Tōtaranui Retreat is nestled in the North Canterbury ranges, just 50 minutes from Kaikōura and 3.5 hours from Christchurch.
Perched high in the North Canterbury ranges, Tōtaranui Retreat sits alone on a ridge above the valley, with the sea shimmering on the horizon. Native bush tumbles down the hillside around you, the air is clean and still, and the only sounds are wind and birdsong.
The cabin is perfectly suited for two. Floor-to-ceiling windows fill the space with light and frame an uninterrupted panorama of rolling farmland sweeping all the way down to the ocean. A queen bed sits beneath a skylight for stargazing from under the sheets, two cosy armchairs invite slow mornings, and a compact kitchen and bathroom provide everything you need without anything you don't.
Outside is a spacious deck with a bar leaner, and stools - the perfect spot to sit with a hot coffee and watch the light change across the ranges. Fire up the large BBQ, gather around the campfire as the temperature falls, then ease into the wood-fired hot tub beneath a sky free of light pollution. It doesn't get much better than this.
Puhi Puhi Road, Puhi Puhi 7317
Tōtaranui Retreat is located in the North Canterbury region, just 50 minutes from Kaikōura and 3.5 hours from Christchurch.
Follow the Google Maps directions to the coordinates.
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].
The minimum stay for a particular day or date can vary depending on factors such as the day of the week, the time of year and the host's preferences.
The easiest way to check what's available is to use the online calendar for this escape—it’ll show you the current options for your dates.
Please note that the minimum stay rules are set by the host and can’t be adjusted, so we’re not able to make exceptions.
If the stay length doesn’t quite match what you’re after, head to Find Your Escape, enter your check-in date and preferred length of stay, and browse other great options that might be a better fit.
To find out if single nights are available at this escape, check the online calendar and see if your preferred date is available to book.
If this escape isn’t available, head to Find Your Escape, enter your check-in date and length of stay, and browse all one-night options available for that day.
Please note that the minimum stay rules are set by the host and can’t be adjusted, so we’re not able to make exceptions.
There is a queen bed, with full linen, towels, and bedding provided.
The cabin has a compact kitchen with a two-ring gas cooker and a small fridge, with a large BBQ just outside on the deck.
All the pots, pans and utensils you'll need for cooking and eating are provided.
Some pantry basics are supplied - cooking oil, salt and pepper.
The bathroom has a flushing toilet, shower, and hand basin. Towels and robes are provided.
The cabin is fully off-grid, powered by a 12V solar and battery system. There is a wall outlet and a USB port available for charging devices.
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.
Yes there is mobile coverage at the cabin, though the signal strength varies depending on your provider. There is no WiFi.
There is a wall outlet and a USB port available for charging devices.
The cabin has a diesel heater for indoor warmth. There's also a brazier for spending the evenings outdoors.
Yes, Tōtaranui Retreat has a designated fire pit area which is a great place to relax with a glass of wine and a bag of marshmallows at the end of the day. 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. Your hosts will let you know if there is a fire ban in place when you are visiting.
The hot tub 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.
If you ordered the hot tub lighting service when you booked online, the tub will be alight and heated when you arrive, but it does take a while to get to fully hot and ready to soak in. It's important to note that this will not be hot and ready to jump into immediately on arrival and it may be later in the evening before you get to hop in.
The good news is that the hot tub 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.
Tōtaranui Retreat is not suitable for children and is strictly adults-only. The one exception to this rule is for non-mobile babies under 12 months at the time of your stay with BYO bedding and portacot.
If you're looking for a family-friendly glamping escape, use the filters on our 'find your escape' page to easily find them.
Tōtaranui Retreat has a 'no dog' policy (with no exceptions).
If you're looking for dog-friendly glamping, check out some of our other glamping spots in the Canopy Camping Escapes collection that welcome dogs - you can select the 'dogs welcome' filter in the search bar to easily find them.
Very private! It's just you, nature, the birds and the view.
