Te Papa Eco Cottage, off the grid Luxury

Tiny home in Aka Aka, New Zealand

  1. 2 guests
  2. 1 bed
  3. 1 bath
Hosted by Stu And Kim
  1. Superhost
  2. 10 years hosting

Listing highlights

Unwind in the hot tub

This is one of the few places in the area with this amenity.

Great check-in experience

Recent guests loved the smooth start to this stay.

Comfy bed for better sleep

The black-out blinds and extra bedding are loved by guests.
Set on a secluded hill top over looking the Waikato River, Te Papa offers a rustic luxury off the grid experience. It's beautifully furnished with original art, antique chairs by a cosy wood fire, a huge King size bed, a spacious bathroom and out door bath
Spend your time at Te Papa watching the world cruise past from your hill top perch or experience the many activities available, mountain biking, bush walking, explore the wetlands and even try your hand at white baiting when in season.

The space
Te Papa eco cottage is a unique place to relax, unwind and watch the natural world criuse past. It is a large one room cottage, built out of recycled materials, lots of rustic charm, beautifully furnished with antique chairs by a cosy wood fire, original art and a luxurious King size bed, with views over the Waikato River and the Onewhero ranges.
The cottage is off the grid, but has enough power obtained through solar energy to run lights, a fridge and ports to charge your devices [good cell phone coverage for internet connection but no independant link] Cooking is done on a gas hob [no oven] and the kitchen is kitted out with high quality utensils and all your basic cooking needs. There is also a BBQ for out door cooking.
After a hard day relaxing, you can enjoy a hot shower in the bathroom or a soak in the outdoor bath with views over the river and the surrounding farm land. The bath, with hot running water is set amongst the reeds on the hillside. Facing the sunset and with the moon rising behind it is the perfect way to greet the evening.
When you arrive, (check in 2pm, checkout 11am) we shall meet you at our farm house and show you to the cottage. We have a 4 wheel drive vehicle for guest to drive themselves the 3.5km farm track to the cottage [or we can drive you if you prefer].
You can explore the farm or brave our home made mountain bike track through our 3 acre native bush block. Walk through the new wetland or explore the board walks, that take you into the heart of the swamp.
Being only 55km from Auckland International airport means Te Papa Eco cottage is the perfect place to arrive or depart from. Instantly, you are in real New Zealand, surrounded by open spaces, a river at your feet and stars above.

Guest access
The Eco cottage is very private, set on a hill at the back of our 500 acre farm. Guests will have freedom to roam the farm, bush, wetlands and river.
Horses are welcome.
We will lend you our 4wheel drive to drive the 3.5km farm road up to the cottage, or drive you ourselves if you prefer.

Other things to note
Good cell phone reception to create wifi hotspot but no independent internet.
Please do your own dishes and put them away.
Horses are welcome and can be grazed overnight. There are great riding opportunities around the farm with log jumps at regular intervals.
You are staying on a farm, above a river, amongst nature, there will be insects.

Where you'll sleep

What this place offers

Kitchen
Free parking on premises
Hot tub
Bathtub
Private patio or balcony
Unavailable: Carbon monoxide alarm

Select check-in date

Add your travel dates for exact pricing

Rated 4.97 out of 5 from 527 reviews.

Guest favourite
This home is a guest favourite based on ratings, reviews and reliability

Overall rating

  1. 5 stars, 97% of reviews
  2. 4 stars, 2% of reviews
  3. 3 stars, 0% of reviews
  4. 2 stars, 0% of reviews
  5. 1 stars, 0% of reviews

Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars for cleanliness

Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for accuracy

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for check-in

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for communication

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for location

Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars for value

Guest reviews mention

Where you’ll be

Aka Aka, Auckland, New Zealand

Te Papa Eco Cottage overlooks the first part of an ambitious rejuvenation project that aims to revive the Whitebait spawning habitat and the nesting areas for the endangered Matuku and Matata [Bittern and Fern bird]. With the help of the Waikato River Authority [Tainui], we have cleared a two hectre island of exotic weeds, reformed spawning ponds and replanted native flora. We are now doing the same for kilometres of streams bordering our farm.
There is also a private boat ramp if you wish to bring a boat.
Te Papa is 15mins from Waiuku, the gate way to the beautiful Awhitu peninsular, the historic Manukua heads light house and Kariotahi beach [a wild black sand beach on the west coast]. Trout fishing can be arranged on our dune lake nearby [BYO gear]. Several high quality restaurants and cafe's within 10/20 minutes drive.

Meet your host

Superhost
527 reviews
4.97 out of 5 average rating
10 years of hosting
Lives in Waiuku, New Zealand
Kim and Stu have travelled extensively throughout Asia,Africa,the Indian Sub Continent, Pacific and Europe. Being brought up in a rural environment they have an open door policy to their home with a constant flow of friends, family and international guests. We have an incredible enthusiasm for life and a glass half full attitude. Check out these programs on line to get a better idea of what you can experience at Te Papa Eco Cottage: View Country Calander episode - Visit TVNZ website and search for 'Episode 30 - Milk and Water' - Kims incredible talent as a goldsmith: Visit Hyundai NZ website and search for 'Ep30: Gold & Silver Handcrafted Jewellery' - Search 'Fighting for whitebait' on Vimeo A proportion of all booking fees go towards our extensive and ongoing environmental restoration projects.

Stu And Kim is a Superhost

Superhosts are experienced, highly-rated hosts who are committed to providing great stays for guests.

Host details

Response rate: 100%
Responds within an hour
To help protect your payment, always use Airbnb to send money and communicate with hosts.

Things to know

Cancellation policy
House rules
Check-in: 2:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Checkout before 11:00 am
2 guests maximum
Safety & property
No carbon monoxide alarm
Smoke alarm