Welcome to Totem Retreat

A place where nature meets the soul. A place to connect with family and friends just one hour north of Auckland in the picturesque Whangaripo Valley.

Visit us for the day and experience one of our creative workshops; or grab a group of those you love most and stay a while in our restored farm house which is brimming with lovingly curated collections.

While you’re here, why not add on one of our offerings – yoga, massage, a surf lesson – all designed to nurture the soul.

Whether you’re wanting to create some family memories, enjoy a romantic getaway, have a nurturing weekend away with friends or just be inspired… we’re here to provide the experience and we can’t wait to meet you!

So, Stay. Experience. Nurture the Soul.

Read more about us here

STAY

The renovated 100 year old homestead, built from rough-sawn Kauri off the land has a sweeping sun-drenched veranda perfect to enjoy summer breakfasts or languid gin-soaked evenings. Lovingly curated by stylist Kate Arbuthnot, and featured in lifestyle magazines and books, the house comprises four bedrooms and three bathrooms and can host up to 9 people.

See more and enquire today

Experience

Our team of wildly creative and talented souls are itching to take you on a journey of exploration through one of the creative workshops we provide.

Get a group together, stay with us and book a private workshop; or join us on one of our upcoming workshop dates.

Foraged Lunches

Totem sculpture

Botanical Styling

Nurture The Soul

While you’re staying with us, why not tap into one of our offerings designed to nurture the soul and ease you down the path to a sense of smug well-being.

Read More Here

Our Ethos

A totem is an object, animal or place of particular spiritual significance to a clan, family or group of people.Totem Retreat is our place and we want to share it with you.

Our aim at Totem Retreat is to provide an environment that encourages connectedness; somewhere families can stay and create memories; a place for people to escape the busyness of life and remember nature; a base from which to explore the famous Mangawhai to Matakana coastal region.

We treasure our history and those that have come before us. The villa is the original farmhouse, built from rough-sawn Kauri off the land. It has been lovingly restored and is home to a beautifully curated edit of natural and vintage collections.*We treasure our land and the animals and souls that walk it. We tread lightly, embrace imperfections and nurture nature.

We hope that you will join us at Totem and be a part of its story.

Waste

Treading lightly is important to us.

With the help of our guests we recycle all possible plastic, paper and glass.

Food scraps feed our free range chickens who, in turn, provide us with fresh eggs that we encourage guests to collect and use.

Rain provides us with our water which we are mindful of conserving.

We welcome guests to respectfully pick and use anything growing in the herb and vege gardens as needed.