Purepods Rewarewa is located just a short drive from wineries, beaches, and hot pools, offering plenty of nearby attractions. Photo / Lilia Alexander
Purepods Rewarewa is located just a short drive from wineries, beaches, and hot pools, offering plenty of nearby attractions. Photo / Lilia Alexander
New Zealand’s latest glamping spot is the break you need from the big city. Stephanie Holmes heads west for a revealing, relaxing stay at a new offering in Auckland.
To my left, I’m gazing at native forest, where an abundance of birdlife is flitting through the branches. To my right, a wide expanse of rolling farmland, sheep grazing contentedly. In the distance, the ocean glinting against a bluebird sky.
This is New Zealand on full display at its best, and I feel a world away from the stresses of city life. But where is this tranquil, secluded spot? Funnily enough, it’s still in Auckland, just 30 minutes’ drive from my urban home. It feels like a world away.
Rewarewa is the latest in the Purepods’ lineup – the 14th luxury off-grid cabin in a collection that now spans the country from Kerikeri to Rakiura Stewart Island.
It opened this month, and NZ HeraldTravel was one of the first to check it out. Here’s what to expect if you’re looking for an easy city break of your own.
Perfect for: Feeling like you’re in the middle of nowhere and the only people on the planet, but only 40 minutes from downtown Auckland (or 2 and a half hours from Whangārei)
Getting there: From Auckland, drive northwest on Stae Highway 16, through Kumeū and Waimauku, on the way to Helensville. Before your stay, the team at Purepods will email you detailed instructions on how to find the Rewarewa pod – make sure you have handy access to these, as it is off the beaten track and not immediately obvious from the road (we missed the turning initially, even though we had Google Maps directing us).
The Purepods’ instructions were easy to follow, and we wound our way off the highway, along the farm road, to a small, gated car park, big enough for one car, with a small shed marked “gum boots and rain jackets”.
The pod itself is a five-minute walk over a paddock, down a hill and up some wooden stairs, so leave your fancy white trainers in the car and make use of the loan shoes.
You’ll need to carry any luggage and belongings across the paddock and up to the pod, so travel as lightly as possible.
The pod features triple-glazed glass walls and roof for uninterrupted nature views. Photo / Stephanie Holmes
First impressions: This is the newest location in the Purepod collection. Like its sister pods, it is secluded and private, nestled in nature, with stunning views and peaceful surroundings. Whenuanui Farm is a third-generation sheep and beef farm that was once featured on Country Calendar due to its sustainable farming and renowned Kaipara lamb. The farm’s sustainability initiatives include fencing all waterways and establishing biodiversity corridors to protect the environment.
The pod is designed to have minimal impact within the landscape yet provide full comfort. Its walls and roof are triple-glazed glass allowing uninterrupted views of the environment – in this case rewarewa trees, native bush, farmland, and out to the Kaipara Harbour. It immediately felt peaceful and like we were far from the city.
Rooms: This is the most luxurious tiny house I’ve ever stayed in. Inside, the blonde wood floors and internal walls feature multiple cleverly placed mirrors to create the illusion of windows everywhere. The glass walls double as sliding doors, meaning the pod can be fully opened on hot days; the triple glazing and heating system mean you’ll be toasty warm, even in winter. There’s a kitchenette with double gas hob, sink, fridge and all the utensils and equipment you’ll need to self-cater, as well as a gas Weber barbecue outside on the expansive wraparound deck.
The king bed is extremely comfortable with high-quality linen – the perfect spot for gazing at the view during the day, and the non-light polluted starry skies at night.
Located on Whenuanui Farm, the pod offers views of native forest, farmland, and the ocean. Photo / Lilia Alexander
Bathroom: The large walk-in shower also has floor-to-ceiling windows so you can feel like you’re showering in the forest (there are curtains if you’re shy – although it will only be the birds who will be watching). Ecostore shampoo, conditioner and body wash are provided in a wall-mounted dispenser. There’s a washbasin and bathroom cupboard, with a first aid kit containing not only plasters etc but also feminine hygiene products, painkillers, antihistamines, insect repellent and sunblock. There’s no hairdryer, and no plug socket to connect your own – it would use too much of the available solar power.
Food and drink: Tea, coffee and milk, cooking oil, salt and pepper are provided, but you’ll need to bring in anything else. You’re a drive away from any shops, cafes and restaurants, and once you arrive you won’t want to leave, so pack in your supplies.
Alternatively, you can purchase a meal pack – dinner and breakfast for two people that will be ready prepared and left in the fridge for you. We were treated to a platter of cheese, meats and pickles for starters, lamb chops with chimichurri, potatoes with garlic butter, green beans and broccoli in with feta, almonds and lemon dressing, chocolate and date brownie for dinner, with granola with berry compote and ciabatta with rewarewa honey and jam for breakfast – all absolutely delicious.
Facilities: Outside table and chairs, deckchairs, picnic blankets, card games, a UE boom, books on the local area and a super powerful telescope for star gazing and looking at the moon. There’s no Wi-Fi, and we were told there would be no cellphone reception. I was disappointed to find I still had a few bars of 4G… I was hoping to be completely disconnected for the night. I turned my phone to flight mode and pretended.
The bathroom has floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a unique shower experience surrounded by nature. Photo / Lilia Alexander
You won’t see any other human unless there’s an emergency – the pods are all self-check-in using a digital keypad – so there’s an emergency phone on the deck and an EPIRB locator beacon in the bathroom cupboard, just in case.
In the neighbourhood: The pod is on farmland and next to native bush, so your only neighbours are birds. I have never seen so many kererū in one place – they sat proudly in the rewarewa tree in front of the pod, and flew back and forth overhead with their distinctive whooshing wing beat. Piwakawaka, tauhou/wax eye, tūī, and kōtare/kingfishers, made up the birdsong soundtrack.
If you do want to leave the pod to explore (you won’t), there are wineries and breweries nearby, the historic Riverhead pub, and Helensville’s cafes and shops just a short drive away, as well as west coast beaches, Woodhill for mountain biking, and Parakai hot pools.
Family friendly: This is a great place for couples, or two friends who don’t mind sharing a bed, but not suited to families.
The cabin provides a luxurious yet secluded experience, perfect for couples seeking a nature retreat. Photo / Lilia Alexander
Accessibility: The one negative of Purepods is that they’re not suitable for anyone with accessibility or mobility issues, due to the remote locations and rugged terrain to reach the cabins.
Sustainability: The Purepod brand is all about sustainability, and has been awarded with a Qualmark 5-star gold sustainable tourism business award. All 14 cabins are off-grid using solar power, water is filtered, waste is cleaned naturally (a biological filtration technology using tiger earthworms) and eco-friendly cleaning products are exclusively used. The smart heating system will only switch on if the pod’s internal temperature drops below 22C.
Stephanie Holmes has worked at The New Zealand Herald since 2016, specialising in Travel and, more recently, Lifestyle and Entertainment, with her entire journalism career dedicated to these subjects.
