Awatuna Yurt is located on the beautiful Tutukaka coastline, about a 40-minute drive from Whangārei.
The yurt is located 100m from the road on a pretty corner of the 25-acre property. It's set near a stream, amongst mature Totara trees. Decking and boardwalks connect the kitchen, bathhouse and outdoor bath.
The interior of the yurt is stylish and restful. The timber latticework and creamy canvas cocooning its inhabitants ignite a warm glow feeling. The king-sized bed, along with a sofa, armchair and large jute rug create a spacious and comfortable sleeping and living space.
From the yurt, you'll hear the trickle of water over rocks from the pretty stream nearby, fringed by native bush and inhabited by tame and treasured tuna kuwharuwharu (long-fin eels). Rest in the shade of the Totaras, listen to the birds and enjoy the gentle breeze coming down the valley. And when you're ready, head to the beach. Beautiful, pohutukawa-fringed, Sandy Bay Beach is just an easy 10-minute walk away.
FROM $330 p/n
The gate entrance to Awatuna Yurt is on Matapouri Road, Matapouri 0173
Awatuna Yurt is 40 minutes from Whangarei on the Tutukaka Coast.
You will receive a pre-arrival email with more detail on the location of the entrance on Matapouri Road, arrival instructions and your host's contact 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 - between 3pm - 7pm (or later by arrangement)
Check-out - 10am
Awatuna Yurt is perfect for a couple, sleeping 2 people in a king-sized bed.
The sheets are 100% cotton alongside a feather and down duvet and feather and wool pillows.
Wool blankets are also supplied for extra warmth.
A small enclosed kitchen is set right beside the yurt, connected by decking. The kitchen includes a kitchen sink, hot and cold running water, a double gas-ring cooker and a medium-sized solar-powered fridge. All the pots, pans and utensils you'll need for cooking and eating are provided.
A Weber barbeque is provided for alfresco cooking.
Some pantry basics are supplied - olive oil, salt and pepper, tea and coffee, sugar.
The bathhouse with an under-cover shower and basin is accessed via a boardwalk from the yurt, about 10m away. An outdoor bath sits on the deck and a pleasant-to-use composting toilet at the rear of the bathhouse. Hot water is supplied by a gas califont.
Bath towels, natural soap, shampoo, conditioner and bath salts are supplied.
Solar power supplies enough power for a fridge, lighting and a charging port for charging devices during daylight hours.
While there should be plenty of power during your stay, you will need to conserve to avoid running out. Electrical items like hairdryers and straighteners should be left at home.
Spark coverage is available from the yurt, but other networks are not available. You can find other networks from the top of the hill next to the beach.
Devices can be charged at the yurt during daylight hours.
The yurt is heated by a cosy wood burner.
Awatuna Yurt is not suitable for children and is a strictly adults-only site. The one exception to this rule is for non-mobile babies under 6 months with BYO bedding and portacot. If you are bringing your non-mobile baby, you'll need to mention this in the comments box when you book.
If you're looking for a safe family-friendly glamping site, select the family icon in the search bar on our 'find your escape' page to easily find them.
Awatuna Yurt has a 'no dog' policy.
If you're looking for dog-friendly glamping, check out some of our other Canopy Camping Escapes sites that welcome dogs - you can select the 'dog-friendly' filter in the search bar to easily find them.
Awatuna Yurt is set on a 25-acre coastal property. The yurt is in a quiet corner of the property but you will hear and see signs of life from time to time. There are power lines crossing the paddock, and you may hear intermittent road noise from the road, 100m away. You also may see and hear the horse trail rides on the property at around 10.30am and 1pm in peak periods. They will often stop on the other side of the stream a short distance away to look at the eels.
There is easy drive-on access to the yurt. You can park your car nearby and come and go as often as you like, making sure to leave any gates as you find them.
There is a stream near the yurt which may flood in severe weather. On these rare occasions, the campsite will be closed until the stream drops.
There are horses are on the property which must be viewed from a distance at all times. They are in electric fenced paddocks (which have signs indicating the fencing is electric). For safety reasons, please do not access any paddocks with horses in them.
You can access the beach via two tracks on the property or down the road. Please only take the track marked and signposted.
For Health and Safety purposes, it is very important to follow the safety guidelines and terms that you’ll find in our booking terms, and in your guide found inside the yurt.
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.
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 Awatuna Yurt.
Our minimum night policies are strictly adhered to. Please note that there are no exceptions to the policies outlined below for Awatuna Yurt.
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.
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 $330* for up to two people.
Infants under 6 months with their own bed and bedding are free of charge.
*This rate applies for stays of two nights or more.
Single Night Stays:
Where single-night stays are available on the online booking calendar, a higher nightly rate applies. This is to reflect the additional servicing time/costs that single-night stays incur.
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.
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 encounter any issues or problems during your stay, you must first contact the Host to try to resolve the issue. The Host should be given the opportunity to address and fix the problem before any further steps are taken.
