Our Values
The Tiaki Promise
At Te Karaka Lodge, we have made a commitment to support the Tiaki Promise.
“Tiaki means to care for people and place. New Zealand is precious, and everyone who lives and travels here has a responsibility to look after it. The Tiaki Promise is a commitment to care for New Zealand, for now and for future generations. By following the Tiaki Promise, we are making a commitment to New Zealand. To act as a guardian, protecting and preserving our home”.
We encourage our guests and suppliers to join us in making this commitment.
Our Place
The Lodge
Construction of the Lodge was a journey of creation stretching over three years, from vision to completion.
We have overcome challenging times and disruption from Covid to create our Lodge vision and deliver a design-built project.
The Lodge development has created employment for many.
Our goal is to enable guests to experience our amazing local landscape and environment.
The Flora & Fauna
Over the past eight years, we have invested in a number of initiatives to restore and protect our landscape.
We have planted over 100 hectares of manuka bushes and native trees to regenerate the beautiful native bush.
We have double fenced all of the waterways on the station.
We are doing our part to work towards a predator free New Zealand to enable our native species to thrive.
The Community
We are strong supporters of the next generation and donate annually to Waikaretu.
Our annual donations were used to invest in technology and classroom resources for the students.
We also donate to other local schools and charity fundraising events regularly.
Composting System
We teamed up with The CarbonCycle Company to set up our own composting system at the lodge.
Stay tuned for our greenhouse project this year.
At Te Karaka Lodge, sustainability is part of everyday life. Much of the organic waste from our kitchen is composted on-site and carefully returned to the land. Each winter, our garden beds are refreshed with rich, nutrient-dense compost to restore the soil and prepare for the new growing season ahead.
We also create our own natural “compost tea” — a liquid fertiliser made by steeping mature compost — which is used to nourish plants across the property, helping them thrive without harsh chemicals. As the seasons change, we plant fresh produce in our greenhouse, ready to supply herbs and ingredients for the months ahead.
When it’s nice and warm again, guests are welcome to visit our greenhouse during their stay to see what’s growing and learn more about how we close the loop from kitchen to garden or just for some quiet time with a book. It’s a small but meaningful part of how we care for the land, and an experience we love sharing.