Built on land used to film The Hobbit, I've (Trudy) combined 30 years of design experience and passion for organic design with our familie's stunning farm to make your stay incredibly special. We have put in hundreds of hours of planning to ensure an affordable luxury experience that we are immensely proud of and excited to share with you.

Our family - Brendan, Trudy, Katie, Corban and Harley - built our first cabin in 2020, on what was our original picnic site, nestled next to the river. We have spent many, many happy ours teaching our children to swim, fish and kayak here and we wanted to share our little piece of paradise with others.

Our goal was to challenge ourselves to build a practical, luxury cabin that functions as a romantic escape for two as well as family holiday accommodation. Finding family accommodation for 5-6, especially suitable for older teenage children, can be challenging based on our travel experiences. Hence, Ripples Retreat was born. It's a light-filled, heated by the sun, warm, and luxurious cabin of which we are all immensely proud.

As a family that loves the outdoors, we've discovered so many amazing day trips and activities in the Waitomo area, and we've tried them all so we can recommend the best ones to you. From waterfall walks to visiting Waitomo Caves, there's so much to explore right from our retreat..

But don't forget your camera. It is beautiful!