The cabin is accessible via a gravel driveway, with parking right beside it. You're welcome to come and go as you please.
There's plenty of space for a standard vehicle, though the area isn't suitable for campervans, boats, or trailers. If you're arriving with a boat or trailer, the hosts can arrange parking at their homestead, about 15 minutes before you reach the cabin. Just give them a heads up ahead of your arrival so they can organise this for you.
Please be aware that the main driveway is prone to rockfall, so please drive with care. Wild animals, including deer and goats, roam freely throughout the station; please keep your distance and do not approach them.
Wood-fired Hot Tub Lighting Service - $40
The wood-fired hot tub is free to use, however, some people do find it tricky to light and get going. Also, it takes at least a few hours to heat up the first time. If you're uncertain, we highly recommend selecting this service during the booking process. Your hot tub will be lit and heating up when you arrive. Note that you'll need to keep feeding the fire after you get there for it to be nice and hot for an evening soak.
Give the gift of glamping! Gift Vouchers are available for use at any of our glamping spots in the Canopy Camping Escapes collection. 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.
1.1 Canopy Camping Limited (Canopy Camping Escapes, also referred to as we, our and us) has a curated collection of unique nature-based properties throughout New Zealand, independently owned and operated by individual owners of the properties (Hosts).
1.2 By making a booking through our website (here) (Website), you, as the person making the booking, agree to be bound by these terms and conditions (Booking Conditions).
1.3 Canopy Camping Escapes enters into these Booking Conditions as an agent for the Host. That means that you are making an agreement with the Host for the use of its property. Anything Canopy Camping Escapes does (including enforcing any of the Host’s rights), it does so as agent for the Host and is not a party to your agreement with the Host.
1.4 In these terms:
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 2.1% 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 2.1% 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.
Hunting or motorcycles are not permitted on the properties.
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.
9.1 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.
9.2 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:
9.3 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.
9.4 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.
9.5 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.
9.6 Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the properties.
9.7 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.
9.8 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.
9.9 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 3 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.
Tōtaranui Retreat is self-catering. Just bring your own food and drink, and cook meals using the two-ring gas cooker and large BBQ provided. You'll find all the cutlery, crockery, pots and pans that you'll need.
The nearest store for stocking up on food and supplies is in Kaikōura. Make sure you're organised and get food supplies on the way, so you can settle straight in when you arrive.
With no agenda and nowhere to be, Tōtaranui Retreat is a place to slow down and simply be present.
As the sun dips behind the ranges, gather around the outdoor brazier with a glass of your favourite and watch the sky turn. When the stars come out, sink into the wood-fired hot tub and let the warmth of the water and the stillness of the mountains do the rest. Views like this are best enjoyed unhurried.
On cooler days or lazy mornings, pull out the board games and settle in. The cabin's floor-to-ceiling windows mean the landscape is always with you, whether you're playing cards at the table or curled up in the armchair with a coffee.
If you feel called to explore, the nearby Puhi Puhi Reserve Walk is an easy short stroll through native bush, and the charming coastal town of Kaikōura is an easy 50-minute drive.
Your hosts at Tōtaranui Retreat are Jazz and Chris.
Tōtaranui Retreat was created by owners Stacey and Locky, who wanted to share this special corner of the station with the world — a place to slow down, reconnect, and feel the magic of the land. Today, it's operated by Jazz and Chris.
Jazz and Chris swapped their old life for something a little wilder two years ago when a farm manager role brought them to the Kaikōura region. They arrived, fell instantly in love with the place, and, as their families like to say, "went bush!"
Chris manages the station while Jazz juggles wedding hair and motherhood, and together they share the property with their two children, four dogs, a cow, two pigs, and a flock of chickens.
Having long dreamed of sharing this little piece of paradise with others, they created Tōtaranui Retreat so guests could experience the same stillness and magic that captured their hearts.
Tōtaranui takes its name from the tōtara trees that once blanketed the land. A few grand old survivors still stand today as a reminder of what once was.
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