Āta Retreat is 30 minutes drive from Whangarēi and just under 2 hours from Auckland City.
Āta is set on a small ridgeline amongst hundreds of hectares of steep native bush-clad hills and gullies. Surrounded by lush tropical plantings, there's a stunning panoramic view of native bush, Maunga Manaia, Te Whara and Ruakākā Beach.
The accommodation is made up of two 10m2 cabins, joined by a covered deck. The first cabin is dedicated to lounging complete with a loft with piles of books, cushions and space for yoga. The other cabin contains a queen-sized bed.
In between the two cabins is a covered, semi-outdoor kitchen. A totara bar leaner and stools are the perfect place to eat alfresco and soak up the views.
Within 2-3 metres of the cabins, there is a bathroom hut - and a separate extra-long outdoor cast-iron bath, set amongst native and subtropical plantings.
The bush on the property is pristine and in some parts, ancient. There are a number of stands of kauri, with a few around 1,000 years old. You'll see and hear many varieties of birdlife as they pass through the canopy or stop for a while. The local bird population is thriving and the resident tūī and ruru will almost always respond if you give them a call!
There are two spring-fed creeks on the property, where you'll see Kōura and tuna, waterfalls and swimming holes.
A stay at Āta Retreat is food for the soul... a modern sanctuary, with the bush, the birds, and the ever-changing views. It's cool and shady... it's warm and cozy... it's close if you want to be close, but it's far enough away to really be away.
This is a place where people can step out of their busy world, slow down, take nature in and reset... A place to consider and to be thoughtful.
FROM $325 p/n
A $50 Single Night Surcharge applies on top of the nightly rate when booking a single night. You will need to add this charge during the booking process. The calendar below will specify where one-night bookings are allowed.
Ata is 30 minutes drive from Whangarei and just under 2 hours from Auckland City.
Follow the Google Maps directions to the address.
You will receive a pre-arrival email with detailed arrival instructions and your host's details 5-days prior to your stay.
Note: If you have booked within 5 days and haven't received a pre-arrival email shortly after booking, please email us at [email protected].
Check-in: 3pm - 7pm
Check-out: 11am
The bedroom cabin sleeps up to two people in a queen-sized futon bed.
Full linen, towels, and bedding are supplied.
The kitchen is located between cabins on a covered deck with roll-down gauze blinds on each end for protection from the weather. There is a small fridge, induction plate and sink with endless hot and cold filtered water. You'll find all the pots, cutlery and utensils you'll need for cooking and eating.
There is also gas BBQ grill and an open fire with BBQ grill.
Some pantry basics are provided - teas, Nespresso and plunger coffee, salt, pepper and olive oil.
All water is captured from rainfall and is filtered and safe to drink from all taps. Please be mindful of water usage - especially over summer months.
Within 2-3 metres of the cabins, there is a bathroom hut with a large semi-outdoor shower, flushing toilet, and vanity with a small sink and mirror. Hot water is supplied via a gas califont.
There is a separate extra long outdoor cast-iron bath which is surrounded by native and subtropical plantings.
Towels are provided.
The cabins have mains power, with the lighting for the bathroom provided via a solar sensor light.
The bedside lights include a USB port for cellphone charging.
There is good mobile phone reception. USB ports are supplied for charging phones.
There is a modern heater/cooler with a remote control to ensure your comfort in all seasons.
Ata is open for winter stays, but bear in mind that you're booking a glamping escape with an outdoor kitchen.
Ata has lots of warm bedding, a modern heater for keeping warm indoors and an outdoor fire for atmosphere!
Ata Retreat is not suitable for children and is a strictly adults-only site.
If you're looking for a family-friendly glamping escape, select the family icon in the search bar on our 'find your escape' page to easily find them.
Ata does not allow dogs (with no exceptions).
Ata is approximately 20 metres away from your hosts' home, but fencing and extensive planting shield the cabin so that it feels very private.
You can see a couple of other buildings and houses in the distance.
You'll be able to drive right up to the cabin via a sloping metal diveway and park outside for easy coming and going. EV charging is available to guests.
