Kohutapu Lodge - Lake Aniwhenua, Bay of Plenty

12/04/2026

Some people come for a stay. But really, they are looking for something much deeper.

You can feel it. The need to slow down, breathe and reset.

We lead with manaaki - and the rest takes care of itself. The whenua, the kai, the korero, the connection... it all does what it needs to do.

For some it is more than a visit... it is a journey.

"Hello Nades and family,

First I want to apologize for mailing so late after my arrival in Holland. There hasn't been a day that I was not thinking of you and New Zealand. It feels a bit like being homesick.

The differences between both countries are huge, I found out, besides the similarities. I think it is very nice to realise, but this puts me in a totally different position being back in Holland. It was what I was curious for, experiencing differences, but I never expected myself to feel this way afterwards.

So, what it's really telling is that I've had a wonderful intense stay in New Zealand, especially at your place. I felt so welcome and so embraced by you and your lovely family and the other people, it touches me every day still. And the koru you gave to me I'm wearing every day and night, it provides me with love and strength, and beautiful memories.

You also gave me a bottle with homemade tomato chutney, which is so delicious, that I have reached the bottom of it almost. Later on I have to miss it too. Too bad... it has been a real feast to taste it every time again. Such things have to stop one time, otherwise it will become ordinary instead of special...."

09/04/2026

Nga mihi nunui to James Higham and Yi Bian, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia for this valuable piece of Research "Regenerative Tourism - Insights from Aotearoa", funded by MBiE and published March 2026. I acknowledge the care James and Yi undertook throughout this process while enagaging with us and encourage you to read the full report.

Below is an excerpt from our case study here at Kohutapu Lodge - Lake Aniwhenua, Bay of Plenty ...

"This case demonstrates that regenerative tourism does not rely on goodwill or cultural intent alone, but on deliberate organisational design, clear boundaries, and shared responsibility. Cultural harm in tourism is often systemic rather than incidental, arising from policy and industry settings that prioritise visitor experience and growth metrics while underestimating cultural labour, emotional burden, and the costs of hosting.

Kohutapu Lodge illustrates that cultural integrity does not need to be compromised to engage visitors or operate at scale. By embedding cultural expectations into visitor preparation and organisational processes, responsibility is redistributed away from frontline hosts and normalised within the visitor journey itself. This approach challenges the assumption that cultural safety can be achieved through individual awareness, training, or resilience alone rather than through structural design.

For regenerative tourism, the central question is not only whether Indigenous culture is valued in principle, but how responsibility is organised in practice. Current policy settings tend to externalise the costs of hosting onto Indigenous enterprises, while continuing to define success primarily through growth-oriented and visitor-centred metrics.

In the absence of institutional arrangements that recognise cultural protection as core tourism infrastructure, regenerative tourism risks becoming as an ethical overlay on largely unchanged systems of accountability.

Without sustained investment in Indigenous-led cultural systems, workforce pathways, and organisational capacity, regenerative tourism may remain vulnerable to becoming symbolic rather than transformative.

Recent research on the cultural exchange programme (Native Nations - Tracing Indigenous Footsteps) coordinated by Kohutapu Lodge and Tribal Tours has demonstrated the regenerative impacts that culturally grounded tourism can have on Indigenous youth, particularly in enhancing mana and, cultural identity. However, such outcomes currently depend on exceptional organisational effort rather than on tourism systems designed to support them as a matter of course.

Under these circumstances, enterprises like Kohutapu serve as an exemplar of good practice, rather than a model that a rigid tourism system is structurally prepared and resourced to normalise or scale across the sector."

https://jameshigham.com/.../Regenerative-Tourism-Report...

25/02/2026

Yesterday was one of those days that reminds us why we do this mahi.

Out on the whenua, beside the awa that has sustained Ngāti Manawa for generations, our Mahinga Kai rōpū sat with Koro Maurice — 75 years young, and 40 years deep in service to our tuna.

