpler and more logical way of living. Self-sufficiency is a lot of hard work, but in many ways it’s freeing.
Tui Treehouse Katikati, Bay of Plenty
Nestled at the northern end of the Bay of Plenty, Katikati is overshadowed by the Bay’s golden beaches to the south and the Coromandel Peninsula to the north. Despite living in the shadow of its more famous neighbours, Katikati certainly lives up to the region’s name, as it is indeed a place of plenty. There’s no doubt that this is a horticultural town, as the roads are lined with orchards — avocado, kiwifruit and citrus — and the grass grows lush and green even in the heat of summer.
Owners Kirsten and Mike moved to Katikati from Auckland a few years ago, with the aim of living a more sustainable life. Tui Treehouse is located at the far end of the property. On a ridge overlooking the valley below, the treehouse is perched on a big tree stump. Its sides are sheathed in corrugated iron, and the front and back are covered with wooden shingles. Turquoise accents on the windows, doorframes and barge boards lend a playful, picture-book feel. A curving spiral staircase leads up from ground level to a small wooden balcony, which allows us to make the most of the view.
Inside, the hut is one simple, wood-lined room. The detailing of it is immaculate. There is not one nail visible. Not only does the wooden interior look good, it gives the hut an earthy scent — this is the way a treehouse should smell.
Most of the room is taken up by a generous queen-sized bed, a white mosquito net overhead adding an air of soft romance.
Next to the tree house is the bathroom, boasting an enclosed shower with a huge window at the front that looks down to the river valley below and across to the Kaimai Range. Standing under the warm water, and looking out at the grey day, I wash away every last hint of stress and tension.
The soothing sound of the rain on the roof and the peacefulness of the garden surrounds make this treehouse the perfect place for an afternoon nap.