The property is a large, bush-clad property, with some steep slopes, so it’s not recommended to walk on the bush tracks after dark. It's very important to follow the safety guidelines and terms that you’ll find in our booking terms and in your guide found inside the hut.
Your hosts, Ian and Muriel, have two very friendly pet dogs - Honey and Mimi who will announce your arrival and introduce themselves in the hope of being spoiled. Nunu and Skittles, their feline friends are also never too far away!
All Year Round:
There is a standard minimum stay period of 2 nights.
Single nights are only allowed where there is a one night gap between bookings. One night gaps between bookings will be made available to book online with a $50 Single Night Surcharge applicable.
Public Holiday Weekends:
The minimum booking period for long weekends such as Labour Weekend, Anniversary Weekend, etc is 3 nights. The minimum booking period for Easter is 4 nights. There are sometimes longer minimum stay periods across Christmas and New Year and these will be specified in the online availability calendar.
Our minimum night policies are strictly adhered to. Please note that there are no exceptions to the policies for Ata.
Our minimum night policies are strictly adhered to. Please note that there are no exceptions to the policies outlined below for Āta.
All Year Round:
There is a standard minimum stay period of 2 nights.
Single nights are only allowed where there is a one night gap between bookings. One night gaps between bookings will be made available to book online with a $50 Single Night Surcharge applicable.
Public Holiday Weekends:
The minimum booking period for long weekends such as Labour Weekend, Anniversary Weekend, etc is 3 nights. The minimum booking period for Easter is 4 nights. There are sometimes longer minimum stay periods across Christmas and New Year and these will be specified in the online availability calendar.
All year round:
The nightly rate is $325 for up to two people
Single Night Surcharge:
Where single nights are bookable (see Minimum Stay Periods) a Single Night Surcharge of $50 applies. Please apply this during the online booking process.
The Single Night Surcharge applies to all one night stays, even when there is only one night available. By their nature, glamping sites are more remote and time-consuming to service than more standard accommodation types. Therefore, in order to cover the costs and time involved, a Single Night Surcharge is applicable to all one night stays.
Give the gift of glamping! Gift Vouchers are available for use at any of our Canopy Camping Escapes glamping sites. These are provided in electronic format, for you to print out and pop in a greeting card for the lucky recipient. Read more about our gift vouchers, including how to purchase one, here.
2.1 If you book within 28 Days of your check-in time, full payment via credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard) is required at the time of booking. If you book more than 28 Days prior to your check-in time, a deposit of 10% is required to confirm your booking and secure the property. This will be charged to your credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard) at the time of booking. A credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard) payment surcharge of up to 2.5% will be applied to all credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard) payments.
2.2 Bookings are considered confirmed once you have made your online booking and payment and we have sent an email to the address provided to us which confirms both the payment and your booking details. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please contact us as soon as possible. However, we (as agent for the Host) reserve the right to cancel any booking within 12 Days of the confirmation email where we discover that you, or any of your guests, has previously breached these Booking Conditions in relation to a previous booking. In that case, you will receive an email advising you that the booking has been declined, and the full amount paid by you at the time of booking will be refunded to the credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard) you provided during the booking process.
2.3 If you book more than 28 Days prior to your check-in time, the remaining balance of your stay will be due 28 Days prior to your check in time. An email reminder will be sent to you at this time requesting payment for the outstanding balance. The reminder email gives you the option to pay the remaining balance by A2A (Internet Banking) or credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard). If your payment has not been received within 24 hours, the remaining balance will automatically be charged to the credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard) used at the time of booking. Please note: a 2.5% credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard) payment surcharge is applied to all payments made by credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard). Credit/Debit Card data is held in a secure and encrypted environment.
2.4 If any amount is not paid when due, you will forfeit your deposit and your booking will be cancelled.
3.1 Your 10% deposit (or 10% of the value of your stay if you have paid in full) is non-refundable, however it can be transferred to another booking made within 12 months of the date of confirmation of your original booking, if you cancel your stay more than 21 Days prior to your check-in time.
