Walk with us
Native NZ Forest Medicine Walk
Take a stroll along the Rongo Walk – through the native bush, past the plants of rongoā and out over the stream – and hear the story behind it.
Watch the film 2½ min · sound onGuided Experience
Native NZ Forest Medicine Walk
NZ Forest Medicine Experience & Guided Walk
In the bush
The forest was the first pharmacy
Before Europeans arrived, the forest itself was the pharmacy and food store for New Zealand’s first peoples. This short guided walk provides an introduction to the wondrous world of NZ’s forest plants.
The Matakana Retreat Rongo Walk is a short guided forest walk that takes in some of the oldest trees and most sacred parts of the property.
Rongo is an experiencing verb which means to use all senses except sight. As a noun it represents peace after war, which symbolises the healing after an injury, trauma or illness. In Māori mythology Rongo is the atua, or god, of cultivated plants, agriculture and peace.
- 50 acres of native bush and mixed forest
- The oldest trees on the property, and its most sacred ground
- Forest medicine the pharmacy and food store of the first peoples
- Rongo every sense but sight
On the walk
From the forest to the teacup
On this walk you will have the opportunity to experience the stories of some of New Zealand’s best and lesser-known forest plants. You will likely be visited by a number of our native birds: the fantail or pīwakawaka, the native pigeon or kererū, the tūī, and the native parrot or kākā. On occasion, depending on the time of day, our native owl, the ruru, has even been known to make an appearance.
During the experience a qualified guide will encourage you to be present with the forest, while sharing their knowledge of the trees and the past through a te ao Māori lens (a Māori world view). Along the way we will forage, and our foraged items will be taken back to our workshop space. There you will see the plants put to use in the making of teas and tinctures, and you will be welcome to purchase some beautiful New Zealand-made natural and beauty products.
Please note the experience will include waiata (song) and karakia (prayer), but is of no particular religious modality. The songs and prayers are intended to show respect to the traditional way of engaging with Aotearoa New Zealand’s natural world.
- A qualified guide sharing the forest through te ao Māori
- Native birds pīwakawaka, kererū, tūī and kākā
- Foraged, then brewed into teas and tinctures in our workshop
- Waiata and karakia song and prayer, in respect for the land
Book a walk
Enquire about the Native NZ Forest Medicine Walk
Pick a preferred date, and a second choice if you have one, and tell us a little about your group. We'll come back to you to confirm the details.