An inside look at Parohe Island Retreat on Auckland's Kawau Island. Video / Parohe Island Retreat
Just a quick trip from Auckland, Parohe Retreat is high-end with a relaxed Kiwi vibe, writes Anna Dudding.
It wasn't the plan for me to go to a couple's retreat at Parohe, a sparkling new wellness venue on Kawau Island in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf. Last year, I was due to head to the island for a weekend's rest and relaxation. On offer was a city getaway to breathe fresher air, dump the cell phone – de-stress, de-tangle, eat good food – and enjoy a bit of yoga and physical kicks without leaving the country, let alone the North Island.
Parohe Retreat sits nestled into the bush on Auckland's Kawau Island. Photo / supplied
Foolish Covid dreams. Delta descended on the country – sending me back downstairs to work from home in my basement office zoom-room on a laptop – and all Auckland escapes were cancelled.
Two more re-bookings were foiled, after extreme rain delayed construction at Parohe, then the Red Traffic Light again kept everyone confined to the Super City.
But finally, the planets aligned. Except now I was booked into a couples' retreat – with events including couples' yoga, a Latin American dance class, a dessert-making demonstration and a romantic sunset picnic. I needed a date – so the fella agreed to come with me.
We hit the road on a sunny Friday, driving an hour north of Auckland to Warkworth for a cheery cafe lunch, pausing to buy a dancing frock from a second-hand shop before fetching up at Sandspit, joining a collection of couples gathering to catch the ferry to Kawau.
The crossing takes about an hour – and with each splash of our foaming wake, I could feel the tensions of a tough six months begin to subside.
Island getaway
An enduring part of Kawau's history is the quarter of a century it was owned by Governor George Grey – who was twice New Zealand's colonial Pakeha boss man, as well as the Premier. He has a mixed reputation – admired as a strong leader who sorted out a scrappy British outpost; but he also sent Ngāti Toa leader, Te Rauparaha to jail – and was hated for confiscating land and warring with Waikato tribes. In his later years, Grey bought Kawau Island from an Australian mining company, turned the manager's home into a mansion – and introduced exotic flora and fauna.
The island's dense forest helps guests to unwind and reconnect with nature. Photo / supplied
He shipped in monkeys and zebras, wild hogs, kangaroos and elk – and parakeets, pheasants, emu, kookaburras and peacocks. His worst imports were possums and wallabies, which knocked out native undergrowth and still haven't been eradicated. Less ruinously, he planted palms from Brazil, and trees and flowering plants from England, Europe, India, South Africa, Australia and the Pacific.
Our boatload of romantics was ferried up to the shallow eastern end of Kawau's long Bon Accord Harbour and Parohe, stopping en route at Mansion House, which now belongs to the Department of Conservation. After some 160-odd years, the once majestic palms lining the bijou beach look stunted and sad, sprouting alien-like growths out their tops.
Last time I visited, peacocks were roaming the expansive green lawn – but not this day. Moore's Bay, our final destination, also had a broad, flat sward – but instead of being kept bowling-court smooth by marsupials or flashy Indian birds, it had a robot lawn mower, which spends every daylight hour diligently to-ing and fro-ing snipping the grass. We only saw it at rest once – on our way to sunrise yoga, when the solar energy hadn't kicked in enough to rev up its motor.
Yoga classes in the leafy surrounds are all part of the retreat experience. Photo / supplied
Parohe has an understated entrance, with most buildings tucked away in a valley lined with native bush. An impressively long wooden jetty leads to the cute red-roofed, wood-lined "Honeymoon cottage", built in 1896. Apparently, Governor Grey would drive his carriage over the hills from Mansion House to dally there with his mistress. Now, it has a beach cabana/bar out front and a swimming pool, kayaks and paddle boards, and is set up for grass volleyball and archery.
The resort has had several incarnations. It was once Pah's Farm – where the infamous Furuno Fishing Competition ran for a couple of decades – with stories of wild nights, drinking, some nudity .... and many fishy tales. After the farm was sold, the pool, grass court and jetty were built to be shared by multiple new houses.
