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We are at 173 Smith Road, Matakana, on a private 50-acre property of mixed forest and native bush high above the Matakana valley. It is a 7-minute drive to Matakana village, 60 minutes from Auckland CBD and 1 hour 18 minutes from Auckland International Airport. Beautiful world-class local beaches, nationally and regionally significant marine and terrestrial parks, and fabulous local vineyards and breweries are all within 30 minutes’ drive.

Matakana Retreat is powered almost entirely by starlight. The sun’s rays are captured by our solar panels and stored in state-of-the-art BYD batteries. If we get a bad run of weather, the retreat tops the batteries up with a generator – and you won’t even notice any of this happening. By off-grid we also mean taking you off grid. So while there is Starlink internet at the lodge, we strongly encourage our guests to minimise their use of the internet and mobile devices while they are staying with us. You’ll thank us for it later, trust us.

Smith Road turns off Matakana Valley Road, about four kilometres from the roundabout in Matakana village. Much of Smith Road is unsealed, so take your time and enjoy the idyllic small farms and lifestyle blocks along the way. Matakana Retreat is the last driveway at the very end of the road, and you’ll see our sign at the entrance. From there you’ll cross a bridge and climb a steep driveway. The first accommodation is the lodge on the left; carry on further along the driveway to the top of the property for the glamping tent and the Airstream. There is plenty of parking and room to turn around at each of our sites.

You can, but you are better to book ahead rather than expecting to hail one on the night. Matakabs and Warkworth Taxi and Bus both cover the Matakana, Snells Beach and Warkworth areas, and both run minibuses for groups as well as pre-booked Auckland Airport transfers – worth knowing if you are heading out to a vineyard or to dinner in the village and would rather not drive back up the hill afterwards. Rideshare is less dependable this far out of the city: Uber does list Matakana, but its own page only says you might be matched with a local taxi driver, so treat it as a bonus rather than the plan. If you get stuck, reach out to us and we will see what we can arrange for you!

Check-in is from 3pm and check-out is at 11am, at all three stays. Before you arrive we email you everything you need for the stay, including directions for the last stretch of road and how to let yourself in.

The Scandinavian Eco-Lodge is double glazed and very well insulated, with a crackling wood stove that also heats the water and feeds underfloor heating through the gallery. The African Safari Glamping tent and the Airstream Retreat are not heated. The Airstream is super insulated, though, so it stays a lovely stable temperature year-round. The tent has electric blankets and hot water bottles, and both sites have outdoor fires.

Yes. Every stay runs on rainwater collected off the roof into tanks on the property. It is good water and safe to drink, and each stay also has filtered drinking water if you would prefer it. Bring bottled water if you would rather again.

Yes. The three stays together sleep 13 guests, and groups regularly take all of them for a celebration, reunion or retreat. Each stay is booked separately, so for the whole property send us a single enquiry with your dates and we will coordinate it. To see which nights all three are free at once, check the group availability table on our Experiences page.

Most dates carry a two-night minimum. The booking calendar on each stay shows the minimum that applies to the dates you pick, and will tell you if a particular arrival date needs a longer stay.

Matakana village and its Saturday farmers’ market are 7 minutes away, surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and orchards. Omaha and Pakiri beaches are 15–30 minutes, and Goat Island Marine Reserve is a short drive for snorkelling. Many guests simply stay put for the bird life and the views out to Hauturu / Little Barrier Island.

Quite possibly. Kiwi have been released on a neighbouring mountain and have since been seen and heard very close to the retreat. At night you will regularly encounter our ruru, or morepork (owls), who call through the bush most nights and often come and talk to guests, especially at the Airstream.

Sorry, no – we don’t allow pets at any of the stays. Kiwi released on the neighbouring mountain have been seen and heard very close to the retreat, and dogs are one of the biggest threats they face. A kiwi has no breastbone, so even a gentle, playful dog can kill one. Keeping them safe comes before everything else here, so please leave your pets at home.