Manutuke Eco Retreat is 15 minutes from Gisborne on the east coast of the North Island.
The accommodation is situated on the edge of a wetland lake on the property and consists of a large, safari-style tent and a semi-outdoor bathroom. Interconnecting decks and boardwalks immerse you in the wetland surrounds and connect the different elements of the site. A long jetty out to a viewing platform on the lake is the perfect place to launch the paddleboards for a peaceful paddle around the lake.
Stylishly decorated, the main safari tent has a queen-size bed and plenty of room for relaxed living.
A shower and washroom are set just off the main tent, with a basin and toilet building a few metres away. A clawfoot bath is positioned at the base of the jetty - the perfect place to soak up the views across the lake.
Manutuke Eco Retreat is the ideal, romantic glamping accommodation. Relax on the property using the comfy Coast beanbags, spotting the birds flitting through the wetland plants. Or get out and about to enjoy the beaches and activities the Gisborne region offers by day and when night falls, gaze up at the star-studded night skies from your private jetty. Drift off to sleep in your beautiful tent to the sounds of nature - and wake to the sunrise across the lake. Bliss.
FROM $295 p/n
Make sure you download or print this handy info sheet with directions and host contact details prior to your journey. You may not have mobile phone reception at all times.
309 Waingake Rd Manutuke 4072
Manutuke Eco Retreat is set in the Gisborne district on the East coast of the North Island.
To get there, follow the Google Maps directions. Once you arrive, you'll need the code for the combination padlock so you can enter through the gate to the property. The code will be supplied to you in a pre-arrival email 5 days prior to your stay. Once you're settled in, your host, Richard will pop up to give you a quick run-down of the campsite and how everything works.
Note: If you have booked within 5 days and haven't received a pre-arrival email shortly after booking, please email us at [email protected].
Check-in: 3pm - 7pm
Check-out: 11am
The safari-style tent sleeps up to 2 people in a queen-size bed.
Full linen, towels and bedding are supplied. The beds are made up with 100% cotton linen. Beds have either feather and down duvet inners.
The camp kitchen is a covered, lean-to style space to the side of the tent. It has bench space for preparing food and sink and hot water for dishes. A gas cooktop is provided for cooking. A Weber BBQ is also provided for cooking.
All the pots, pans and utensils you'll need for cooking and eating are provided. An 80l chilly-bin with ice packs is provided for cool food storage.
Some pantry basics are supplied - cooking oil, coffee, tea, sugar, salt, and pepper.
The camp shower and washroom are set just off the back of the main safari tent, with the toilet and wash basin in the round building a few metres away. The toilet is a pleasant-to-use composting toilet.
Towels are provided.
Manutuke Eco Retreat is completely off-the-grid, with solar power providing lighting and USB ports for lantern and phone charging. Energy for hot water and cooking is supplied via LPG gas bottles.
Yes! There is mobile phone reception at Manutuke Eco Retreat and a solar powered USB port is provided for charging phones.
An outside wood-burning brazier is provided for keeping warm outdoors on cool evenings. It is dependent on the time of year and conditions though, and at certain times of the year will be unavailable due to higher than normal fire risk. Your host will let you know if there is a fire ban in place when you are visiting.
There are no campfires allowed at Manutuke Eco Retreat, but a brazier is available for toasting marshmallows and star-gazing outside. It is dependent on the time of year and conditions though, and at certain times of the year will be unavailable due to higher than normal fire risk. Your hosts will let you know if there is a fire ban in place when you are visiting.
Manutuke Eco Retreat is set right on the edge of a wetland, amongst the wetland plants that surround it. Native frogs, birds and ducks are regular visitors to the wetlands and will make themselves known with their croaks, chirps and quacks. This makes for a very special experience, but if you book a stay here - be prepared for a low-key 'nature symphony' at dawn and dusk.
Manutuke Eco Retreat is not suitable for children and is a strictly adults-only site. The one exception to this rule is for non-mobile babies under 6 months with BYO bedding and portacot. If you are bringing your non-mobile baby, you'll need to mention this in the comments box when you book.
If you're looking for a safe family-friendly glamping site, select the family icon in the search bar on our 'find your escape' page to easily find them.
