Waihōanga Riverside Lodge and Retreat

04/06/2026

Coming into winter, this is the season for wānanga, reflection, retreats and team meetings. We have several organisations joining us this month: Councils, NGOs, University groups and research collectives as examples.
Check out the list of birds this week's group observed from the lodge in their first day!

31/05/2026

✨ SPACES ARE ALREADY BEGINNING TO FILL ✨

This retreat is not just about learning Reiki…

It is about:
🌿 Deep connection
🌿 Healing
🌿 Stillness
🌿 Remembering your inner wisdom

Held in the peaceful surroundings of Waihōanga Riverside Lodge, this 4-day Reiki First Degree Retreat is designed to be a deeply supportive and transformational experience 💫

✨ Reiki First Degree Training
✨ Reiki Attunements
✨ Hands-on healing practice
✨ Vegetarian meals & refreshments included

📅 9–12 July 2026

Only 10 spaces available and places are already being secured 🌿

If you feel drawn, I invite you to trust that feeling ✨
Message me for details 💌

✨ Guidance to Your Inner Wisdom ✨

30/05/2026

Big shout out to the Science and Freshwater teams at Horizons Regional Council who had a recent staff retreat at Waihōanga. They went spotlighting and reported on river health. It’s so heartwarming to discover there are really quite big healthy fish living in the relatively small stream that runs past the yurt and lodge.

This year they found banded kokopu (pictured) including one which was ready to spawn - a great sign. They also saw Redfin bully, trout and eels ❤️

16/05/2026

More happy guests this week - a small group of about 10 colleagues and friends who come here 2-3 times a year to reconnect. They particularly enjoyed Bryn visiting (and promised they didn't feed him 😆). He's a great retreat dog - very calm and loves cuddles (and stays outdoors), and always keen to take anyone for a walk to the river who needs a little extra encouragement.

08/05/2026

Great to welcome The Sauna Project - Kāpiti back to Waihōanga as part of a Heartsong Healing retreat. Everyone enjoyed its new secluded location, near to a cold shower hidden amongst manuka trees that we planted several years ago for just this purpose. Now they're tall enough to give some privacy and the lovely weather helped too!

08/05/2026

COSY LODGE IN BEAUTIFUL NZ BUSH was the title of a review (pasted below from Google/TripAdvisor) from a recent family group. If you've had a good experience at Waihōanga, please share the word! Review follows:

I'm writing to recommend Waihoanga River Lodge and Retreat for anyone looking for a lovely, cosy, large venue in a beautiful spot.
Nineteen members of my family and I just got back from a reunion there, and we all absolutely loved it!
I'm willing to bet you will find that it's exactly what you need, especially if your goal is to facilitate warmth, connection, and intimacy. The venue definitely facilitates the coming-together of a group, while also being so spacious and varied that people can easily manage their own need for quiet time.
There's a huge variety of sleeping options appropriate for all types of groups and ages. There are also three large indoor spaces (a lounge, a dining area, and a kitchen/chill space), with two of them featuring very cosy fireplaces (so goooood!!!!).
The location in nature is stunning! The river is only a minute or two away via a private and beautiful bush walk from the front door. It is exactly what you think of when you picture swimming in a pristine, clean, and green NZ river; morning ice baths, anyone? The garden is fabulous, with a beautiful array of natives and stunning flowers. When the wind is low, there is a fire pit nestled among the trees, with stools for 20 people and space on the ground for more (check out the pic).
The kitchen has absolutely everything you need (including plungers 😉). Within a 10-minute drive, there are a couple of stunning bush walks/hikes on DOC land, too. All linen and towels are provided, which makes it so much easier to manage. The Waihoanga team was extremely friendly and was great with communication.
All in all it is a truly special lodge for a special occasion. I spent weeks and weeks searching around New Zealand for a lodge that balanced being surrounded by nature, cosy, and comfortable. It needed to have everything we required while also being accessible to a domestic and international airport (1hr away). Not only was Waihoanga River Lodge and Retreat the only one I could find, but I felt it was also reasonably priced.
We left feeling so connected to New Zealand's natural environment and to each other, and I cannot extend enough gratitude to Waihoanga for facilitating that. I would highly recommend it.

24/04/2026

A group from DOC stayed last week, with 25- 30 people, who especially enjoyed all the indoor spaces and fires! Happy to say, the rains have now passed and the sun is back.

Beautiful river-side eco-lodge and retreat in the Ōtaki Forks

19/04/2026

Are you looking to treat yourself to something special? There are still some spaces left on this retreat May 1st-3rd... it's a beautiful time to be at Waihōanga when the autumn colours arrive. Contact Heartsong Healing for more details.

FULL MOON FULL VOICE RETREAT
May 1–3 · Waihoanga Retreat Centre, Ōtaki Gorge

If you've felt like your voice doesn't matter—this retreat is for you.

Maybe your words got swallowed. Maybe you learned early to keep quiet. Maybe you've forgotten that your voice—your authentic expression, your truth—is medicine.
This weekend is designed to change that.

Over three days, we gather as a circle of women to:
💚 Reconnect with your authentic voice
💚 Release the patterns that silence you
💚 Remember that your expression matters
💚 Experience being heard and seen in community
💚 Leave feeling powerful, grounded, and real

What's included:
✨ All meals (delicious, nourishing food)
✨ Comfortable accommodation
✨ Singing, Sounding, Sharing
✨ Sound Healing
✨ Sauna
✨ Yin yoga & somatic practices

The all inclusive investment: only $799 to $1277 depending on which room accomodations you choose.
Spots remaining: 4

Women leave this retreat transformed. More themselves. More able. More in touch with Peace.

Your voice is waiting. Are you ready to answer?
https://www.songofawakening.com/full-moon-retreat

19/04/2026

When you book Waihōanga, you always get the place to yourself - whether you’re 6 people or 36. With all the recent rain it’s hard to believe that only a week ago a family reunion at Waihōanga was singing around the campfire … when and where will you next reconnect with your extended family?

18/01/2026

Any facilitators out there interested in some professional development while also enjoying Waihōanga peacefulness? Check out this upcoming retreat for more info:

5-day experiential workshop to build trauma-informed facilitation skills and tools