Buster is located 1 hour and 20 minutes from the centre of Waikato, 45 minutes from Tauranga and 15 minutes from the heart of Matamata.
You'll access Buster via a 5-10 minute walk over open farmland from the car park area. You may encounter the odd cow pat or patch of mud on the way, so you'll need to wear appropriate footwear.
Off-grid, and built with sustainability in mind, Buster has a Scandinavian simplicity. The birch interior is restful and calm. Natural linens adorn the bed and large windows take in the surroundings. The hut blends seamlessly into its setting with careful landscaping and native plantings.
The hut contains a bathroom, and kitchen and sleeps up to four guests in a queen bed and cosy upstairs loft bed. A deck, wood-fired hot tub and firepit are just outside, perfect for taking in the sight and sound of the Waihou river flowing past.
In the evenings, get cosy in the hut with the wood burner or head outside to toast marshmallows over the fire pit and enjoy a star-filled sky.
Check out what the region has to offer and, if you're a keen walker, wander up the Kamai Range and visit one of New Zealand's largest waterfalls.
FROM $295 p/n
Children welcome
A $40 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.
1277 Old Te Aroha Road, Okauia 3471
Buster is located approximately 2 hours from Auckland, 45 minutes from Tauranga, and 15 minutes from Matamata.
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 - 8pm
Check-out: 11am
The tiny house has a queen-size bed in the main area. There is another queen bed in the loft accessed via the ladder.
Full linen is supplied for the main queen-sized bed only.
The loft bed is available for either one adult or two small children. A duvet and pillows are provided but you must BYO sheets and pillowcases if you are using the loft bed.
The kitchen consists of a double gas hob for cooking, a sink, and a fridge for cool storage. All the pots, pans, and utensils you'll need for cooking and eating are provided.
A picnic table with an umbrella is just outside.
The bathroom is contained within the cabin. The bathroom has a pleasant-to-use composting Bamboo Loo toilet (a bucket-loo with a sawdust system and lid) and a shower and basin.
Please note, that the bathroom is separated from the cabin by a sliding door, but some people do not like the idea of a composting toilet in an adjoining room off the main cabin area. If this is you - this cabin is not the place for you!
Towels are provided.
Buster has off-grid electricity. When you arrive, you will need to turn on the power via the switchboard next to the bed (details are provided in your pre-arrival email).
Two power plugs are provided in the kitchen for charging phones and laptops.
If it’s sunny, the system will be generating power. If it’s not sunny, you’ll be using power from the bank of batteries. While there should be plenty of electricity for your stay, you will need to conserve to avoid running out. Some small appliances, especially hairdryers and straighteners, have a large power draw so use must be avoided.
There is limited mobile coverage at Buster. Please note that 4G is only accessible in the Matamata town centre.
There is a Roaring Meg wood burner in the hut to keep you warm and a brazier (which may not be available all year round due to fire bans over the summer season).
The outdoor bath is wood-fired, so you'll need to light this when you arrive and stoke it for at least a couple of hours while it heats through. It takes a little bit of skill with lighting fires and patience.
The good news is that the bath does hold the heat well and it will only take a little bit of heating from time to time during the remainder of your stay.
Yes, Buster has a designated fire pit area which is a great place to relax in the evenings.
It is dependent on the time of year and conditions though, and at certain times of the year will be unavailable due to higher than normal fire risk.
Yes! Children are welcome to stay at Buster. You will need to be mindful of the river, electric fences and farm animals and supervise them carefully though.
Buster has a 'no dog' policy (with no exceptions).
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.
Very private! It's just you, the trees and the birds.
Buster is set on a small corner of a farm, sectioned off from neighbouring paddocks by electric fencing. The fencing is clearly indicated in the photos of the cabin but be aware before you book that it is a very small area.
