Great news! This is your ticket for a Stay at Taranaki Retreat.

​As a Guest here, you’ll stay in the “Lodge”. It’s a cosy, newly-built home. It has two bathrooms and bedrooms for four Guests / whānau. It’s a little like staying in a hotel with two communal lounges, a kitchen and laundry.

​Staying at the Retreat is a bit like being at Ronald McDonald House – in that people who come and stay get to hang with others who may also be facing challenging times. There’s great benefit to this; it’s good to know we’re not alone in all this, and often people find that the time just hanging out with other Guests is one of the best aspects of their stay.

We all understand what it is to feel anxious or nervous about the prospect of a stay – but don’t worry, we know what’s that’s like, and we ‘get it’. You will be allowed as much of your ‘own space’ as you like, and people often spend a lot of their time just snoozing, drawing, reading, or enjoying the landscape. We won’t be filling your days with stuff to do – the whole idea is to get some down-time. So, have a think about how you can make the best use of that 🙂 Maybe bring some craft stuff to do, or think about what woodwork you’d like to do in the Shed.

As you’re thinking about whether this is the ‘right fit’ for you – here’s some things that Taranaki Retreat is and some that it isn’t!

• It’s NOT like an institution. It IS a whānau set-up. That means there’s the pets / the host whānau’s children around and all the things you’d expect in that kind of environment. The Retreat was visioned and built by those who wanted to offer the possibility of a time-out space to those in need, but in a real-life context.
• It’s NOT perfect! It IS what it is; a bit of quirky rural Taranaki set aside to express hospitality. We’re still on a learning journey (and always will be – as we aim to learn and grow through everyone‘s story.) So – some things won’t be as good as they could be if we had a suite of flash buildings and more than the smell of an oily rag to pay our way…. but that’s OK! It’s not about the stuff, it’s about the team…. and the team are pretty awesome! From the folks who cook, clean, garden, offer art and so on – you’ll notice they’re cool people.
• It’s NOT a clinical environment. It’s not our function to provide clinical services or rehab, which are provided by the experts in their various fields. Where those needs are acute and critical, the Retreat is not the right place for now… but maybe later? However, it IS a secluded spot with plenty of nature to explore… Unleash your creative potental in the art cave, enjoy a movie in the Lodge on our tv system, relax in our beautiful chapel, or borrow the e-bike and go for a ride up the road! Hayley and Mac, with their 3 young children are our host whānau and look forward to welcoming you. You will no doubt also meet and connect with other members of our friendly team during your stay…
• It’s NOT a boot camp environment where you’ll be briskly called into action and given a timetable. We’re mostly about R&R! Our staff team work long hours and are very much out and about in the community; so it IS a place where Guests get the most out of it by coming with a plan of what they want to work through, given the opportunity of the space to do that independently. The answers are inside you – not inside us – so the aim of ‘getting away from it all’ is to allow people time for reflecting, processing stuff and getting ready and equipped for the next chapter.

The Retreat is set on a 2.5 acre chunk of Taranaki rural landscape. ​It’s quiet, private, and in the middle of nowhere! The pets are part of our life here – and they appreciate love and feeding from all visitors. There’s sheep, chickens, cats, and a dog – plus an eel or two in the waterways. The site is all organic, and there’s great birdlife to watch.

There’s a Smoking Hut near the Lodge, and a house (Te Kainga) where the Retreat Family hang out. Everyone staying normally has a kai together – and one of us cooks something that (hopefully) we’ll all enjoy! We can cater to your dietary requirements – we want to feed you well – but please let us know if you have dietary requirements beforehand! For lunch and breakfast – help yourself to the supplies in the Lodge.

You may also find it helpful to know that there’s a small firepit on site. Sometimes people find it helpful to be able to ‘let go’ of something hurtful by writing a letter, and, together with their Support Worker, letting it go up in flames. Sometimes there’s some painful paperwork that can disposed of in this way. Interested in this? Please talk this over as a possibility with us now.

Also, we have a memorial garden, where a rock can be painted bearing the name of a loved one. Again, if this is something you’d be keen to do, be sure to let us know, and, together, we’ll make it happen.

When it comes to packing, just bring the stuff you’d take away on a break.
​Bedding and towels are provided.

You’re welcome to bring an iPod for music, or laptop for movies and stuff like that – but heads-up! We’re on rural wireless broadband here, so our bandwidth is capped (we’re a charity and our resources are limited). All of us have a small daily quota to share, and once it’s used up, it’s gone. The signal isn’t great on most parts of the site, either, but that’s also part of the plan – the tendency many of us have to spend hours of our day on a device is proven to be harmful to our mental wellbeing. The technology is great – but it also has its issues! Getting offline and letting social media go for a bit is good for all of us 🙂

First up, we need you to read our “House Rules”, and check that you accept them. Have a read-through – they’re brief, ​and you need to know this stuff!