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Highfield River Retreat

Northland


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Eating and Drinking

EATING AND DRINKING

Highfield River Retreat is self-catering. Just bring your own food, and cook meals using the facilities provided in your private camp kitchen. You'll find all the cutlery, crockery, pots and pans that you'll need.

The nearest shop selling necessities is Kaihu Motors - an 8-minute drive away. There is also a Countdown Supermarket in Dargaville, 25 minutes away.

When you fancy dining out, explore Dargaville township's restaurants or treat yourself to classic fish and chips at Baylys Beach ("Sharkeys"), both around a 25-minute drive away.

Things to Do

THINGS TO DO

Lie in your steaming hot bath and listen to the sound of the river, and the birds flitting through the Totara trees... Battle it out over a family board game, or explore the farm on foot. Highfield Farm also has walking tracks going through some beautiful QE II protected forests on the property.

At the end of the day, enjoy toasting marshmallows over the coals of the brazier.

There's plenty to do off the property as well. Visit Trounson Kauri Park to take in the magnificent kauri trees, or visit the Kai Iwi lakes. Check out Nelson's Kauri Shop and Mill at Kaihu, just down the road and stop off on your way home for a drink and delicious meal at the Kaihu Tavern.

Your Hosts

YOUR HOSTS

Tracy and Simon Hayward are the owners and farmers of Highfield Farm. They'll be your hosts during your stay.

Tracy, Simon and their 5 children bought Highfield Farm in 2004. It's a dairy farm, milking 160 cows, and covering 90 hectares of farmland. A further 70 bush-covered hectares of the property were put into QEII protection by Tracy and Simon, along with a section of land on either side of the main river that runs through the property. Highfield Forest Retreat is nestled in a part of the QEII protected part of the farm.

With the combined effort of Hancocks Forestry, Northern Regional Council and DOC, Tracy and Simon have been trapping pests on their QEII block and up the valley. Through 'kiwi listening' they have established that they now have a moderate population of kiwi - which they look forward to seeing grow annually.

The Haywards felt that there was no better way to share what they've achieved on their farm, than by inviting people to stay on it. In March 2015 they purchased a 100+ year old kauri hut and started developing their first 'forest retreat' glamping site to open in December that same year. In 2016, they opened 'river retreat', their second glamping site.

TESTIMONIALS

“ We loved our stay at Highfield River Retreat! The peaceful, secluded setting was perfect, and our kids had the best time exploring the farm and soaking up the beauty of nature. ”

Ashley Moloney- 2025-09-23

20 / 20

“ Sought the peace of being remote and outside of mobile phone service, and that’s exactly what we got. Loved it. ”

alexander Roach- 2026-03-30

1 / 20

“ What a beautiful stay, made friends with the eels in the river. Wandered in the forest walk for hours, enjoyed food by the fire. Just a wonderful disconnected stay to reconnect with self. ”

Isobel Adamson- 2026-03-23

2 / 20

“ Good atmosphere, great privacy, and all the facilities. ”

SREEDEVI RAJESWARY- 2026-03-21

3 / 20

“ We’d come back here in a heartbeat. We absolutely loved it. Even with the rain and the river in full flow making huge noise, it made for a great experience — lighting the fires, enjoying the outdoor bath, having a BBQ, and relaxing with a glass of wine in the beautiful dining area. So serene and relaxing. ”

Chris Worth- 2026-03-18

4 / 20

“ We loved the stay - it was nice to simply "detach" from the outside world and go back to basics (albeit, in style as you are essentially glamping"). It's amazing how much we now rely on technology and the effect it has on everyday life. We loved just enjoying the scenery, toasting marshmallows and spending quality time together. It has made us realise that we need to do this more and essentially value each other as opposed to material things. ”

Taryn Collins- 2026-03-09

5 / 20

“ Wonderful stay in beautiful accommodation and surroundings. Only 3km off the road in the middle of nowhere, perfect! ”

Claire Davey- 2026-03-04

6 / 20

“ Lovely setting near a field, surrounded by trees, next to a running river that provided relaxing sounds. What's not to like? ”

Dirk Grunwald- 2026-02-28

7 / 20

“ Stunning is the best word! ”

Julia Mead- 2026-02-20

8 / 20

“ The retreat was beautiful, clean and relaxing. Would definitely go back! ”

Keyjah Kem-Burke- 2026-02-17

9 / 20

“ We discovered this lovely place five years ago and it automatically became my wife’s happy place and we now go back every year. ”

Stephen Sheehan- 2026-02-10

10 / 20

“ Our little family had a wonderful time making memories at Highfiled River Retreat! The location is beautiful, completely private, immersed in the bush. The facilities were great, the beds super comfy and the kids loved roasting marshmallows, playing scrabble and relaxing in the outdoor bath. We will be back! ”

Catherine Davies- 2026-02-03

11 / 20

“ Amazing time! ”

Duncan Eason- 2026-01-08

12 / 20

“ This is the perfect getaway to recharge and calm. Tracy couldn't have been more helpful and flexible in making sure we had a great time. The weather wasn't kind to us on our second day but the River Retreat is so well set up we still had a super relaxing time. An outdoor bubble bath in the rain with fern fronds as an umbrella was amazing. ”

Claire O'Donnell- 2025-11-25

13 / 20

“ Absolutely awesome. ”

goran camenisch- 2025-11-07

14 / 20

“ We loved our stay at the River Retreat. Beautiful peaceful setting. We only wished we'd booked for longer. ”

Fiona Rouse- 2025-10-28

15 / 20

“ We would like to stay again in the future for special occasions. ”

Ashni Mohan- 2025-10-15

16 / 20

“ Lovely and quiet, with beautiful surroundings, peaceful and beautifully appointed. ”

Paul Ellis- 2025-10-14

17 / 20

“ A great place to relax and enjoy. Beautiful spot, well tended and cared for. So peaceful (only the sound of the river and birds). Just the spot to get away from city life! ”

Wendy Beever- 2025-10-06

18 / 20

“ Very satisfied with the cleanliness and tidiness of the accommodation. ”

QUINCY WONG- 2025-09-29

19 / 20

“ We loved our stay at Highfield River Retreat! The peaceful, secluded setting was perfect, and our kids had the best time exploring the farm and soaking up the beauty of nature. ”

Ashley Moloney- 2025-09-23

20 / 20

“ Sought the peace of being remote and outside of mobile phone service, and that’s exactly what we got. Loved it. ”

alexander Roach- 2026-03-30

1 / 20

Scenic coastal landscape viewed through a golden tent opening, showing lush green hillside with forest line meeting turquoise ocean waters under clear blue sky

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Relax. Unplug. Savour a unique holiday experience. A secret weekend escape.

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Whatever the reason, let nature back in – go glamping!

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