The property is accessed via a driveway and farm track. You will need to walk 5-10 minutes over open farmland from the car park area to reach the hut. More instructions will be provided in your pre-arrival email, but make sure you bring sensible footwear for walking along the farm track and over farmland with uneven ground. It's farmland in all its glory so if the sights and smells of farm animals bother you - this probably isn't the stay for you.
You're welcome to come and go from the property as often as you please.
Most of our stays are nature-based with components of outdoor living, and Buster is no exception. Because of this, you may be exposed to various creatures and critters that you wouldn't usually find at your average hotel or motel.
The cabin is situated close to a fast-flowing river. There is fencing to prevent people from inadvertently wandering too close, but please be sure to keep a close eye on children and do not climb over the fence to explore the river banks.
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 $40 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 Buster.
Our minimum night policies are strictly adhered to. Please note that there are no exceptions to the policies outlined below for Buster.
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 $40 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 $295 for up to two people.
Additional adults are $50 per person and children are $30 per person, per night.
Single Night Surcharge:
Where single nights are bookable (see Minimum Stay Periods) a Single Night Surcharge of $40 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.
Buster is self-catering. Just bring your own food, and cook meals using the dual gas hob provided in your hut's kitchen.
If you feel like getting out and about, there are a few restaurants to consider at Matamata's centre. Osteria is great Italian dining, Merchant of Matamata offers craft beers and tasty pub food, and Momento Espresso is perfect for a morning coffee.
With a firepit and outdoor bath, Buster is a great place to kick back and relax. If you want to get out and about - you're close to plenty of action and sights in the Waikato.
Keen on a walk amongst nature? Wairere Falls is a 5-minute drive away and approximately a one-hour walk. Plus, you get to see the most beautiful waterfall! Te Waihou Walkway is also a great walk, a 30-minute drive away.
Opal Hot Springs is great for a hot water dip (5 minutes away) and Hobbiton Movie Set Studios offers epic guided tours (25 minutes away). Matamata Golf Course is 5 minutes away and the Firth Farming Museum is also in the area (10 minutes away).
Matt the owner of Buster, is thrilled to share his peaceful retreat with his guests. From the breathtaking sunrises, accompanied by a steaming cup of your favourite brew, to cooking over the cosy campfire and soaking in the hot tub, there's something for everyone!
You'll be well taken care of during your stay at Buster. Your friendly property manager, Miriam, will be your main point of contact during your stay and is always nearby whenever needed.
Absolutely tranquil setting. Buster had everything you needed and more. Highly recommended place to stay.
"- 14 Nov 2023
1 / 10
We loved our stay at Buster!! The woodfired bath was amazing and got so hot! The best place to have a relaxing, wholesome weekend. If you arrive in the dark, make sure to take a torch with you to get from the car to the property.
"- 05 Aug 2023
2 / 10
It was such a rejuvenating getaway for my husband and I. We really enjoyed reading by the fire, the hot tub and the peaceful nature. Loved it thank you.
"- 29 Jul 2023
3 / 10
Buster is a great escape from the hustle and bustle of life. It was amazing to sit in front of the fire and gaze up at the Matariki stars!
"- 27 Jul 2023
4 / 10
We loved our stay at Buster, the location was so beautiful and the outdoor tub was our absolute highlight!
"- 28 Jun 2023
5 / 10
Loved the neat design of Buster. We had a great time and wished we'd stayed longer!
"- 10 Apr 2023
6 / 10
This must be one of NZ's best kept secrets. A great experience.
"- 09 Apr 2023
7 / 10
The perfect set up in such a peaceful spot! The waterfall in the distance and the woodfired hot tub under the stars at night was magical! The cabin was very well done and had everything you need for a cosy and relaxing stay.
"- 01 Mar 2023
8 / 10
Amazing spot! Very peaceful, loved the atmosphere and serenity!
"- 21 Feb 2023
9 / 10
Gorgeous and tranquil setting with a view of the Wairere Falls from the bed. Thank you for providing me with the night away I needed, I would love to come back!
"- 24 Dec 2022
10 / 10
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