Arriving at the off-grid cabin, situated riverside in an ancient Totara Grove, felt revenant. It was stocked with all the amenities and luxuries needed to want for nothing and the sense that Sally our Host truly knew our tastes.

We woke to a chorus of birdsong, diffused morning light, and the smell of wood-fire smoke heating the hot tub outside. Upriver, we wandered to find the ancient Matai Tree that holds local legends. We then kayaked downstream, meeting wild goats grazing on the river bank and black swans bathing in the shallows.

In the evening, we climbed the highest peak of the farm and took in the golden hour. Arriving back at the cabin, we stoked the fire, lit candles, heated Sallys meal, poured local wine, and stargazed at the most magnificent night sky.

The cabin provided us with a gorgeous space to disconnect from the world and reconnect with each other.