What happens when you combine a farmer and an interior designer?

Ripples Retreat began with a river, a family farm and a simple idea: to create a place where people could experience rural New Zealand the way we do.

You get designer cabins that feel more like a giant hug than accommodation.

Long before there were cabins, there were family picnics by the Mangaotaki River, evenings spent fishing, sheep grazing in the paddocks, and countless hours exploring the limestone bluffs and tomos (caves) that have shaped this valley for generations.

What began as a family farm slowly became something more.

Our mission has always been simple: to build New Zealand at Ripples Retreat and share it from the heart, so that the landscape, stories and traditions of rural New Zealand surround you.

We didn't set out to create luxury accommodation in Waitomo. We wanted to create a feeling.

Warmth.

Comfort.

Connection. Happiness.

The sort of place that feels as though it has always belonged here.

Today, guests come from around New Zealand and around the world to spend time beside the river, gaze at the stars, explore the farm and simply absorb the landscape.

Thirty Years of Learning How People Want to Feel

After more than thirty years of designing homes, I've learned that people rarely remember the expensive things. They remember how a place made them feel.

I don't follow trends, and I never have.

I'm naturally drawn towards editing rather than adding. I prefer bold, intentional choices instead of filling spaces with things that don't matter. Every material, every texture, every colour and every object needs a reason to be there.

The limestone isn't here simply because it looks beautiful. It's here because I wanted people to perch on a boulder beside the river, watch the children on the rope swing, pour a glass of wine and lose track of time.

The oversized artwork isn't there to fill empty walls. It tells a story because I've created it or other local artisans have.

Even the cabins themselves were designed that way. They may look simple, but almost every decision was intentional.

I wanted them to feel warm, grounded, unmistakably Kiwi.

Most of all, I wanted people to arrive, take a deep breath and think,

"I don't want to be anywhere else."

Creating the Feeling That the Cabins Had Always Been Here

The limestone landscape is one of the defining features of this part of the Waitomo district.

From the beginning, we wanted the cabins to feel as though they belonged here rather than being imposed upon the land.

Many of the limestone rocks surrounding Ripples came from local quarries, while others came from the farm itself. Every stone was carefully placed to blend naturally into the landscape.

Perhaps that's the difference between decorating a space and truly designing one.

Breathing New Life Into Old Pieces

One of my favourite parts of creating Ripples was finding new ways to use old things. Throughout the cabins, you'll discover upcycled furniture, original artwork, handcrafted pieces and objects that carry stories of their own.

Living in the heart of the Waitomo district means filmmaking has regularly crossed paths with our lives, and several pieces quietly acknowledge that connection. You can read more on our Hobbit filming page.

This handmade four-poster bed took Brendan and Les two days to build and features a headboard made from a prop created for a Bud Light advertisement filmed on the farm in 2018.

We could easily have purchased everything new, but that was never our intention. We wanted every piece to feel considered, collected and connected to the landscape around it.

Brendan and Les spent two days building this four-poster bed, which features a reclaimed film prop from an advertisement filmed on the farm in 2018.

The People behind Ripples

My kids think I'm obsessed with details, and our family and I have touched almost every part of our cabins. We have also been fortunate to work alongside exceptionally talented local people.

Ripples is the result of many hands working together.

Guests are often surprised to discover just how much thought has gone into the cabins.

The position of every window, the orientation of the buildings, the placement of every rock, the carefully chosen materials, the lighting, the privacy and the connection between the cabins and the river have all been carefully considered.

These buildings may appear simple, but simplicity is often the result of thousands of decisions.

A Landscape That Tells Its Own Story

The landscape surrounding Ripples has always been far more than a backdrop. In many ways, it is the reason Ripples exists.

This farm has been our greatest teacher. It has taught us patience, resilience and the importance of creating things that last.

The river, the limestone bluffs, the changing seasons, the sheep grazing in the paddocks and the ever-present view of Mount Ruapehu all found their way into the design of Ripples.

If you stay for four nights or longer, we'll often take you out in the farm ute and show you some of the places that have shaped our lives. We don't charge for it; we simply enjoy sharing the farm with people who are curious about it.

If you'd like to see more of the farm, you'll find more stories and photographs on our farm page.

In many ways, the farm itself has been our greatest teacher.

Sharing Rural New Zealand From the Heart

We hope that every guest leaves with more than beautiful photographs.

Perhaps you'll spend the afternoon swimming in the river, feeding lambs, exploring the farm, fishing beneath the limestone cliffs or soaking in the outdoor bath beneath a sky full of stars.

Or you've chosen one of the many adventures to do in this undiscovered part of the Mutu and are returning after a fun-filled day.

Or you're simply sitting quietly on the deck and watching the light move across the valley.

Either way, we hope you'll leave feeling as though you've experienced a little of the New Zealand that we know and love.

Because Ripples has never been just about accommodation.

It's about sharing a landscape, a history, a way of life and a collection of stories that continue to unfold every day.

It's about building New Zealand at Ripples Retreat and sharing it from the heart.

— Trudy & Brendan