Manutuke Eco Retreat has a 'no dog' policy (with no exceptions).
If you're looking for dog-friendly glamping, check out some of our other Canopy Camping Escapes sites that welcome dogs - you can select the 'dog-friendly' filter in the search bar to easily find them.
The accommodation is visible at a distance from the very quiet, accessible road to the property. At various times throughout the year though, you may see and hear the occasional logging truck on this road. There is also one house some distance away (approximately 300m), but aside from that, it's just you and the natural, very peaceful surrounds.
The campsite can sleep a maximum of 4 people across two tents and is only available to a single group to book at a time, regardless of the number of people, or tents used.
The property is a short drive into the property. You'll park about 25m from the accommodation, so your car is conveniently handy. It’s no drama to pop out to explore the local area for a few hours at any time you like.
Manutuke Eco Retreat is set on a working farm, so for the safety of all concerned, it’s very important to follow the safety guidelines and terms that you’ll find in our booking terms and in your Welcome Guide on site. These terms and guidelines include:
All Year Round:
There is a standard minimum stay period of 3 nights.
Two night stays are only allowed where there is a two night gap between bookings.
Public Holiday Weekends:
The minimum booking period for long weekends such as Labour Weekend, Anniversary Weekend, etc is 3 nights. The minimum booking period for Easter is 4 nights. There are sometimes longer minimum stay periods across Christmas, New Year and festivals and these will be specified in the online availability calendar.
Our minimum night policies are strictly adhered to. Please note that there are no exceptions to the policies for Manutuke Eco Retreat.
Our minimum night policies are strictly adhered to. Please note that there are no exceptions to the policies outlined below for Manutuke Eco Retreat.
All Year Round:
There is a standard minimum stay period of 2 nights.
Public Holiday Weekends:
The minimum booking period for long weekends such as Labour Weekend, Anniversary Weekend, etc is 3 nights. The minimum booking period for Easter is 4 nights. There are sometimes longer minimum stay periods across Christmas and New Year, and festivals, and these will be specified in the online availability calendar.
Peak (1 Oct - 30 April)
The nightly rate on weekends (Fri/Sat/Sun) is $350 for up to two people.
The nightly rate on weekdays (Mon-Thurs) is $330 for up to two people.
Infants under 6 months with their own portacot and bedding are free of charge.
From Dec 20th - Jan 31st the nightly rate is $350 for up to two people.
Public Holiday Weekends: $350 per night
Off-Peak (1 May - 30 September)
The nightly rate is $295 for up to two people.
Infants under 6 months with their own portacot and bedding are free of charge.
Give the gift of glamping! Gift Vouchers are available for use at any of our Canopy Camping Escapes glamping sites. These are provided in electronic format, for you to print out and pop in a greeting card for the lucky recipient. Read more about our gift vouchers, including how to purchase one, here.
2.1 If you book within 28 Days of your check-in time, full payment via credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard) is required at the time of booking. If you book more than 28 Days prior to your check-in time, a deposit of 10% is required to confirm your booking and secure the property. This will be charged to your credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard) at the time of booking. A credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard) payment surcharge of up to 2.5% will be applied to all credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard) payments.
2.2 Bookings are considered confirmed once you have made your online booking and payment and we have sent an email to the address provided to us which confirms both the payment and your booking details. If you do not receive a confirmation email, please contact us as soon as possible. However, we (as agent for the Host) reserve the right to cancel any booking within 12 Days of the confirmation email where we discover that you, or any of your guests, has previously breached these Booking Conditions in relation to a previous booking. In that case, you will receive an email advising you that the booking has been declined, and the full amount paid by you at the time of booking will be refunded to the credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard) you provided during the booking process.
2.3 If you book more than 28 Days prior to your check-in time, the remaining balance of your stay will be due 28 Days prior to your check in time. An email reminder will be sent to you at this time requesting payment for the outstanding balance. The reminder email gives you the option to pay the remaining balance by A2A (Internet Banking) or credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard). If your payment has not been received within 24 hours, the remaining balance will automatically be charged to the credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard) used at the time of booking. Please note: a 2.5% credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard) payment surcharge is applied to all payments made by credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard). Credit/Debit Card data is held in a secure and encrypted environment.