When that plan was abandoned, Parohe's luxury private cabanas were built instead, dotted up the slope – looking out into nature. Some are further up the zig-zagging dirt track and have a glimpse of the sea. Others are bush enclosed and closer to the dining hub.
After an introductory fruit cocktail, we were led up into the manuka-lined hillside – stopping to feed the resort llamas – to find our Lockwood-style cabanas, and the central eating, cooking and gathering space, dubbed "Enchantment". It's edged by a rangy cottage garden fenced by manuka sticks – and a sauna, massage room and, best of all, a glorious pair of outdoor baths.
The secluded outdoor baths are a favourite with guests. Photo / supplied
There's a slightly incongruous combo of high-end accommodation married with an outdoorsy Kiwi feel. It's a bit of a slog to and from the highest rooms, but it was luxurious and comfortable. Best of all was the gorgeous shower with a sliding glass door opening to the native bush – think Badedas advert, and you'll get the vibe.
The accommodation might be in the bush, but there's no roughing it here. Photo / supplied
After dinner, we assembled for an outdoor lesson in bachata – a kind of sensuous salsa – with a deck full of couples lined up, counting to eight, twirling, turning, stepping and repeating. It was the perfect place to debut my op shop dress, and G and I even revisited the lesson the next day during a bush walk, with a private twirl or two in a stand of majestic puriri. We ended the night with a starlit soak in the twin baths scented with salt crystals and herbs, picking out the Southern Cross wheeling above us, and listening to frogs in the nearby pond, crickets in the bush and oyster catchers piping in the bay.
The cabana sun porch is perfect for lounging. Photo / supplied
The next day, we reluctantly rolled out of bed at daybreak and headed to the jetty for couples' yoga, giving a passing nod to the motionless mower. Highlights were stingray Sam hovering in the tide below, and the repeated splash as stunned mullets leaped below us while we mirrored each other's movements, breathed deep, and I failed to get my dog down – or up, really. Birds flew past; the sun rose. Then it was time for breakfast.
Food loomed large this weekend. Passionate young chef Thom explained every dish, outlining which parts of our digestive system it was benefiting. He also taught us a sinfully rich salted caramel tart made with dates, peanut butter, nuts and chocolate, that was all plant-based.
That was the brief for all the food. It meant meals were a bit of a challenge for G – who had heroically resolved to eat everything put before him. The miso-roasted eggplant was a surprising hit; he judged the chia porridge wholesome; and the granola with coconut yoghurt and fruit, yum. Perhaps our favourite meal was the final lunch – baked tofu marinated and rolled in chickpea flour, with a poke salad.
Colourful, healthy plant-based fare is served up in the retreat's onsite restaurant. Photo / supplied
But G's mettle was tested by our first lunch: quinoa laced with capsicum, which he detests. That night, each couple was sent off with a picnic basket for a romantic dinner for two. Our site was a glorious hillside table overlooking the wharf as the sun set. And ... our meal was a pair of lovely big capsicums, stuffed with rice and eggplant ... and more chopped capsicum. I sat cackling with laughter, and G filled up on the sourdough dipped in olive oil and dukkah, and side salads. It was one orange pepper too far for him, but it didn't stop it being a special event – and we enjoyed a very silly quiz: "How well do you know your partner?" washed down with fizzy kombucha.
The villa at Parohe boasts sea views and a large sun deck. Photo / supplied
Our last day began again with yoga on the jetty, followed for me by possibly the most relaxing massage ever. The final treat was a guided meditation led by Jess in a bush clearing encircled by tall, spindly manuka. It finished with softly sung waiata, accompanied by guitar and a cicada chorus, with island birds flitting overhead. All that remained was the boat trip back, a satisfying rewind of the journey across, feeling luckier and lighter for our stay.
Details Parohe
Accommodation at Parohe includes 14 double rooms across a selection of cabins, cabanas, the villa, or the honeymoon cottage. Parohe offers a range of retreats and options. Upcoming packages include Relax retreats and Rejuvenate retreats throughout September, as well as Fishing and Wellness and Ayurveda Cleanse options later in the year. See parohe.co.nz for more.