3.2 Cancellation or date changes by you that are between 3 and 21 Days prior to your check-in time will result in 50% of the total cost of your stay being charged. Cancellation or date changes made 3 Days (72 hours) or less prior to your check-in time will result in 100% of the total cost of your stay being charged.
3.3 Date changes made more than 21 Days prior to your check-in time are allowed without forfeit of any amounts paid.
3.4 Force Majeure
You are entitled to a full refund if you need to cancel for the following reasons:
Road closure. If at 1pm on the day before your arrival, a road on your route to your accommodation is designated by Waka Kotahi as closed or for essential travel only, and there is no detour, or the detour adds more than two hours to your travel according to the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner.
Metservice RED Weather Warning. If at 1pm on the day before your arrival, the Metservice has issued a RED warning/forecast in either your home region or the region of your accommodation, for either the day of your arrival or departure.
Natural disasters in New Zealand. Natural disasters such as cyclones, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and other severe and abnormal natural events causing large scale disruption of essential services and/or transport, specifically impacting your travel to or from your accommodation.
4.1 Exceptional or unforeseen circumstance
Hosts reserve the right to cancel a booking at any time in the event of exceptional or unforeseen circumstances. This right will only be exercised in good faith and in exceptional circumstances such as:
(a) Any alteration to the property or its surroundings which may pose a safety risk for the guest.
(b) Unexpected damage or destruction at the property.
(c) A death in the Host family.
(d) Our relationship with the Host ends for any other reason.
In the unlikely event a Host cancels under this clause, the guest may elect to receive a full refund or to credit the booking to another available date or Escape. The Host’s liability will be limited to the refund of amounts paid for any part of your stay that is cancelled.
4.2 Cancellation for breach
Hosts may terminate a booking at any time if they, or we, reasonably believe that there is, or has been, a breach of these Booking Conditions by you or any guest or visitor. Where a Host cancels under this clause, all amounts paid are forfeited and, where such termination occurs during the rental period, you and all guests and visitors must immediately leave the property.
5.1 Accommodation is often situated on working farms and there are hazards both natural and man-made. You accept that you, and any guests or visitors, enter the property at your own risk.
5.2 Participation by you and any guests or visitors in activities, such as, outdoor baths, climbing trees, walking on the property and any other activity on the property, is done so at your and their own risk.
5.3 To the extent permitted by law, neither we nor the Host accept any liability for accident, loss of property or personal injury during your stay.
No pets are allowed unless otherwise specified on the Website listing. Most accommodation is situated on working farms and therefore are not suitable for visiting pets.
GST of 15% (where the accommodation is GST-registered) is included in the daily per night cost. A tax receipt will be supplied by Canopy Camping Escapes if requested.
8.1 Guests have a licence to occupy the Property for the paid holiday period only. You are responsible for ensuring that you and they arrive no earlier than the check-in date, and leave no later than the check-out time, specified on the Website.
8.2 You are required to, and must ensure that all guests and any approved day visitors, observe the rules and procedures in relation to the property:
8.3 You must, and must ensure that all guests and any approved visitors, take all reasonable and proper care of the property and its furniture, fittings and effects and leave them in the same state of repair, condition, cleanliness and tidiness as at the commencement of the rental period. Where the property has not been left in the same state of repair, condition, cleanliness and tidiness as at the commencement of the rental period, you will be required to pay an additional cleaning cost of $100 which may be charged to the credit or debit card used at the time of booking.
8.4 You are required to inform Canopy Camping Escapes of any damage or breakage occurring during the rental period in or around the property promptly so that it can be repaired and replaced for the next booking. You must reimburse the Host for the reasonable costs of replacement or repair of any damage caused by you or any guests or visitors and such costs may be charged to the credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard) used at the time of booking.
8.5 You must ensure that any access information in relation to a property (including any access codes, location of keys, etc) is kept confidential and not disclosed to any person.
8.6 Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the properties.
8.7 The Host may access the property during the rental period to the extent reasonably necessary to undertake repairs or replacement or where we or the Host have reason to believe these Booking Terms are not being complied with.
