Last autumn seems a distant memory, and winter a fever dream. As we begin to awaken, the river swells with new, wild, mana, flushing away winter's lethargy - a harbinger of the new life to come. Already the trees on the estate are in bud. The mornings are filled with a concert of bird songs, and the karearea has returned to take up her seasonal residence across the river, no doubt with a hungry eye out on our hens. Our red shavers have been reliable in their egg output through the winter, and really fresh eggs, preferably poached, are a highlight for our guests' breakfasts.

The kitchen garden has been planted, with its first yields expected mid-September. The purple broccoli was the pre-season highlight, and we expect an abundance of heritage vegetables to contribute greatly to the season's cuisine. On the other end of the spectrum are the very limited "Wilder Food" gastronomy weekends, a tour-de-force of NZs best wild seafood and meats, with related special activities throughout the weekend. Dates will be announced soon, and we suggest you put in your reservations as early as possible as places are extremely limited.

For the summer, our highlight will be the river, with a signature experience featuring a whitewater rafting expedition and guided fly/fishing and bushcraft tutorial. Otherwise, the season is beginning to fill up with retreats and workshops, but we are keeping quite a few days available for casual guests, including Christmas and New Year. You can find our latest schedules here (insert HL). We are finalizing the seasonal roster of hosts for the season, and continue to plan events that are both delightful and meaningful.

Remember, the easiest way to keep updated with what is happening at Maruia River Retreat Ltd is to follow us on social media, and sign up for our newsletter for early access to our retreats and events.

Lasse
Resident Yoga Teacher and Groundskeeper

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