We decided to approach Kakahi from the western side of the lake as we departed Taupo in the late afternoon. Along our way, we stopped at the Waihora Lagoon, a favourite location of ours, whose beauty was enhanced by the harsh downpour over the days prior.

A few years back we had stumbled upon Kakahi Village where we met local legend Manu Lala. Manu is the owner of the Kakahi General store. It's filled with rich history and reminders of a long-forgotten New Zealand. We knew from the brief interaction that there was more to Kakahi to be discovered and that we would one day be back.

Arriving at Rua Awa early evening, our hosts Sheryl and Warren made their way over to the lodge to give us a warm welcome and a quick tour of the property. Situated on their small farm and bordering native forest, the property has a private outdoor bath, fire pit and private track leading to the Whanganui River.

We instantly felt the calming and tranquil effect of disconnecting from our day-to-day lives. Here you could picture a lifestyle created by the abundance of natural resources and beauty. Soon after settling in, our dinner (provided by the lodge) was bought over. We had pre-selected a home-cooked meal, which included a mouth watering vegetable lasagna served with garden salad, freshly baked garlic bread and a golden orchid fresh crumble, which was enjoyed while lazing by the fire later in the evening.

The following day we set out exploring the area, starting with a morning walk down the private access path from the lodge to the river, where we came across semi-wild horses grazing in the fields between the blackberry bushes (don't worry they are friendly!). In the afternoon we decided to take the Ohinetonga Forest Walk and grab lunch in Nation Park at The Station, before making our way back to the lodge to enjoy the evening out by the fire pit. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go see the glow worms either and decided to head out just after 9pm, which was the perfect way to end this authentic and organic escape.