Story by Jasmine
Retro Retreat
Adventure in Ōkato, Taranaki, NZ
The picturesque coastal drive along Surf Highway led us to the charming rural town of Ōkato, where we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the magnificent Mount Taranaki towering over the village before it disappeared for the weekend. On arrival at 65on45 Ōkato Retro Studio, we were greeted by a leafy green entrance and a vibrant red door leading us inside the cosy and quirky retro retreat.
The Studio has had a long and colourful life, previously as an Art Gallery and Photographic Studio, its history is truly reflected in the unique and inspiring space. The Studio has a real sense of fun and creativity with the eclectic mix of vintage, retro, and a hint of industrial.
As we kicked off our walking boots and stepped foot on the cow hide rug draped across the polished concrete floor, we instantly felt at home. The living space is brightly lit by the shopfront-esque windows and filled with lush green plants and mid-century furniture. The cosy bedroom nook is separated by a studio screen and is a warm and inviting space to relax, sip a cup of tea and read a book. In each corner of the bath deck (which is just utterly alluring), you will find more leafy green plants, sliding doors opening onto the mature garden, candles, freshly picked flowers and home-made essential oil bath salts. We couldn’t wait to light the candles and relax with a hot soak.
As the rain set in for the day, we nestled in on the chaise lounge and listened to vinyl records on the vintage record player, I spent the rest of the afternoon painting at the mid-century fold down desk. We soaked in a lavender scented bath, ate cheese, and drank a glass of red (or two) at the industrial style kitchen bench.
There is plenty of opportunity to reconnect with nature in the beautiful rural setting of Ōkato, we strolled along the magical riverbank of Stony River lined with native trees and wildflowers, explored Egmont National Park where you can find breath-taking views of Mount Taranaki, took the 242 steps down to Back Beach for some seal spotting and walked the wild coastline of Ōakura Beach. In the heart of Ōkato and the neighbouring town of Ōpunake, we indulged in delicious wholesome food, tasty fruit smoothies and fresh coffee!
The hosts, David and Rebecca welcomed us into their home for a tasting of their mouth-watering home distilled gin and even drew us a little map of all the local secret spots to explore. Their passion for creating and all things sustainable is truly infectious. If you’re looking for some relaxation and self-indulgence, you can book a Remedial Therapy with Molly (on the bath deck). Molly offers a number of therapies from hot stone massage to zen thai shiatsu to promote stress release and create balance and harmony. Molly’s warm nature and fascinating life stories made us feel instantly comfortable. We had a beautiful stay at 65on45 Ōkato Retro Studio and we look forward to returning in the future....
The Studio has had a long and colourful life, previously as an Art Gallery and Photographic Studio, its history is truly reflected in the unique and inspiring space. The Studio has a real sense of fun and creativity with the eclectic mix of vintage, retro, and a hint of industrial.
As we kicked off our walking boots and stepped foot on the cow hide rug draped across the polished concrete floor, we instantly felt at home. The living space is brightly lit by the shopfront-esque windows and filled with lush green plants and mid-century furniture. The cosy bedroom nook is separated by a studio screen and is a warm and inviting space to relax, sip a cup of tea and read a book. In each corner of the bath deck (which is just utterly alluring), you will find more leafy green plants, sliding doors opening onto the mature garden, candles, freshly picked flowers and home-made essential oil bath salts. We couldn’t wait to light the candles and relax with a hot soak.
As the rain set in for the day, we nestled in on the chaise lounge and listened to vinyl records on the vintage record player, I spent the rest of the afternoon painting at the mid-century fold down desk. We soaked in a lavender scented bath, ate cheese, and drank a glass of red (or two) at the industrial style kitchen bench.
There is plenty of opportunity to reconnect with nature in the beautiful rural setting of Ōkato, we strolled along the magical riverbank of Stony River lined with native trees and wildflowers, explored Egmont National Park where you can find breath-taking views of Mount Taranaki, took the 242 steps down to Back Beach for some seal spotting and walked the wild coastline of Ōakura Beach. In the heart of Ōkato and the neighbouring town of Ōpunake, we indulged in delicious wholesome food, tasty fruit smoothies and fresh coffee!
The hosts, David and Rebecca welcomed us into their home for a tasting of their mouth-watering home distilled gin and even drew us a little map of all the local secret spots to explore. Their passion for creating and all things sustainable is truly infectious. If you’re looking for some relaxation and self-indulgence, you can book a Remedial Therapy with Molly (on the bath deck). Molly offers a number of therapies from hot stone massage to zen thai shiatsu to promote stress release and create balance and harmony. Molly’s warm nature and fascinating life stories made us feel instantly comfortable. We had a beautiful stay at 65on45 Ōkato Retro Studio and we look forward to returning in the future....
Things We Did
- Food & Drink
- Beach
- River
- Experience
The turnoff from Surf Highway will lead you to Back Beach, with towering views of Paritutu Rock, you won't be able to miss it. Take the 242 steps down to Back Beach where you will find sweeping views of Sugar Loaf Islands. Back Beach is a breeding ground for oceanic seabirds and New Zealand fur seals. We watched the thousands of birds fly between their nests and spotted the seals sprawled on the rocks and frolicking in the waves, it was beautiful to see them in their natural habitat....
Follow the road signs for Stony River where you will be met by the riverbank, there are many beautiful spots along the river for a picnic or even a swim if the weather permits. The river is lined with native foliage and wildflowers, if you're lucky enough you may even catch a glimpse of Mount Taranaki towering over the river....
David and Rebecca welcomed us into their home for a tasting of their delicious home-distilled gin, we tried a wonderful range of flavours with ingredients such as cocoa, orange blossom, and cardamom (just to name a few). The gin was accompanied by a beautiful array of botanicals to complement each flavour. David and Rebecca's passion for creating is truly infectious. They have even inspired us to try it out ourselves!...
If you’re looking for some relaxation and self-indulgence, you can chat with David and Rebecca about booking remedial therapy on the bath deck. Molly is a qualified Remedial Therapist and offers a variety of massage therapies such as cupping, relaxation, remedial, acupressure, zen Thai shiatsu, lymphatic drainage and hot stones to promote stress and pain release and create balance and harmony. Molly’s warm nature and fascinating life stories made us feel instantly comfortable....
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