Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Netflix cleaning superstar Marie Kondo spotted at Lake Tarawera

Caroline Fleming
By Caroline Fleming
Multimedia Journalist·Rotorua Daily Post·
27 Jan, 2020 09:15 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Marie Kondo at the 2019 Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. Photo / Gettys

Marie Kondo at the 2019 Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. Photo / Gettys

It seems a visit to the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua lakes has sparked joy for Netflix's mother of decluttering Marie Kondo.

Kondo rose to stardom last year when her Emmy-nominated television show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo became a global sensation.

Marie Kondo. Photo / KonMari website
Marie Kondo. Photo / KonMari website

The 35-year-old Japanese organising consultant and author of best-seller The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up posted on her Instagram today raving about her latest trip to New Zealand.

She illustrated the post with a photo of her sitting on a deck in front of Lake Tarawera.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Instagram postwent out to her 3.4 million followers and read: "Over the holiday, I visited New Zealand - and it was breathtaking. Have you been?"

View this post on Instagram

Over the holidays, I visited New Zealand – and it was breathtaking. Have you been? 💚

A post shared by Marie Kondo (@mariekondo) on Jan 27, 2020 at 7:30am PST

Kondo also visited the western Bay of Plenty on her travels, popping into a Mount Maunganui store and having dinner with a local family.

Luke McCartin and Claire Beard, owners of George Cafe in Ōmanu, Mount Maunganui, hosted Kondo and her family.

McCartin said they met Kondo at the cafe through a Japanese friend who lived in New Zealand, and invited the group she was travelling with for dinner at his Matapihi home.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He said they had a lovely dinner, and she signed his copy of her book, which he bought a few years ago and found useful during a big house clean-out.

McCartin said that, luckily, the house was in tip-top shape for Kondo's visit thanks to another dinner party the previous night.

View this post on Instagram

Nice dinner .. @mariekondo @4dsk.co @clairebeardie @carlhenry79

A post shared by Luke Mccartin (@lukemccartin) on Dec 29, 2019 at 10:27am PST

He understood Kondo and her family - she is married to Takumi Kawahara and the couple have two children - had also spent some time camping at Pāpāmoa Beach.

Kondo also visited Mount Maunganui gift and homewares store Paper Planes on her Bay of Plenty holiday in December.

Discover more

Two trampers in difficulty rescued by two helicopters

26 Jan 08:02 PM

Why Rotorua was so busy at the weekend

27 Jan 05:00 PM
New Zealand

Coronavirus: Chance of NZ getting case 'high' as tourists tested in hospital

27 Jan 05:00 PM

The coolest treat! Paradise Valley Springs animals cool off in the heat

27 Jan 07:58 PM

Co-owner Krista Plews said Kondo spent a fair bit of time browsing and also purchased a few items.

She said one of her staff recognised Kondo but they tried to respect her and give her space before asking for a quick photo.

"Obviously she found a few things that sparked joy," Plews said.

View this post on Instagram

That time @mariekondo visited our store! 🤩⁠ ⁠ #paperplanestore #loves #mariekondo #sparkjoy #starstruck

A post shared by Paper Plane (@paperplanestore) on Jan 24, 2020 at 4:01pm PST

Kondo's tidying philosophy is called the KonMari method. One of the most well-known parts of the method sees followers hold an item they are considering biffing in their hands and asking themselves whether it "sparks joy".

On her Netflix show, she helps families declutter their homes and lives using that method.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

'Power of Te Ao Māori': Head girl's inspiring speech wins national award

15 May 02:00 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

‘We need more writers who can just remember’, says Ockham-winning wahine professor

15 May 12:54 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

BoP Lotto player gets midweek boost

14 May 10:40 PM

The Hire A Hubby hero turning handyman stereotypes on their head

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

'Power of Te Ao Māori': Head girl's inspiring speech wins national award

'Power of Te Ao Māori': Head girl's inspiring speech wins national award

15 May 02:00 AM

She delivered her speech in te reo Māori about embracing diversity.

‘We need more writers who can just remember’, says Ockham-winning wahine professor

‘We need more writers who can just remember’, says Ockham-winning wahine professor

15 May 12:54 AM
BoP Lotto player gets midweek boost

BoP Lotto player gets midweek boost

14 May 10:40 PM
Two hotly debated issues focus of locals' feedback on council plan

Two hotly debated issues focus of locals' feedback on council plan

14 May 05:00 PM
Gold demand soars amid global turmoil
sponsored

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP