Kawakawa Hut with outdoor “crystal” bath
Tiny home in Marotiri, New Zealand
- 2 guests
- 1 bedroom
- 1 bed
- 1 bath
Hosted by Chanel
- Superhost
- 7 years hosting
Listing highlights
Highly rated by guests from Australia
Guests from Australia rated this home 5 stars in the past year.
Great check-in experience
Recent guests loved the smooth start to this stay.
Extra spacious
Guests love this home’s spaciousness for a comfortable stay.
A small but special little place tucked neatly between rolling hills. Kawakawa Hut provides a simple but comfy getaway for two in a beautiful countryside. Close by lies the vegetable garden, and friendly cows graze just over the fence. Further out over surrounding farmland you can see Tongariros snow capped mountains in the distance, so sit back and enjoy. The hut is off grid and is built of repurposed materials so that your stay has a low environmental impact.
Awarded BEST NATURE STAY, NZ 2023
The space
Kawakawa Hut is situated on our farm approximately 25 minutes from Taupo town & 5 minutes from Kinloch. We are eagerly learning how to raise our own stock and grow Veges. The hut is situated adjacent the vegetable garden and the barn which is really the hub for our homesteading activities. Although we try to work around the presence of our guests, we do need to harvest from the garden and feed the animals and so absolute privacy during daylight hours is not guaranteed. On the other hand we love bumping into our guests and striking up a yarn, often sharing insights about gardening and our journey down this lifestyle path. We have a farm shop with our seasonal produce, which always includes salad mix and any surplus veges, if you would like to purchase any produce for your meals message and we will let you know what is available.
Upon arrival you will drive past our farm shop, home and then down to the barn, garden and lastly the Hut (the driveway ends at the hut).
It is a simple, comfy space with everything you need in one room, with the addition of a small ensuite. The hut has been positioned to the North with windows on all sides to maximise the winter sunlight and provide views of the surrounding farmland.
The “crystal” bath is our latest edition to the Hut. Lovingly hand crafted by Brent from concrete and locally sourced obsidian crystals, this space is for you to relax, soak, be still, watch and let go of whatever may be clouding your awareness. It’s a huge bath for one, or a snuggly top & tail fit for two. Privately located to the east of the Hut, and screened by the woodshed and vegetation. Please note: Our seasonal rates reflect the nature of our crystal bath, which is outdoors and heated by a gas-powered water heater. As it is made of concrete, some warmth is naturally absorbed during the depths of winter, and wind can also affect the temperature. As a result, the bathing experience may vary depending on the season and weather conditions. Our expectations during the cool weather season (May-October) is that the bath may not be useable.
Rest on the queen size bed, relax on the sofa by the fire, or chill outside under the ‘lean-to’ porch with a drink. The hut provides a safe haven for all seasons.
The basic kitchen & bar make for a great area for enjoying food and drinks while looking out at Mt Ruapehu. A BBQ is just outside. The kitchen has a camp style gas cooker (no oven), a motorhome style fridge/freezer, coffee plunger, plates, cups and cutlery etc.
The hut is off grid and runs off batteries so USB charging is provided and mains powerpoints can be used through an inverter but care needs to be taken to not drain the batteries. No Wifi either but there is good cellphone coverage. We recommend you get back to basics and unwind here.
Keep warm and cozy in winter next to the logburner, which can be dampened right down to keep you warm through the night. Ample kindling and firewood located in the lean-too, just watch out for the spiders and other bugs that share their countryside with you.
Plenty of space for parking if you have a boat trailer or large vehicle.
Please note the hanging chair will only be there in good weather as the wicker doesn’t like the rain! Lo
Guest access
The hut is just off the driveway and opposite the barn some 30m away with a vegetable garden in between. We live further up the driveway, 300m away and we may use the barn and the garden while guests are staying but our visits will be brief and we will never intrude. We welcome guests to explore the vegetable garden and say hello to the cows or horses over the fence and come and go as they please via the driveway.
Other things to note
A baby or child be accommodated upon request as we have a portacot and or stretchers. Also if you have a dog that you are wanting to bring we please let us know :)
Awarded BEST NATURE STAY, NZ 2023
The space
Kawakawa Hut is situated on our farm approximately 25 minutes from Taupo town & 5 minutes from Kinloch. We are eagerly learning how to raise our own stock and grow Veges. The hut is situated adjacent the vegetable garden and the barn which is really the hub for our homesteading activities. Although we try to work around the presence of our guests, we do need to harvest from the garden and feed the animals and so absolute privacy during daylight hours is not guaranteed. On the other hand we love bumping into our guests and striking up a yarn, often sharing insights about gardening and our journey down this lifestyle path. We have a farm shop with our seasonal produce, which always includes salad mix and any surplus veges, if you would like to purchase any produce for your meals message and we will let you know what is available.
Upon arrival you will drive past our farm shop, home and then down to the barn, garden and lastly the Hut (the driveway ends at the hut).
It is a simple, comfy space with everything you need in one room, with the addition of a small ensuite. The hut has been positioned to the North with windows on all sides to maximise the winter sunlight and provide views of the surrounding farmland.
