Our Sustainability Journey
Te Karaka Station & Lodge has been committed to sustainable practices wherever possible since Day One.
We welcome you to join us on this journey.
2026
New Projects
Renewable Power: Solar on the Roof
We always knew a remote lodge like ours needed energy security. We spent 3 years investigating the feasibility, talking to different solar companies and experts, getting an appropriate design and budget(!) and getting funding approved by our supportive shareholders. Now we are finally at the place where our solar panels are being ordered and will be shipped, installed, adjusted and commissioned this year!
We will keep you updated as we go!
More self-sufficiency: Poolhouse
As a remote event venue, we identified that during intimate events with additional day guests, we need to provide a more sustainable solution than portaloos from very early on. That’s why we went through the proper process of obtaining a resource and building consents for a new poolhouse with additional toilets and showers for our additional day guests, but within the range that our water and power systems can comfortably support.
On-going Practices
On-site recycling with strict procedures; regularly picked up by Green Gorilla.
All organic waste is composted on-site using the CarbonCycle composting systems.
We have a 30 m² greenhouse where we can use our compost to grow produce for the lodge.
Approximately 100 hectares of the station has been planted in mānuka, creating a foundation for future native bush, and we produce our own mānuka honey.
Extensive native planting around the lodge to develop a native ecosystem.
We have 2x AT220 pest traps around the lodge, with a system and monthly spreadsheet tracking pest control.
We use predominantly ECO-friendly cleaning products, partly to protect the biological system within our septic system that also feeds back into the natural environment, enriching the soul.
We collect and use tank/rainwater and operate an on-site septic system.
We are largely paperless, with most of our systems operated digitally.
We use compostable in-room slippers and home-compostable coffee pods.
We use predominantly New Zealand-made drinks and beverages, including Zealong Tea.
Where products have environmental or social initiatives behind them, such as Karma Drinks, we support those programmes.
2025
New Projects
Reducing Food Wastage
We purposefully added a walk-in fridge and freezer to the lodge, which makes our kitchen team’s life easier with more storage, fewer food runs and less food wastage.
Qualmark Five-Star & Gold
We are more than thrilled to be awarded 5 Star Boutique & Lodge, but more importantly, a Gold Qualmark Award in our Second Year of Assessment! As Qualmark criteria are officially recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), our guests can be confident that, in achieving this certification, Te Karaka Station & Lodge is meeting global standards of sustainability
Renewable Power: Solar on the Roof
We got the approval from our shareholders to go ahead with the solar project! It has a big price tag on it, so we had to be very diligent with our research and system design.
On-going Practices
On-site recycling with strict procedures; regularly picked up by Green Gorilla.
All organic waste is composted on-site using the CarbonCycle composting systems.
Our greenhouse started producing beautiful produce, which our guests can enjoy.
Approximately 100 hectares of the station has been planted in mānuka, creating a foundation for future native bush, and we produce our own mānuka honey.
Extensive native planting around the lodge to develop a native ecosystem.
We have 2x AT220 pest traps around the lodge, with a system and monthly spreadsheet tracking pest control.
We use predominantly ECO-friendly cleaning products, partly to protect the biological system within our septic system that also feeds back into the natural environment, enriching the soul.
We collect and use tank/rainwater and operate an on-site septic system.
We are largely paperless, with most of our systems operated digitally.
We use compostable in-room slippers and home-compostable coffee pods.
We use predominantly New Zealand-made drinks and beverages, including Zealong Tea.
Where products have environmental or social initiatives behind them, such as Karma Drinks, we support those programmes.
2024
New Projects
Reducing Food Wastage
Building a reasonably sized Greenhouse (30m2) to grow our food to serve our restaurant. It has not been an easy project with our small team, limited hours in a day, very strong Westlies throughout winter, and missing parts that took months to arrive, but with the hard work and determination of GM Aaron, the greenhouse is now complete and planted in Oct 2024!
Qualmark Silver
In our first year of assessment, we were awarded the Silver Sustainability Tourism Business Award and a 5-Star Boutique & Lodge star grading!
CarbonCycle is now in action!
We have been accumulating food waste since we opened our door in September 2023. Our CarbonCycle system is so voluminous that we need to wait for a few months to get enough food scraps! If you want to learn a bit more about the system, visit here.
Pest Control
We have installed 2x AT220 pest traps around the lodge, with a system and a monthly spreadsheet tracking pest control.
New Zealand Commercial Project 2024
Our lodge building won a Silver Award in recognition of excellence in workmanship, construction practices and innovation.
On-going Practices
On-site recycling with strict procedures; regularly picked up by Green Gorilla.
Approximately 100 hectares of the station has been planted in mānuka, creating a foundation for future native bush, and we produce our own mānuka honey.
Extensive native planting around the lodge to develop a native ecosystem.
We have 2x AT220 pest traps around the lodge, with a system and monthly spreadsheet tracking pest control.
We use predominantly ECO-friendly cleaning products, partly to protect the biological system within our septic system that also feeds back into the natural environment, enriching the soul.
We collect and use tank/rainwater and operate an on-site septic system.
We are largely paperless, with most of our systems operated digitally.
We use compostable in-room slippers and home-compostable coffee pods.
We use predominantly New Zealand-made drinks and beverages, including Zealong Tea.
Where products have environmental or social initiatives behind them, such as Karma Drinks, we support those programmes.
2023
New Projects
Lodge is ready to open its doors after 3 years of building!
Set up a rubbish and Recycling Program with Green Gorilla
Design and implement on-site recycling with strict procedures.
Research and select predominantly ECO-friendly cleaning products, partly to protect the biological system within our septic system that also feeds back into the natural environment, enriching the soul.
We use compostable in-room slippers and home-compostable coffee pods.
We use predominantly New Zealand-made drinks and beverages, including Zealong Tea.
Where products have environmental or social initiatives behind them, such as Karma Drinks, we support those programmes.
Lodge is built to operate sustainably
Lodge’s Stormwater and wastewater systems are built to be off-grid and meet all council standards and best practice.
Extensive native planting around the lodge to develop a native ecosystem.
On-going practice
Te Karaka Station, a long-standing high-performance farm where the lodge is built on, had planted approximately 100 hectares of the station in mānuka between 2015 and 2019, creating a foundation for future native bush, and we produce our own mānuka honey.
Te Karaka Station has also been double-fencing its wetlands and waterways since 2015 to protect our precious wai and the ecosystems around them.