Story by Hamish
Relaxing Forest Getaway
Adventure in Ararimu, Auckland, NZ
We arrived at our accommodation at sunset and were welcomed by the curious cows and sheep. We had only driven 40 minutes and we already felt relaxed and excited to settle into the Rimu Lodge. The first thing we noticed is the unique shape of the accommodation, almost everything was made of wood which truly made us feel like we were in a cabin in the forest! The owner showed up soon after we arrived and chatted to us about local activities and the glow worm experience on his land which he takes visitors to experience for $50 as an additional on property activity. He also mentioned he built the lodge for his grandkids which we thought was very sweet.
We walked into the lodge and the first thing we see is the incredible view of the trees surrounding us. Everything about the house just feels like such a unique cabin from the past, from the candles to the hand craftsmanship of the whole place. We walked the unique little stairway to our room, a place to unwind and take in the natural environment surrounding us. We had some wine and played some scrabble before hitting the hay for a huge day of exploring ahead.
The next day we woke up bright and early to the sounds of native birds calling in the forest. We made ourselves coffees with the old school kettle in the quirky little kitchen and made our way to the forest view shower, which had an amazing view of the surrounding bushland. We then headed off for a five-minute walk to see the private pond. It was more than we could have ever expected and had the cutest man-made boat. We pushed it out and took it for a paddle for a truly romantic moment. We spotted a few of our neighbours, the eels!
After packing the car we headed off on a day of adventure. Our first stop was the local oyster farm and we wanted a cute spot to eat them so we stopped by Kawa Kawa Bay for a dip and found a cute little beach next to it with colourful boat sheds. After our morning of relaxation, we head off to the Bombay Adrenaline Park. This is New Zealand’s highest treetop obstacle course (33m) and was so much fun! We stopped at Hanua Waterfall on our way, then ate at the Blue Elephant restaurant on the way home. The Thai food was divine! We recommend the lamb massaman curry and prawn pad Thai :)
That night back at the accommodation, we met with the host with his buggy for our much-anticipated glow worm tour. The experience was so lovely and was awesome to learn about them and the land from the host! He really went the extra mile to make it a great experience. In the morning the host picked us up in the buggy again and took us this incredible forest swing which he also made for his grandkids. It was such a fun way to finish our stay....
We walked into the lodge and the first thing we see is the incredible view of the trees surrounding us. Everything about the house just feels like such a unique cabin from the past, from the candles to the hand craftsmanship of the whole place. We walked the unique little stairway to our room, a place to unwind and take in the natural environment surrounding us. We had some wine and played some scrabble before hitting the hay for a huge day of exploring ahead.
The next day we woke up bright and early to the sounds of native birds calling in the forest. We made ourselves coffees with the old school kettle in the quirky little kitchen and made our way to the forest view shower, which had an amazing view of the surrounding bushland. We then headed off for a five-minute walk to see the private pond. It was more than we could have ever expected and had the cutest man-made boat. We pushed it out and took it for a paddle for a truly romantic moment. We spotted a few of our neighbours, the eels!
After packing the car we headed off on a day of adventure. Our first stop was the local oyster farm and we wanted a cute spot to eat them so we stopped by Kawa Kawa Bay for a dip and found a cute little beach next to it with colourful boat sheds. After our morning of relaxation, we head off to the Bombay Adrenaline Park. This is New Zealand’s highest treetop obstacle course (33m) and was so much fun! We stopped at Hanua Waterfall on our way, then ate at the Blue Elephant restaurant on the way home. The Thai food was divine! We recommend the lamb massaman curry and prawn pad Thai :)
That night back at the accommodation, we met with the host with his buggy for our much-anticipated glow worm tour. The experience was so lovely and was awesome to learn about them and the land from the host! He really went the extra mile to make it a great experience. In the morning the host picked us up in the buggy again and took us this incredible forest swing which he also made for his grandkids. It was such a fun way to finish our stay....
Things We Did
- Waterfall
- Beach
- Experience
- Food & Drink
Our Adventure Map
Where we stayed
Things we did
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