2.4 If any amount is not paid when due, you will forfeit your deposit and your booking will be cancelled.
3.1 Your 10% deposit (or 10% of the value of your stay if you have paid in full) is non-refundable, however it can be transferred to another booking made within 12 months of the date of confirmation of your original booking, if you cancel your stay more than 21 Days prior to your check-in time.
3.2 Cancellation or date changes by you that are between 3 and 21 Days prior to your check-in time will result in 50% of the total cost of your stay being charged. Cancellation or date changes made 3 Days (72 hours) or less prior to your check-in time will result in 100% of the total cost of your stay being charged.
3.3 Date changes made more than 21 Days prior to your check-in time are allowed without forfeit of any amounts paid.
3.4 Force Majeure
You are entitled to a full refund if you need to cancel for the following reasons:
Road closure. If at 1pm on the day before your arrival, a road on your route to your accommodation is designated by Waka Kotahi as closed or for essential travel only, and there is no detour, or the detour adds more than two hours to your travel according to the Waka Kotahi Journey Planner.
Metservice RED Weather Warning. If at 1pm on the day before your arrival, the Metservice has issued a RED warning/forecast in either your home region or the region of your accommodation, for either the day of your arrival or departure.
Natural disasters in New Zealand. Natural disasters such as cyclones, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and other severe and abnormal natural events causing large scale disruption of essential services and/or transport, specifically impacting your travel to or from your accommodation.
4.1 Exceptional or unforeseen circumstance
Hosts reserve the right to cancel a booking at any time in the event of exceptional or unforeseen circumstances. This right will only be exercised in good faith and in exceptional circumstances such as:
(a) Any alteration to the property or its surroundings which may pose a safety risk for the guest.
(b) Unexpected damage or destruction at the property.
(c) A death in the Host family.
(d) Our relationship with the Host ends for any other reason.
In the unlikely event a Host cancels under this clause, the guest may elect to receive a full refund or to credit the booking to another available date or Escape. The Host’s liability will be limited to the refund of amounts paid for any part of your stay that is cancelled.
4.2 Cancellation for breach
Hosts may terminate a booking at any time if they, or we, reasonably believe that there is, or has been, a breach of these Booking Conditions by you or any guest or visitor. Where a Host cancels under this clause, all amounts paid are forfeited and, where such termination occurs during the rental period, you and all guests and visitors must immediately leave the property.
5.1 Accommodation is often situated on working farms and there are hazards both natural and man-made. You accept that you, and any guests or visitors, enter the property at your own risk.
5.2 Participation by you and any guests or visitors in activities, such as, outdoor baths, climbing trees, walking on the property and any other activity on the property, is done so at your and their own risk.
5.3 To the extent permitted by law, neither we nor the Host accept any liability for accident, loss of property or personal injury during your stay.
No pets are allowed unless otherwise specified on the Website listing. Most accommodation is situated on working farms and therefore are not suitable for visiting pets.
GST of 15% (where the accommodation is GST-registered) is included in the daily per night cost. A tax receipt will be supplied by Canopy Camping Escapes if requested.
8.1 Guests have a licence to occupy the Property for the paid holiday period only. You are responsible for ensuring that you and they arrive no earlier than the check-in date, and leave no later than the check-out time, specified on the Website.
8.2 You are required to, and must ensure that all guests and any approved day visitors, observe the rules and procedures in relation to the property:
8.3 You must, and must ensure that all guests and any approved visitors, take all reasonable and proper care of the property and its furniture, fittings and effects and leave them in the same state of repair, condition, cleanliness and tidiness as at the commencement of the rental period. Where the property has not been left in the same state of repair, condition, cleanliness and tidiness as at the commencement of the rental period, you will be required to pay an additional cleaning cost of $100 which may be charged to the credit or debit card used at the time of booking.
8.4 You are required to inform Canopy Camping Escapes of any damage or breakage occurring during the rental period in or around the property promptly so that it can be repaired and replaced for the next booking. You must reimburse the Host for the reasonable costs of replacement or repair of any damage caused by you or any guests or visitors and such costs may be charged to the credit or debit card (VISA/Mastercard) used at the time of booking.
