Magic Cottages in New Zealand's Northland region offers guests a romantic and sustainable eco-retreat experience. The property is surrounded by organic farmland, native bush, and features four eco-friendly cottages and a lodge along a private river frontage. The highlight cottage sits directly over the river and offers stunning views. Guests can enjoy activities like canoeing, hiking, and a private hot tub experience in the bush. The owners have created an off-grid home and lifestyle focused on sustainability, organic farming, and respecting the natural environment.

1. kitchen area, bathroom featuring a range of
Ecostore products and a wrap-around deck
overlooking the tranquil Takou River. The
highlight is the romantic alfresco claw
footbath that sits perched over the river. Here
you’re left to enjoy your peaceful
surroundings complete with tui birdsong
waking you from your slumber. So you can
relax in the bath and enjoy the view from the
deck, or get active with a canoe or kayak
down the river to access the private beach.
Many guests choose to add that special
touch of romance to their stay with a kiwi hot
tub experience. Only a 15-minute walk
through the bush alongside the river lies a
rocky area shaded by Pohutukawa trees
and featuring a free-standing gas-heated
hot tub complete with candlelight and a
bottle of champagne on ice, not to mention
magical glow worms glimmering on the
rocks on the opposite river bank. This
definitely sets the mood and is the perfect
way to relax and unwind after a day’s
exploring the local region.
lifestyle is something close to Anna’s heart as
her late father started one of the very first
organic shops in the UK in the 1980s. This
came after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s
disease and began questioning practices in
the agricultural industry.
The property is surrounded by 150 acres
of certified organic pasture, native bush and
five acres of sub-tropical gardens. Guests can
stay in four self-contained magical cottages
and a lodge – all eco-friendly, yet still
indulgent. The property includes extensive
private river frontage, a boathouse with
kayaks to paddle to the beach, as well as
fishing rods to borrow and a separate
Summer House. There are also marked walks
around the 150-acre farm to secluded
swimming and picnic spots.
Guests can choose which cottage they’d
like to stay in, but the best is by far Magic
Cottage, sitting right on the river’s edge. This
one bedroom solar-powered cottage is the
ultimate romantic retreat. It is fully self-
contained with a super king bed, small
F
rom the moment you arrive at Magic
Cottages, just 20 minutes drive
north of Kerikeri at Takou River, you
can tell there’s something special
about this place. Magic indeed – this
stunning eco retreat is surrounded by
evergreen farmland and a winding river,
which leads to the white sandy beach of
Takou Bay and home to many native flora
and fauna.
English-born owners Anna and Ian Sizer
immigrated to New Zealand with their three
young children in 2003 after falling in love
with this country while visiting on holiday.
After an extensive search for a new home,
they finally settled upon this piece of unique
land in Northland. Combining both of their
skills and expertise – Anna is an
environmental scientist and Ian an engineer
– the two embarked on a dream to build a
place that was off the grid and in tune with
it’s surrounding natural environment.
They’re now living the dream having built
a beautiful grid-free home, which generates
all its own electricity and hot water by both
solar and hydropower; living a sustainable
lifestyle by growing their own vegetables and
fruit, not to mention a thriving community of
chickens, ducks and cows. They’ve also
planted over 50,000 native trees on the land
and enjoy spectacular uninterrupted views
down the river and out to sea from their
hillside perch.
Having both grown up on farms in the UK,
Anna and Ian wanted their children to learn
the value of living off the land. An organic
Green, eco,
sustainable – these
are just a few of the
many desirable
traits travellers are
now looking for.
SARAH WEEKS
discovers idyllic eco
retreats and tourism
operations in
Northland, Waiheke
Island, Rarotonga,
Fiji, South Australia
and Queensland.
Magic Cottages at
Takou River, Northland
globe trotting
GREEN

2. then make their way via the boardwalks and
walking tracks, with interpretive information
boards about the flora and fauna, back up
through regenerating and original 300-year-
old bush, to the purpose-built visitor centre.
The experience will last between two and a
half and three hours, including shuttles
Three dual ziplines each spanning over
200m in length, will allow two people to ride
side by side on soaring journeys above
vineyards and the tree top canopy, down into
pristine native bush featuring mature
indigenous trees and ferns and natural
streams surrounded by birdlife. Visitors will
One of our newest tourism ecotourism
ventures is on Waiheke Island. EcoZip
Adventures combines spectacular vistas,
high-flying adventure and interpretive walks
through pristine native bush with a new
zipline eco-tourism experience at the top of
Waiheke’s scenic Trig Hill.
EcoZip Adventures
Waiheke Island
HUNTINGTON
STABLES
Country Retreat
Secluded &
Romantic
only five
minutes drive
to the centre
of Cambridge.
Less than
30 minutes
drive from
Hobbiton Film
Set Attraction
(as shown in
photograph).
www.huntington.co.nz
+64-7-823-4136
ECO TOURISM

