Out of the many services we now offer at Taranaki Retreat, we are perhaps best known for our residential stays. The offer of some time out in a beautiful setting where self-care is easy to do and encouraged, is the backbone of our work.

We have learned so very much through working with our Guests – hence our growth into other areas, such as outreach and the listening ears cafe – and it is fair to say that our learnings are crystallised in what we offer at the Retreat. Our Guests who come for a stay are offered a space in our lodge, surrounded by beautiful grounds, with visiting cats, a dog to pat, chickens to feed, home-cooked dinner every night, and food in the lodge for during the day. We offer a variety of workshops, from making your own essential oils and trying out mindfulness, to a grief workshop or life coaching sessions. We know there isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula that works for everyone. But equally we know what can help. Choice and easy availability are key – a smorgasbord of positive options! Guests get to choose what they feel might be helpful and are encouraged to give things a go. Our site kaiāwhina have their own lived experience and are kind and non-judgemental. Guests also get to share one-on-one with their support worker and perhaps begin to process some of what they’re going through. We know a Retreat stay isn’t a silver bullet – it doesn’t fix things – yet time and again we have seen our short, yet loving, stays offer real hope to our Guests – and hope is the key to moving from despair to looking at life’s possibilities.

Our Retreat stays are an amazing expression of community. Most of the workshops we offer are run by volunteers who care enough to give up their time for others. Most of our support workers are volunteers who give up their time to meet and be alongside someone they’ve never met before. Everywhere you look on site there is evidence of the people giving back; donations of baking, the beautiful grounds maintained by the site team and volunteers, the chapel built by individual $40 donations, our Care Centre built from donations of time and money.

We are so proud of the Retreat and that is a shared ‘we’ – it is not down to a few individuals but something that the community that supports us should extremely proud of. Here is some feedback from a residential Guest that gives a glimpse into what we are achieving in our beautiful corner of Taranaki:

“I have came along way today than when I first arrived. I have soaked in so much great opportunities that it filled all my missing gaps I been longing for. I can’t believe that everything I hoped for to support me has actually happened and Words are not enough to show just how thankful I am. Thank you everyone for your support and aroha”