For four decades, Koro has carried out trap and transfer, ensuring these taonga can continue their ancient migration to the moana, despite the barriers placed in their path (Dams and Power Companies).

But Koro will tell you — this knowledge is not his to keep. It belongs to the people. It belongs to the next generation.

Yesterday, our whānau learned how to make hīnaki — but more importantly, they learned the tikanga behind them. The stories of our awa, the responsibility of kaitiakitanga, and the Ngāti Manawatanga that binds them to this place.

This is kai sovereignty — the ability to feed ourselves, to care for our taiao, and to reclaim the knowledge our tūpuna once held as everyday life.

Through tourism, Kohutapu Lodge creates space for this to happen. While hosting manuhiri from around the world, we are also walking alongside 20 of our own community members across a 53-week Mahinga Kai journey — planting, harvesting, gathering, building, and remembering.

This is just one way we give back.

We are currently establishing a large community māra kai here at Kohutapu Lodge, with the vision to provide fresh, organic produce for our people and become a seed bank for future generations — restoring food security, connection, and independence for our community.

Koro Maurice is one of the last knowledge holders of his generation. His wish is simple — that his people carry this knowledge forward.

And yesterday, as hīnaki were shaped by new hands, and stories were shared beside the awa, you could feel it happening — the passing of mātauranga, the strengthening of identity, and the continuation of legacy.

22/02/2026

So proud of our staff, our whanau, who deliver our authentic experiences and impact on the lives and in the hearts of our manuhiri daily. When you receive messages like this, it hits a different kind of way. You never know who you're going to meet, and how much your time spent with them will stay in their hearts.

From Whirinaki Forest Footsteps to a dining room in Cologne, Germany!!!

There are moments in this work that stop you in your tracks. Moments that remind you this is so much more than a tour.

It is connection. It is whakapapa. It is wairua.

Recently, one of our manuhiri from Germany sent this message to our beautiful guide, Destiny, after experiencing Whirinaki Forest Footsteps:

"Dear Destiny, I would like to send you my warmest regards. In November we went on an unforgettable hike with you through the rainforest. It was an unforgettable experience for us. My wife recently said how nice it would be if Destiny could join us at the table from time to time. As of today, that is possible — we hope you agree. With fond memories, and warmest regards from Cologne."

Alongside their message was a photo. A framed portrait of Destiny, now hanging beside their dining table — a permanent place in their home, and in their lives.

This is the greatest honour a guide can receive.

What our guides share is not scripted. It is not rehearsed. It is not manufactured.

It is real.

It is the lived expression of Te Ao Māori — of manaakitanga, of aroha, of deep connection to whenua and to people.

Our guides do not simply walk visitors through a forest. They open a doorway into our world. They share their stories, their truth, their identity — and in doing so, create space for others to feel, to understand, and to belong.

This is the power of authentic Indigenous tourism.

We are endlessly proud of our people. Their humility. Their strength. Their ability to carry our tūpuna with them, and to create connections that transcend time, distance, and borders.

From the ngahere of Whirinaki, to a dining room in Cologne — this is the reach of wairua.

This is who we are.

Ngā mihi nui e Destiny. You carry us beautifully.

23/01/2026

A privilege to host an amazing young group of future leaders and change makers from The University of Delaware, USA at our ataahua Rangitahi Marae last night.

Our group experienced a tribal land tour, powhiri on to the marae, saw hangi go down and come up, participated in mau rakau, haka and weaving and a sumptuous hangi buffet feast and dessert.

They made their beds in the marae, and slept communally overnight, listening to stories before they drifted off to sleep under the watchful eyes of our tupuna.

Up early for breakfast, and mahi tahi as everyone worked together to clean up the marae before fond words of farewell and gratitude.

Thank you for your beautiful waiata, your open hearts, minds and amazing energy as you immersed yourselves fully into our world.

Our group travels the whole of New Zealand, so it hits the manawa when they say this was the highlight of their entire trip.

