🌿 Happy Sunday from the forest..
The last few months have been a whirlwind of weather. We have seen more water on the property than ever before, to the point where we’ve welcomed some "new water features," including a waterfall and a small lake in our front paddock!
🏗️ The Treehouse: Rising from the Roots
She’s finding her footing again. We are thrilled to share that the transformation of The Treehouse at KONA is well underway. We’ve completely rebuilt the foundations and the viewing balcony, ensuring she’s as solid as the trees surrounding her.
Standing on that new balcony, we’ve been dreaming up the future:
The Interior & Wellness: Creating a beautiful place for people to find rest and stillness between the trees, building in a wellness experience for this unique stay and creating different spaces with intentional activities.
The Experience: We recently had an inspiring session with the team at Canopy Camping to explore how the KONA experience might fit their world-class platform. It’s an incredibly exciting step forward!
View from The Treehouse
Admiring our new balcony
🐿️ A Season of Abundance
The forest isn’t just giving us a place to create, it’s feeding us. Our walnut trees have shared a beautiful harvest this year. We’ve been busy gathering and cracking, but we need your help!
Got a favourite walnut recipe or a secret tip for using them? Please hit reply and let us know. If you’re coming for a visit soon, consider this a fair warning: expect homemade walnut cake. 🍰
🦌 Life at Deerview Cabin
Deerview Cabin has been a hive of quiet activity lately. We’ve loved welcoming so many new faces seeking a coastal reset.
"I loved how clean and tidy everything was, it was truly such a nice stay! The little things left out for us to use was great! Also we got to see lots of deer and be truly with nature!!” — Apiata, NZ
"This property is so peaceful and with nature. An idyllic spot to recharge your batteries and appreciate all the nature around you. There was nothing extra we needed. We didn’t leave the property for 48 hours!!” — Ann, UK
If you need to swap the city lights for the stars, you can, book Deerview Cabin here.
🌳 Guardians of the Land
As the driest period passes, our community fire ban has finally been lifted. Sefton and I celebrated the only way we know how: a roaring bonfire and marshmallows under the stars. 🪵🔥
We take our job as guardians of the land seriously. Sefton recently joined the Local Farm Forestry Association and spent a day with the Poplar Action Group, immersing himself in the world of researchers and tree enthusiasts. We are committed to diversifying our native species, managing erosion, and regenerating the soil to ensure KONA remains a thriving sanctuary.
In a big professional milestone, Emelie has been selected as the Wellington Region Ambassador for the Community Collective. She has kicked off a 12-week professional development program with global community builders and can't wait to bring those insights back to the KONA experience.
📸 From the Land & From the Past
The Full Circle Project: In line with our ethos, we use as many materials from the land as possible. The house overhangs are due for a refresh after 40 years, so Sefton has been scouting Douglas Fir from our own property—stripping the bark and drying the wood to rebuild the roof next summer.
Pictures from the Past: Through our friends at Okau Station, we connected with Rick Byl, who helped build our log cabin. Word has it they built it using a short course, a video, and a "whole lot of grit and determination." We hope to visit Rick in Taranaki in April to hear all the stories of building this piece of art in the middle of nowhere.
🐴 Community Spirit: Horses & Wild Chix
March is easily the busiest month on the coast! On the 21st, we headed to the Castlepoint Races. Seeing riders from across the country racing along the beach with the iconic lighthouse backdrop was incredible—the township was the liveliest we’ve ever seen it.
Updates from our community:
Wild Chix: We bumped into Isabell, founder of Wild Chix, on our way to catch some waves. They run amazing events for women to learn skills like hunting, diving, and fishing. Make sure to check them out: https://www.wildchix.co.nz/
Okau Hunting: Emelie recently helped Kim and Boyd at Okau Hunting launch their new website! You can now explore their 5,000 acres of wilderness online. With hunting packages starting from $500, it’s a must-do, authentic New Zealand adventure. Visit their new website here: okauhunting.co.nz
A Wild Chix moment with Izzy
Okau Hunting has a new website!
✨ Help Us Get Found
Since most people aren't likely to just "drive by" our middle-of-nowhere slice of paradise, we rely on word of mouth. Our Google Business Page is live, and we would love it if you could leave us a review! It helps more curious souls find their way to the forest.
With gratitude and good vibes from the forest,
Emelie and Sefton
Founders of KONA Retreat
💌 You’re Part of the KONA Community. Expect occasional updates about our renovation journey, new stays, events, and behind-the-scenes stories from the place where the forest meets the sea.