New Zealand’s beautiful natural surroundings offer the perfect backdrop to relax and recharge – and excellent opportunities to give back and ensure it stays that way.
Tiaki is an initiative to help all travellers to New Zealand care for people, place and culture, for now and for future generations. Incorporate activities and venues that leave little impact on the environment; and engage in meaningful initiatives that enrich both your delegates’ experience, and the local community.
Aro Hā Wellness Retreat, Queenstown
Award-winning Aro Hā Wellness Retreat offers ‘adventures in wellbeing’ in a spectacular subalpine setting. The retreat offers Zen-inspired luxury, advanced eco-consciousness, and world-class spa therapies. Programmes involve nature hikes, yoga, body-strengthening classes, plant-based meals, spa therapy, massage, and mindfulness meditation.
Sherwood, Queenstown
Set on three acres of alpine hillside with views of Lake Wakatipu, the eco-friendly Sherwood offers a serene sense of place and a connection to nature. Menus of sustainably sourced produce, décor inspired by beautiful surroundings, movement classes, wellbeing experiences and Ayurvedic massage treatments leave guests refreshed and reinvigorated.
Split Apple Retreat, Nelson
This luxury lodge in the beautiful Abel Tasman National Park offers health consultations, nature hikes, cooking lessons, Pilates, massage and guided mindfulness meditation. Relaxing rejuvenation features include a salt-water infinity swimming pool and Japanese spa overlooking Tasman Bay, FAR-infrared sauna, yoga pavilion, and meditation theatre.
Te Arai Lodge, Auckland
This eco-friendly tranquil retreat, located on forested hills overlooking the beautiful Mangawhai Coast, is a family-run luxury destination with a focus on clean, healthy living and beautiful organic dining. Wellness amenities include a yoga studio, gym, pool and sauna, staffed by trained practitioners.
Cape South, Hawke’s Bay
This holistic health and wellness retreat in Cape Kidnappers has a focus on total wellness. There are herbal medicinal gardens and an apothecary on site, as well as treatment rooms, a yoga studio, infrared sauna, and gym, plus treatments including reiki, reflexology, naturopathy, and hot stone massage.
Shunyata Retreat and Day Spa, Christchurch
Overlooking secluded Diamond Harbour, Shunyata (meaning ‘openness’) aims to help guests ditch unhelpful behaviour patterns for lasting change. Options range from yoga, meditation, counselling, sugar-free meals and bodywork sessions to ‘transformational’ alternative therapies.
Nomad Safaris, Queenstown
Enjoy a guided tour of Queenstown’s stunning scenery by electric vehicle. Then join a rewarding conservation project removing wilding pine in the high country to help protect the native plant and animal species and environment. A bottle of essential pine oil derived from the programme makes a special memento.
Napier Māori Tours, Napier
These Māori eco-cultural tours offer an insight into the significance of the Ahuriri Estuary and the natural world to Māori. Participate in traditional food gathering practices and feast on your catch. Plant a native seedling tree and join the 7,500 native trees planted as part of a plan to revitalise the local ecosystem.
Eat My Lunch, Auckland and Wellington
In three years this organisation has given more than 1,700,000 lunches to Kiwi kids who would otherwise go without at 76 schools in Auckland and Wellington. Spend a morning volunteering to help make, pack and deliver the kids’ lunches. Plus, factor it into your event catering – every lunch you buy gives one to a child in need.
Pōhatu Penguins, Christchurch
Visit Pōhatu, the largest Australasian Little Penguin colony on mainland New Zealand. Take a scenic tour or sea-kayak tour, then help this family-run conservation group with its work protecting White-flippered Penguins. Donate towards a penguin “adoption” pack, or get hands-on making nesting boxes or putting together predator traps.
Team Up Events
Give back to the community while building your team’s relationships and skills, with Team Up’s range of Charity Team Building programmes. Options include a Box Cart Derby benefitting a local charity, building a bike for a deserving young child, or an interactive challenge that sees teams ‘winning’ essential school supplies to fill school backpacks.
Trees That Count
This conservation project aims to plant more native trees in New Zealand, to promote greater biodiversity, cleaner waterways, and enhance the country’s natural beauty. Access free trees through the programme and hold a planting activity with your group; or gift each delegate with a native tree planted in New Zealand as a lasting memory.