Thank you for coming back, and we'll see you again soon, our whanau from The University of Delaware.

Mauri Ora 💗

20/01/2026

When you receive an email from manuhiri who visited us last year — just to say hello, to send love, and to tell us how much they enjoyed Aotearoa.

These are the moments that remind us why we do what we do.
Why we open our doors, our kitchens, our stories, and our hearts.
Why we share our whenua, our culture, our kai, and our way of life.

When visitors become whānau, memories can turn into lifelong connections — that’s the real magic of what we do here.

Ngā mihi nui for the aroha💛

13/01/2026

We invite you to slow down and walk with us...

Where the forest becomes our teacher, and time moves with the rhythm of the taiao.

Walk alongside us, as we share Matauranga Maori - ancestral stories, knowledge, rongoa (medicine plants) and their deep relationship with this living landscape.

Breathe deeply through moments of forest bathing, listen carefully as traditional wind instruments and Native Birds carry sound through towering podocarps.

Feel what it means to be truly hosted.... not as a customer, but as whanau (family). This is not about rushing, or ticking boxes. It's about connection - to whenua (land), to culture and to yourself.

Whether you're visiting Aotearoa or rediscovering your own backyard, Whirinaki Forest Footsteps is an invitation to experience Summer differently. Grounded, meaningful and unforgettable.

Come. Walk softly, with us.

11/01/2026

Delighted to open up the inbox to this message today...

"Hello Nadine, thank you so much for the fantastic welcome and your incredible kindness. We will cherish wonderful memories of our visit to your home for a long time. Thank you for your perfect dinner. Warmest regards, ######X"

Language is not the only way humans communicate.

We welcomed two beautiful manuhiri from France who didn’t speak much English — and we, well… don’t speak much French... But somehow, from the very first moment, we just clicked.

There was lots of laughter, google translating, hand signals, joking and that feeling you get when you meet people you were meant to meet.

Thankfully, two more French guests were on the same afternoon tour and willingly became our guest-translators, joining in the connection and laughter — bridging the gap between words so hearts could keep talking.

What was meant to be a short visit turned into a long evening. They stayed on for dinner. More kōrero. More connection. More shared moments.

It reminded us that when people meet with open hearts, respect, and curiosity, language becomes secondary. Energy speaks. Laughter speaks. Presence speaks.

You don’t have to speak the same words to understand each other — you just have to speak the same heart 🤍

Mauri Ora!

11/01/2026

The sun begins its slow goodbye,
and suddenly everyone remembers how to be still.

Cameras lift, laughter softens,
and time loosens its grip.
Strangers become witnesses,
standing side by side,
held by the same sky.

We let the schedule breathe.
We step back from the doing.
Because some moments ask not to be guided,
only felt.

This is travel beyond movement —
natural, unfiltered, real life.
A pause shared with whānau,
with visitors,
with the land itself.

Some lessons arrive quietly,
painted in light,
and they stay long after the sun has gone.

11/01/2026

A stunning sunset out at Kohutapu Lodge last night.

Thankfully our 3 groups got to witness the magic of getting off the beaten track, and sitting in space to enjoy our people, place, culture, community.... and the sky ✨️

29/11/2025

Miharo e te whanau 💗

More stunning feedback for our beautiful whanau who carefully and respectfully guide our manuhiri through the sacred realm of Whirinaki Te Pua a Tane.

Arrive as strangers. Leave as whanau.

29/11/2025

More amazing feedback coming in for our beautiful guided cultural rainforest tours...

Our staff and whanau are truly one of a kind

We are blessed to have such beautiful people working for us...

"I would like to thank Haare Wiremu for the wonderful experience during the Whirinaki Forest Footsteps.

The forest itself was already overwhelmingly beautiful, but through his profound knowledge I became aware of things that had previously been invisible to me.

He spoke with great love about his people and our shared history from the period before the modern era. A story that truly gave me food for thought...

Once again, thank you very much for this special experience!

Met vriendelijke groet,"