YOUR HOSTS
Ian Pritchard and Muriel Willem along with children, Zoë and Fleur are your hosts at Āta Retreat.
Ian and Muriel have owned the land since 2015 and had their home and cabins built in 2017.
The whānau love the land and what it offers them. The peace, the sounds of nature, the ever-changing light, the feeling of being nestled into the bush while still having amazing views. They enjoy being close to amenities, cafes, restaurants etc, but also being away from the hustle and bustle.
Ian has a background in education, management, governance, facilitation, arts education, media, hospitality and mental health/wellbeing support.
He assists Muriel with her thriving company, New Focus NZ, where they offer holistic support for their clients - providing pathways to wellbeing, training and employment.
Muriel also has a background in education and specialist career guidance and enjoys supporting people of all ages, businesses and organisations to meet their full potential.
Āta is a Maori concept for consciously taking time to honour and action our closer relationship with all living things.
In providing this opportunity to include nature in our business, we acknowledge our (and our guests) impact on this ecosystem. We are very happy to give back via our contribution to local and national community-led planting, trapping and preservation initiatives.
Currently, we are leading the development of the Kukunui / Prescott Rd / Waiwarawara River Catchment Group and we hope to establish a place that reflects a thriving, diverse ecosystem.
You are most welcome to ask more about our local community environmental projects. Your interest, support and feedback are appreciated.