Wairua Lodge - Rainforest River Retreat

This was the most stunning little getaway!My husband and I decided to visit Wairua for a mini moon and were blown away. The room was awesome, the starlight hot tub was gorgeous, the tub was just perfect, the trails were beautiful and so much fun (especially climbing up the waterfall), and we loved making s’mores on the fire.Of course I can’t forget the incredible breakfast we had each morning.Debbie and Ernst were amazing hosts!We loved this place so much, we went back again a few months later!It’s been a year and I’m still thinking about this dreamy retreat in the rainforest!

We stayed at Wairua for 3 nights and it was pure bliss. Debbie and Ernst were great hosts and the lodge is spectacular. This is the perfect spot if you want to get away from the world, relax and soak up nature. The weather for our first couple of days were quite wet but it didn’t take away at all from our stay here.The walks around the property are lovely, we definitely recommend going to see the glow worms. The facilities, like the spa and the tree too bath-house, are great additions that we enjoyed. The hosts made us feel very welcome and their homemade goods - bread, honey and more - were delicious. We will definitely be staying here again and spreading the word to our family and friends!

Absolutely loved our stay, truly grateful I found this online and booked the two night, one is not enough. My partner and I felt so comfortable and relaxed, the tree top bath is a dream, we hiked through the bush and climbed the waterfall rope. Breakfast was so yum and fresh, a very well set up property, private and quiet. Will be back again in summer to enjoy a dip in the river for sure. Lee & Ata April 2022

Went to the mighty wairua lodge for the Christmas holiday and it's the best experience of this year. Lucky enough that I didn't got turn away by the little creek at the entrance of the lodge that the creek made me nervous to drive pass by to enter the property(which is completely safe for future comers).The property is massive with many chairs and tables in the bush as well as beside the creek for guests to rest and spend the day listening to the sound of the water.Will definitely go back and spend a bit longer.

What a stunning place to stay. In every weather situation, it`s just magical. And every peace of service ends as a nice puzzle. From the fresh baken bread and breakfast to the night sky spa and bath house with a relaxing view straight into the rainforest. If you enjoy peace, quiet and nature, it`s definitely the place to be. We enjoyed it a lot. Thanks to Debbie & Aschi for this heartful accommodation.

TLDR: Above and beyond, an amazing place to stay.I was planning on writing a long review, based solely on the fact that it was a truly memorable stay in every way. However, I also don't want to give everything away. To put it simply, the location is sublime, the facilities were exceptional, and the hosts were perfect.Looking quickly at the larger elements. The apartment was superb, giving a beautiful view out the window of being in a forest, and you are. It rained for most of the days we were there (the whole island was being drenched those days) but just lying on the couch, looking out the window at the forest was relaxing. Each room has air conditioning. Fully equipped kitchen (even down to plastic bags to put sandwiches in, and a Nespresso) and a bbq meant we didn't need to buy food out during our stay. The hosts also provided a continental breakfast on arrival (and offered to top it up a couple of days in) and, without giving too much away about the amazing spread they provided, quite a bit of it was made at the lodge and in the surrounding area, all with care. And that was such a large part of the stay, everything was planned out and done with the guests in mind. There was an amazing shower and bathroom (the same as I would expect in a five star hotel). There was also the bookable outdoor bath that looks over the forest, with candles, so go along with the spa and firepit.The lodge is surrounded by forest, through which they have put a number of paths, most of which are easible walkable. They do require walking through small rivers so best to take extra shoes or borrow the gumboots they offer (see, they think of everything). I didn't have any spare dry shoes, so used by well worn kiwi feet (wearing shoes is optional growing up in NZ) and just went bare feet which, while doable, was a bit sore and cold. All along the paths there are name plates by trees to let you know the natives you are walking by (kawakawa is still my favourite). Along the river are chairs, sun loungers, hammocks, and even some beanbags next to a rope swing over one of the swimming holes.There aren't a large number of rooms, so even when full it will feel open and quiet. We were there for New Years Eve's, so spent it by the firepit (which itself is a work of art) with the owners and other guests. The owners leave out nice touches like marshmallow and chocolate biscuits to make smores (again, all care and thought about what the guests will like).While walking around you'll see a number of birds. There are quail everywhere, with their little feather sticking over their head. While photographing the quail, I had a tui (my favourite) fly within centimetres of my head as it went careening into the forest. It was an experience.There is so much more I want to say but I really don't want to give it all away. Within an hour of arriving, we were so impressed that we immediately booked our next stay there. By the time we left three days later, we're considering perhaps booking a third stay at some point.It really is a wonderful place to stay, and we would encourage people to try it out. Thanks to the hosts for an amazing three days.

We had the most amazing time here with our family. Truly heaven on earth and a wonderful place to decompress and get closer to nature. Lovely welcoming hosts and with only a few rooms, a great place to unwind.

A little off the beaten track lies the home of Debbie and Ernst, who kindly welcome others to share in their slice of the rainforest and all it offers. Mornings began with epic views of the lush landscape, mist clinging to the thick, green tree canopy, luring us outside. We took the retreats map out with us to explore secret trails by the river, meeting quails, sparrows and more as we discovered countless thoughtful features; hammocks; swing bridges, waterfalls and more.Back in our room, freshly baked bread, homemade honey, fruits and spreads set us up for a day exploring the peninsula- runs, walks, beach scenes and cycles.Evenings saw us unwind and switch off; simple dinners in the communal kitchen, a relaxing soak in the private bath, perched on the edge of the forest, star gazing and a warm comfortable bed.Chose Wairua Lodge for a calm, considerate and cared for place to spend your next break, we are delighted we did!

Incredible experience! No words to say how beautiful this place is! Everything is set up nicely with total care! The treetop bath house is a dream! The fire place is wonderful, the room is clean and beautiful, the breakfast was super tasty, all the trails you can do from the lodge are so nice and you can even see glow worms at night! Debbie and Ernst were so good to us that even left us marshmallows and chocolate biscuits to enjoy the fire place at night and lighted up the candles ready for our dream time in the treetop bath house! Totally recommended! We will definitely come back!