3. ECO TOURISM
boardwalks and paths leading to the spa and
restaurant buildings.
The lodge grounds have been designed to
evoke a feeling of tranquility and isolation
and blend in with the wild surroundings.
A large focus is on keeping with and
respecting the local indigenous community
and they offer two activities on the property
that are based on broadening the knowledge
about this fascinating and old culture. They
also have a world-renowned spa on the
property for guests that want to only relax
and enjoy the quiet.
The Kuku Yalanji rainforest Aboriginal
people are part of the world’s oldest
continuous culture. Over myriads of years
they would frequent unique sites for lodgings
such as the pristine ancient valley where
Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa nestles today. On
these occasions the valley provided all the
“creature comforts” of a protected retreat –
fresh water for drinking, showering, cleaning,
cooking, an abundance of local produce from
rainforest plants and wildlife and a safe
haven to relax with families. Also aided by
being adjacent to the majestic Daintree River,
providing crustaceans, fish and other food.
Great care by Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa
has been taken to preserve this precious
natural environment and the heritage of the
Aboriginal people by sharing the culture in
interactive, non-contrived experiences such
as the Baral Mardjanda – Aboriginal Guided
Rainforest Walk and Julay Binalbu –
Aboriginal Art and Cultural Workshop. In
today’s world, it could be a hotel brand called
the Garden of Eden!
comfortable custom-built transfer boat.
Surrounded by rainforest, the resort’s
accommodation bures are traditional
thatched Fijian bures with ensuite bathrooms
and private sun decks with spectacular views
out over the coral lagoons and barrier reef.
Ten accommodation bures, split evenly
between Honeymoon and Oceanview, are
nestled in private gardens a few minutes walk
from the main bure complex at the heart of
the resort. Here lies a large comfortable
guest area with fully stocked bar, dining
terrace and front deck overlooking the
lagoon. Also on hand is a small library and
guest charging area for laptops, cameras,
tablets and wifi coverage.
The resort promotes engagement with
local communities and guests can experience
waterfall walks, guided treks, kayak trips,
village visits and local cultural events. Matava
is a true eco resort deriving its power and hot
water from solar energy. An extensive organic
farm supplies the restaurant daily with fresh
fruit and vegetables and even honey from the
garden apiary. The resort operates two game
fishing vessels – an inshore 23ft skiff and a
31ft flybridge game fishing boat. Although
their policy is to tag and release all billfish,
anglers frequently bring home some of their
catch for guests to enjoy freshly caught fish,
served at dinner on the main bure terrace.
The Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa was
the very first eco lodge in Australia, so a
pioneer in its field and has won a number of
awards and accolades. It is located in the
heritage listed Daintree Rainforest and only a
90-minute drive from Cairns.
A total of 15 unique and comfortable tree
houses, called bayan’s, are scattered
throughout the lodge grounds with elevated
from the ferry and appeals to a wide
audience, from age eight to 88.
Managing director Gavin Oliver
says EcoZip Adventures Waiheke Island is
more an environmental adventure experience
than a thrill-seeker’s ride. “There are
countless exhilarating adventure attractions
around New Zealand from bungee jumps to
jet boats. What EcoZip has created is a
chance for anyone to get up close and
personal with our native bush, to see it
literally from new angles.”
Secluded on tropical grounds between
Rarotonga’s lush mountains and natural coral
reef ocean beach, is eco Apartments
Kakera Rarotonga. Comfortable, modern
and private, these apartments offer luxury
well-equipped pool villas catering to both
couples and families on holiday. Special
attention to detail and their unique setting
has made Apartments Kakera a popular
intimate wedding location.
“Our holiday villa apartments are stylish
and modern, but most importantly eco
friendly,” says onsite owners and hosts
Andrew and Melinda Ponga. “They
complement and blend with their
surroundings, using natural elements to their
benefit and staying respectful of the
surrounding natural environment.”
Multi-award-winning Tanonga luxury eco
lodges are an exclusive and intimate luxury
eco experience on Eyre Peninsula, South
Australia. Situated on 100 hectares of
restored natural bush land, on a farming
property in Charlton Gully, near Port Lincoln,
visitors can enjoy magnificent views, walking
trails, abundant rare bird and wildlife, local
wine, gourmet food and the complete privacy
of their own architecturally designed, solar
powered, self contained luxury eco lodge.
You can nestle into the park-like bush
land of the valley site, or float atop the ridge
site with stunning views to the sea. Tanonga
luxury eco lodges are luxurious, sensitive and
unique. Escape to Tanonga and indulge in
the luxury of nature.
Committed to the health of their
environment and to environmentally sensitive
and sustainable tourism, owners Michael and
Jill engaged the professional services of an
architect to purpose design the luxury eco
lodges accommodation based on eco
sensitive consideration.
Matava on the southeast side of Kadavu
Island in Fiji overlooks the world famous
Great Astrolabe Barrier Reef. Guests are
collected from Kadavu Airport for the
45-minute boat ride to the resort in a large
Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa,
Queensland