Manutuke Eco Retreat
1,497 views · Published 2 December 2018 · 3:45 · Indexed 19 October 2026
Channel: gisborneherald · 2018 · Entertainment
A boggy paddock has been transformed into a beautiful wetland and lakeside eco retreat at Manutuke. Justine Tyerman talks to owner Richie Clark as the retreat opens to the public . . . http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/video https://www.facebook.com/gisborneherald/videos https://www.youtube.com/gisborneherald Born in Africa As Pamela executes her last karate chop of 101 plump pillows and moves an armchair half a centimetre to the left, Richie stands back, surveys the scene and nods with a hint of a smile on his face — he gives a thumbs-up and the sound of a thousand bees and cicadas ruffles the tranquil rural atmosphere as the videographer and photographer launch their hunt for images. Construction and design work has just finished at Manutuke Eco Retreat and it’s time to introduce Gisborne’s latest up-market rural glamping venue to the world. The twin-tent lakeside glamping site, built on a raised platform above Te Wai Repo O Te Arai Awa (the wetland of Te Arai River), is carefully designed and luxuriously furnished with sustainability and eco principles paramount. It’s off-the-grid, powered only by the sun, and visually beautiful. A glimmer of the idea for the retreat came to owner Richie Clark a few years ago while he was travelling through Africa, camping under canvas, cooking and eating under the stars, surrounded by nature. “I travelled for three months from Capetown to Rwanda camping every night in a different location,” says Richie who grew up at Manutuke on land farmed by his family since 1882. “There was just something special about being in a tent in the natural environment as opposed to being enclosed in a hotel room,” he says. Back home walking the hills of his family’s property at Manutuke, Richie looked down on a cattle paddock which typically turns into a bog in the winter. “I thought ‘wouldn’t it be nice if the paddock was converted back into a wetland as it was a few centuries ago?’ ” “We had the paddock surveyed and found there was virtually no fall which meant by building a dam wall we could create an eight-hectare lake.” After two winters the lake filled with water and the wetland was born . . . along with Richie’s vision to create an eco-retreat on the lakeshore. Fast forward five months, and thanks to the hard work of interior architect Pamela Hall, builder Sam Bain, landscape architect Willie Murphy, kitchen designer Tony Sharp . . . and a few good mates, Richie’s dream has become a reality. The retreat hosted its first guests last week and is now fielding inquiries from far and wide. Nature fix Richie envisages the retreat as a place to disconnect from social media and reconnect with nature, a restorative, healing haven. “It’s an opportunity to get right away from screens, large and small, to slow down, have a digital-detox and get a nature fix. “Exposure to nature makes us healthier, happier and more creative,” he says. “Due to our busy lives and the lure of technology, we are experiencing a collective dislocation from the natural world. “At Manutuke Eco Retreat, the idea is you come to stay for two or three days and be completely immersed in nature. We don’t have television, computers or Wifi and guests are encouraged to turn off their phones and focus on engaging their senses. “Ideally you need three days to fully experience the nature effect. The first day at the retreat (and away from your phone), your mind is recalibrating and you start to notice things a little bit more. By day two you start to see cloud patterns, smell fragrances and hear sounds. By day three you forget what day of the week it is and a new reality takes over.” The camping concept is experience-based, being part of nature — waking up with the birds and going to sleep when it’s dark, he says. “We’ve designed several bird-watching areas to observe the 12 different species of waterfowl we have here. There are 1800 dabchicks in New Zealand and we are lucky to have 32 of them right here on our lake. We also have shovellers. So people can come here and learn all about the bird life.” Guests can explore Te Wai Repo O Te Arai Awa on two stand-up paddleboards and a two-man kayak, and visit the little island in the middle of the lake. The 70-hectare property, which was planted two years ago in redwoods, cedar and eucalyptus trees, offers excellent hiking and biking on 10 kilometres of flat and hill tracks. “Jeff Carter of Southstar Trails is designing mountain bike trails for us which will add yet another dimension to the experience. “We’re building a platform at the top of the hill overlooking the bay especially for yoga. You can take the jute yoga mats up there at sunrise or sunset, or chill out in the huge, 24-foot hammock that accommodates four people — a great place to relax. Eventually, there will be other hammock sites dotted around the property too.” Filmed and Edited by Ben Cowper SUBSCRIBE! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=gisborneherald
