Located in rural Waikato near Tauwhare, the park is home to ruru (morepork), bats, thousands of plants, and over 100 sculptures which can now be admired after-hours when staying at the Ruru’s Nest Retreat.
The park used to be a disused greywacke quarry before Dorothy and John Wakeling bought the 17.5 hectare property in 1991 with a big mission: To rehabilitate the land through planting all kinds of native, foreign and rare plants, and to absorb carbon out of the atmosphere to slow down climate change.
Since the start of their mission, the couple planted more than 20,000 trees.
“You will be able to enjoy the park after hours when no one is there.
“If you are lucky, you can hear the ruru calling to each other at night. Or you could look out for long-tail bats ... It’s a peaceful but interesting place.”
She described the Ruru’s Nest as “cosy” and “perfect for art and nature lovers”.
The Ruru's Nest Retreat is located on the edge of the lily pond. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
It is a one-bedroom cottage with a kitchen, living area, a log burner and a covered front porch.
“It is around 500 metres from the main house. After checking in you might not see much of us but if you need anything we’re just a short walk away.”
All guests are also greeted with a special welcome basket including homemade bread and marmalade, eggs, and seasonal New Zealand fruit.
“For those who enjoy cooking their own food, we provide sugar, salt, and olive oil and [there are] a range of fresh herbs [in the garden].”
The Ruru's Nest Retreat is an adults-only escape.
Dorothy said the cottage had always been on the property.
“When we started planting 33 years ago, we slept in it because we hadn’t built our home at that stage. We later converted it properly.
“Up until Cyclone Gabrielle hit, we had someone living there who was working at the park and was a part of the essence of what we were doing [in terms of planting]. They lived there for 15 years and now retired and moved away, so it became available.”
The name Ruru’s Nest comes from the couple’s long-standing passion for the bird.
John and Dorothy Wakeling started the Waitakaruru Arboretum in 1991. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer
“The park is located along the Waitakaruru Stream and Waitakaruru is Māori for ‘owl by the water’.”
Apart from more than 100 sculptures created by various artists on diverse topics scattered throughout the park, there was a dedicated sculpture exhibition around ruru in May last year.
The park is open to the public daily from 10am to 5pm where visitors can explore the art and nature on a 2km loop walk.