If you decide to leave the accommodation early due to an issue without first contacting the Host to resolve it, you will not be entitled to compensation. Essentially, if you don’t give the Host a chance to fix the problem, you cannot expect financial reimbursement for leaving early.
If you have a complaint that you'd like to alert Canopy Camping Escapes about after your stay, please contact us promptly at [email protected] with details of the complaint. As an agent, 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.
Awatuna Yurt is self-catering. Just bring your own food and cook your meals using the facilities provided in the kitchen cabin. You'll find all the cutlery, crockery, pots and pans that you'll need.
If you want a break from cooking at any stage, your hosts recommend Schnappa Rock Cafe and Wahi Restaurant in Tutukaka, a 15-minute drive away. Whangārei is a 40-minute drive away and also has lots of good eating-out options.
The nearest supermarket is in Whangārei.
A stay at Awatuna Yurt is a chance to kick back, relax and immerse yourself in nature. Enjoy an outdoor bath, visit the tame eels in the nearby stream or battle it out over a board game.
If you're feeling energetic, enjoy walking one of the many coastal tracks on or near the property. A walk from your yurt, in the valley to the top of the hill, will offer expansive views of the coast, and sunset to the west.
Your hosts own Sandy Bay Horse Treks, a great experience for those keen to explore the coast on horseback.
On a hot day, hit the beach - just an 800m walk from the yurt. If you're keen to try surfing, lessons and board hire are available at Sandy Bay Beach.
If you'd like to try some watersports beyond surfing - game fishing, SUP hire and scuba diving or snorkelling are all on offer in nearby Tutukaka.
Kiley, Dylan Pullman and children Paige and Sonny are your hosts at Awatuna Yurt, along with 8 horses and 5 dogs - Syd, Brownie, Bolt, Roxy and Bluey.
Originally, the property was a dairy farm owned by Dylan's Grandparents and Great Grandparents. Kiley and Dylan and their children are the 4th and 5th generations to live on the land.
Over the last 11 years, Kiley and Dylan have been reestablishing the native trees and plants that once would have covered the property. Of particular pride to the family are the kuwharuwharu tuna (long-fin eels) that thrive in their valley. They're an ancient species who have lived in the stream on the property for over 20 years. They are very much cherished and protected by the family who regards them as pets.
Kiley's day job is her business, Sandy Bay Horse Treks, and Dylan works in landscaping contracting. They love their beach locality, the beauty and the warm climate of their Northalnd location.
Setting up glamping on their land has been a dream for a long time and they look forward to welcoming you to enjoy it!
Awatuna translates as 'eel stream' in Maori.
Unforgettable experience. Best spot, definitely stay here!
"Simon Phillips - 22 Jan 2025
1 / 12
Great location, very secluded, and excellent accommodation. Highly recommend.
"Peter Miles - 20 Jan 2025
2 / 12
Awatuna Yurt is truly a lovely place to spend time. We had plans to go places but ended up lounging around on the lawn and reading instead because we didn’t want to leave!
"Dylan Ward - 14 Jan 2025
3 / 12
This was the highlight of our three week trip in New Zealand!
"Barbara Schiffmann - 10 Jan 2025
4 / 12
Awesome spot to relax and enjoy the sounds of nature, and watch the eels!
"Marion Sluys - 19 Dec 2024
5 / 12
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Awatuna Yurt. It was the beautiful, slightly secluded escape in a very special place that we needed. It was so serene, with the bush, eels, and surf beach all just a stone's throw away. Every detail of the yurt setup was another wow factor, from the outdoor bath and the small cosy fireplace to the considerate accessories that accompanied the accommodation. It was better than our last Pacific island holiday! Nga mihi.
"Karina Benseman - 30 Oct 2024
6 / 12
We were very lucky to enjoy the horses at Sandy Bay Horses, a stone's throw down the road, while on a very relaxing and tranquil weekend at the yurt. Loved it! Book it!
"Craig Whatford - 12 Oct 2024
7 / 12
The perfect place to relax and get away from our busy world we live in.
"Mel Coates - 30 Sep 2024
8 / 12
My husband and I loved the place. Very nicely set up, and the facilities were very clean. We enjoyed the outdoor setting, and the bathtub is such a bonus, especially at night. It would be nice to come back during summer. Thanks for sharing this wonderful place with us. Highly recommended.
"Rochelle Jovero - 18 Sep 2024
9 / 12
Absolutely fabulous, keen to come again.
"Ilia Nedoluzhko - 07 Aug 2024
10 / 12
The hosts of Awatuna Yurt have built an amazing hideaway to combine both luxury and simplicity of life. The yurt is so beautiful in decor and kitchen/bathroom so clever in design and build, plus incorporating the tōtara into the build. Tranquillity with the stream (plus tuna/eel) babbling past.
"- 18 Mar 2024
11 / 12
The place is awesome. Was lovely in autumn but would be super cosy in Winter too. Can't fault it; we would absolutely recommend.
"- 18 Mar 2024
12 / 12
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