8.8 The number of guests staying at the Escape overnight must be the same as the number of guests included in the booking. Any day visitors must be approved by the Host prior to your stay. No overnight visitors are permitted.
8.9 You and all guests and any approved day visitors must behave in a proper, appropriate and legal manner with due respect to the Host, the Property, other guests and neighbouring properties and neighbours, and Canopy Camping Escapes’ staff and representatives.
If you have any complaints, please contact us promptly at [email protected] with details of the complaint. As the agent of the Hosts we will be the initial contact between you and the Host but may need to put you in direct contact to resolve any issues.
To the extent permitted by law, as agent for the Hosts, we have no liability, to you or any other person, in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise:
Your rights are against the Host, not Canopy Camping Escapes.
If, for any reason, Canopy Camping Escapes has any liability to you under or in relation to these Booking Terms or your stay, to the extent permitted by law, our liability is limited to the 20% of the amount paid by you in relation to the relevant booking.
Any liability the Host has to you under or in relation to these Booking Conditions or your stay is, to the extent permitted by law, limited to refund of amounts paid by you for the relevant booking and shall not extend to any other costs or loss incurred by you or any guest or other person.
Gift vouchers expire if not redeemed within 2 years of purchase. If a booking paid for using a gift voucher is cancelled, any refund will be by way of a gift voucher with the same expiry date as the original gift voucher. Gift vouchers are not refundable or redeemable for cash and cannot be transferred or on-sold.
These Booking Conditions are governed by New Zealand law and the New Zealand courts have exclusive jurisdiction.
We may amend these Booking Conditions at any time. Any changes shall apply to bookings made from the date of such changes. You are responsible for familiarising yourself with these Booking Conditions each time you make a booking.
Āta is self-catering. Just bring your own food and cook your meals using the facilities provided in the outdoor kitchen. You'll find all the cutlery, crockery, pots and pans that you'll need.
If you want a break from cooking at any stage, there are plenty of good options for eating out in the local area. Your hosts recommend The Cove Cafe or The Pizza Barn in Waipu.
Āta is approximately 3.5kms away from a 4Square and 5kms from the nearest Fresh Choice supermarket in Ruakākā.
With serene views, a good range of books, board games and an outdoor bath, there is plenty to keep you entertained at the cabins. For those that like a little gentle activity - check out the bushwalking and swimming on the property too.
If you're keen to get out and about, the Northland region has plenty to offer.
The Waipu caves are a 10-minute drive away - with stalagmites, stalactites and glow worms.
Check out the Red Door Art Gallery in Waipu and the Waipu Museum.
Enjoy a picnic on the hill at the Southern end of Waipu Cove. There's a popular coastal walk from Waipu Cove to Langs Beach if you fancy some exercise.
White-sand beach, Ruakākā Beach is an 8-minute drive away - beautiful for swimming and soaking up the Northland sun.
Ian Pritchard and Muriel Willem along with children, Zoë and Fleur are your hosts at Āta Retreat.
Ian and Muriel have owned the land since 2015 and had their home and cabins built in 2017.
The whānau love the land and what it offers them. The peace, the sounds of nature, the ever-changing light, the feeling of being nestled into the bush while still having amazing views. They enjoy being close to amenities, cafes, restaurants etc, but also being away from the hustle and bustle.
Ian has a background in education, management, governance, facilitation, arts education, media, hospitality and mental health/wellbeing support.
He assists Muriel with her thriving company, New Focus NZ, where they offer holistic support for their clients - providing pathways to wellbeing, training and employment.
Muriel also has a background in education and specialist career guidance and enjoys supporting people of all ages, businesses and organisations to meet their full potential.
Āta is a Maori concept for consciously taking time to honour and action our closer relationship with all living things.
In providing this opportunity to include nature in our business, we acknowledge our (and our guests) impact on this ecosystem. We are very happy to give back via our contribution to local and national community-led planting, trapping and preservation initiatives.
Currently, we are leading the development of the Kukunui / Prescott Rd / Waiwarawara River Catchment Group and we hope to establish a place that reflects a thriving, diverse ecosystem.
You are most welcome to ask more about our local community environmental projects. Your interest, support and feedback are appreciated.
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