Riverside Community NZ

Has been very good in the past. Miss it very much as the cafe part is permanently closed. Milk dispenser is great though.

Beautiful place with kind people. Their milk dispenser is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. Highly recommend.

I lived here for a few months, and it changed my life. Initially I was staying at the hostel while I worked at nearby orchards, but then ended up living in a resident's house bus for awhile! I met amazing people while living at Riverside. I also got to be a part of some incredible workshops held in the community hall. I will definitely be back here at some point when I visit New Zealand again.

Very nice environment,fair prices!A bunch of amazing people!!

Magestic spot. Equally lovely are the hosts. But the food? Oh my....the food is devine. Thank you Riverside, what a treasure.

Would have been 5 star if beer was cold meals were great very nice food

Went to an amazing show here. The whole vibe of the place is tranquil and natural and it really set the scene for a wonderful night. They have a cool cafe with an awesome garden and a fresh milk station as well.

I'd say that community got a ‘modern candy’ structure. From outside it looks nice and sweet, yet from deep inside it taste ...different. Please ignore words 'organic gardens', ‘ecology’, 'environmental friendly' or 'self-efficiency'. When I asked about those in detail, I got answer, that they are aiming to be that way - one day - in a future, yet it doesn't means that they are now, or in nearby future. If you’ll get close to residents, you'll find that seeds used in gardens have been bought in local supermarket (often F1 and other hybrids). Many of residents are using commonly roundup. Inside community structure and relationships are rotten (if you had luck to witness one of their periodic inside meetings) and they’re not really that friendly for long term visitors or new members. Why? Like in most cases, here is all about money - income from outside sources. Tourism is just one of them. Main sources are: Cafeteria, Raw milk sale, Art Gallery, Mechanical workshop, hire Event facilities and more. Community has debt, and is considering sale of some of their land.I suggest - Take your sunglasses off when you’re there, use analytic magnifying glass instead.Anyway, I highly recommend short time stay there, as you may meet among visitors - most interesting travelers on planet earth, and enjoy periodical events organized on their place.

Visited for a music festival at the weekend, my first visit. I really enjoyed it, the cake stall was amazing and the location of the stage was a beautiful natural amphitheatre. Got very muddy in the car park!