The “crystal” bath is our latest edition to the Hut. Lovingly hand crafted by Brent from concrete and locally sourced obsidian crystals, this space is for you to relax, soak, be still, watch and let go of whatever may be clouding your awareness. It’s a huge bath for one, or a snuggly top & tail fit for two. Privately located to the east of the Hut, and screened by the woodshed and vegetation. Please note: Our seasonal rates reflect the nature of our crystal bath, which is outdoors and heated by a gas-powered water heater. As it is made of concrete, some warmth is naturally absorbed during the depths of winter, and wind can also affect the temperature. As a result, the bathing experience may vary depending on the season and weather conditions. Our expectations during the cool weather season (May-October) is that the bath may not be useable.
Rest on the queen size bed, relax on the sofa by the fire, or chill outside under the ‘lean-to’ porch with a drink. The hut provides a safe haven for all seasons.
The basic kitchen & bar make for a great area for enjoying food and drinks while looking out at Mt Ruapehu. A BBQ is just outside. The kitchen has a camp style gas cooker (no oven), a motorhome style fridge/freezer, coffee plunger, plates, cups and cutlery etc.
The hut is off grid and runs off batteries so USB charging is provided and mains powerpoints can be used through an inverter but care needs to be taken to not drain the batteries. No Wifi either but there is good cellphone coverage. We recommend you get back to basics and unwind here.
Keep warm and cozy in winter next to the logburner, which can be dampened right down to keep you warm through the night. Ample kindling and firewood located in the lean-too, just watch out for the spiders and other bugs that share their countryside with you.
Plenty of space for parking if you have a boat trailer or large vehicle.
Please note the hanging chair will only be there in good weather as the wicker doesn’t like the rain! Lo
Guest access
The hut is just off the driveway and opposite the barn some 30m away with a vegetable garden in between. We live further up the driveway, 300m away and we may use the barn and the garden while guests are staying but our visits will be brief and we will never intrude. We welcome guests to explore the vegetable garden and say hello to the cows or horses over the fence and come and go as they please via the driveway.
Other things to note
A baby or child be accommodated upon request as we have a portacot and or stretchers. Also if you have a dog that you are wanting to bring we please let us know :)
Where you'll sleep
What this place offers
Valley view
Mountain view
Free parking on premises
Pets allowed
Bathtub
Select check-in date
Add your travel dates for exact pricing
Rated 4.95 out of 5 from 698 reviews.
Guest favourite
This home is a guest favourite based on ratings, reviews and reliability
Overall rating
- 5 stars, 96% of reviews
- 4 stars, 3% of reviews
- 3 stars, 1% of reviews
- 2 stars, 0% of reviews
- 1 stars, 0% of reviews
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for cleanliness
Rated 5.0 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 4.9 out of 5 stars for location
Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars for value
Guests mention
Where you’ll be
Marotiri
From the host
We feel will live in a very special place, with a wonderful rural community and so much on offer with the lake, bush and mountains etc. Access to the Lake is nearby at Kinloch, 10 minutes drive. Put your boat in at the ramp there and enjoy fishing, watersports or exploring some of the Western bays. Grab some takeaways at the Kinloch Store, they also stock all your convenience needs. Kinloch beach is great for casual lakeside fun.
A little way down and across the road from the Hut is the new Otakatake mountain bike track part of the “Great Lake Trails” which takes you downhill through neighbouring bush, all the way to Kinloch Bay (10km). Alternatively head West down the main road approximateley 1km to the start of the Kawakawa Track, taking you down to Kawakawa Bay, a stunning spot, unreachable by road and a destination for the rock climbing crowd. Or if you are feeling fit why not complete the loop which is approx 38km of riding with stunning views!
A little way down and across the road from the Hut is the new Otakatake mountain bike track part of the “Great Lake Trails” which takes you downhill through neighbouring bush, all the way to Kinloch Bay (10km). Alternatively head West down the main road approximateley 1km to the start of the Kawakawa Track, taking you down to Kawakawa Bay, a stunning spot, unreachable by road and a destination for the rock climbing crowd. Or if you are feeling fit why not complete the loop which is approx 38km of riding with stunning views!
Meet your host
Lives in Taupo, New Zealand
Chanel and Brent Griffiths, along with their daughter Frankie and dog Betty are your hosts at Kawakawa Hut.
Our Taupo story really starts at our Hut. We brought the land in early 2017 and spent the next year road tripping from Auckland on the weekends to stay on our land. We initially camped in our trusty “Blueberry” a 11 foot 1967 Crusder caravan, however she is a fair weather gal and so come the winter we started to make her a “shelter” plus a place to put our tools and belongings that ended up in Taupo!
After a year of dreaming of living in Taupo. We decided to make the big move and subsequently found out we were expecting our first child too! Not quite part of the “plan” but we embraced it and life has just flowed for us since our move.
Brent took a year and a half off “work” and made our Hut liveable, built a big barn, did the earthworks for our driveway, meanwhile training his Hungarian Vizala puppy “Betty” for a good 6 months to be a deer dog (still yet to point out a deer), then untook the massive task of building our passive, small home.
Chanel meanwhile worked as much as possible in her graphic design business, designed by CCC, plus grew a baby. Frankie then entered our lives, caused a little drama and a month off the house build. From then on Chanel and Frankie did frequent “building inspections” and Grant (Chanel’s dad) joined the work force as a very capable apprentice.
We finally moved into the house June 2019. Brent went back to the “real world” and got himself a job in town. We took a few months off projects and in the beginning of 2020, we got stuck into the Hut and gave her some more love so she was ready to share with our guests, family and friends.
We have some wonderful memories living in the Hut for 18 months and it really was thoughtfully designed for us all to live in throughout the year, hot summers, cold winters and everything else in between!
Chanel is a Superhost
Host details
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