8.5 You must ensure that any access information in relation to a property (including any access codes, location of keys, etc) is kept confidential and not disclosed to any person.
8.6 Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the properties.
8.7 The Host may access the property during the rental period to the extent reasonably necessary to undertake repairs or replacement or where we or the Host have reason to believe these Booking Terms are not being complied with.
8.8 The number of guests staying at the Escape overnight must be the same as the number of guests included in the booking. Any day visitors must be approved by the Host prior to your stay. No overnight visitors are permitted.
8.9 You and all guests and any approved day visitors must behave in a proper, appropriate and legal manner with due respect to the Host, the Property, other guests and neighbouring properties and neighbours, and Canopy Camping Escapes’ staff and representatives.
If you have any complaints, please contact us promptly at [email protected] with details of the complaint. As the agent of the Hosts we will be the initial contact between you and the Host but may need to put you in direct contact to resolve any issues.
To the extent permitted by law, as agent for the Hosts, we have no liability, to you or any other person, in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise:
Your rights are against the Host, not Canopy Camping Escapes.
If, for any reason, Canopy Camping Escapes has any liability to you under or in relation to these Booking Terms or your stay, to the extent permitted by law, our liability is limited to the 20% of the amount paid by you in relation to the relevant booking.
Any liability the Host has to you under or in relation to these Booking Conditions or your stay is, to the extent permitted by law, limited to refund of amounts paid by you for the relevant booking and shall not extend to any other costs or loss incurred by you or any guest or other person.
Gift vouchers expire if not redeemed within 2 years of purchase. If a booking paid for using a gift voucher is cancelled, any refund will be by way of a gift voucher with the same expiry date as the original gift voucher. Gift vouchers are not refundable or redeemable for cash and cannot be transferred or on-sold.
These Booking Conditions are governed by New Zealand law and the New Zealand courts have exclusive jurisdiction.
We may amend these Booking Conditions at any time. Any changes shall apply to bookings made from the date of such changes. You are responsible for familiarising yourself with these Booking Conditions each time you make a booking.
Manutuke Eco Retreat is self-catering. Just bring your own food and drink, and cook meals using the facilities provided in your camp kitchen. You'll find all the cutlery, crockery, pots and pans that you'll need.
If you want a break from cooking at any stage, Gisborne is just a 15-minute drive away and has plenty of cafes and restaurants to choose from. Stopping in at the Millton Vinyard for a lunch platter and glass of wine is highly recommended!
At the property, there are 2 SUP boards and a 2-person kayak for exploring the lake on water. Yoga mats are provided for yoga devotees and binoculars are provided for spotting some of the incredible birdlife on the property. If you can bear to tear yourself away from the comfort of your outdoor beanbag, you'll find some great walking across two different properties - one with amazing views and one for tree lovers with mature redwoods, eucalyptus, and cedar. The tracks cover over 10kms.
Bring your bikes, or hire bikes from local bike hire 'Bikeys' and you can ride the Base camp Track - a purpose-built single 2 km downhill mountain bike track on the property. This track was recently built by Southstar Trials and is a free-flowing grade 2 track, suitable for beginners but with enough berms, small jumps and drops to excite extreme enthusiasts. These tracks on the property are available for guest-use only.
Other highlights in the local area include the spectacular Gisborne beaches, with popular Brown's Beach just 5 minutes drive away.
Richard Clark and partner, Amy-Kelly are your hosts at Manutuke Eco Retreat. Richard farms in Manutuke and is the fifth generation of his family to do so.
Manutuke Eco Retreat is the result of Richard's desire to convert an area of damp pasture back to a wetland. A dam was put in place, and over the course of two winters and a lot of hard work, an 8-hectare lake was created. After planting lots of native plants, birds and wildlife flocking to the wetlands - creating a natural paradise that the couple felt would be enjoyed by others.
With boardwalks, beautifully styled tents and thoughtful touches, Richard and Amy-Kelly have created a little wetland oasis in this special part of Gisborne. It gives them the great pleasure that guests from all over New Zealand and the world have had the chance to enjoy it.
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