Yoga retreat in Auckland, New Zealand
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
NZ's wildlife consists mainly of birds. We encourage one of our most distinctive native birds, the Tui, to remain in the city by including plants in our garden that the Tui can feed on.
We compost all kitchen waste and recycle it on our vegetable garden. We recycle all plastic, glass, paper and tin products and try and keep these to a minimum. We use durable reusable bags when shopping at supermarkets to avoid the use of plastic bags.
NZ has significant rainfall - hence our lush, green environment. However, we still seek to conserve water use, particularly during the summer months.
We encourage guests to keep their showers to 5 minutes and under and to turn taps off while they are brushing their teeth. Our toilets are fitted with two flush options to conserve water.
We use hydroelectric energy to heat and light the house. Our lighting consists of low energy electric light bulbs. We do not own a clothes dryer, preferring to dry clothes on an outdoor clothes line instead. Our house is fully insulated to conserve heat during winter and to keep cool in our summers.
We use public transport whenever possible to travel in and out of the CBD (central business district), which is only 15 minutes by bus from us. We own two small, energy efficient cars that are well maintained and serviced.
We buy locally produced seasonal vegetables and fruit and we also grow our own fruit and vegetables which we include in the meals that we serve to our guests
Community
We support the local cafes, restaurants and cinemas that are within walking distance from our house and we recommend these to our friends and neighbours. We live at the end of a private lane which serves a number of other dwellings and as neighbours we provide help when needed to one another and will organise social gatherings with all of the dwellings to maintain the social bonds and to welcome any new neighbours. We will share any excess produce from our garden with our neighbours.
We have long supported our local community organisation in protecting and maintaining our unique volcanic environment. As such we have joined various activities to stop the proposed dewatering of Big King - a large reserve - to extract more volcanic rock for roading and drainage. The proposed dewatering would have made the surrounding volcanic shelf unstable. Our community's actions have managed to halt the dewatering.
Lia is an unpaid member of the Board of Alzheimers Auckland, a not-for-profit organisation that provides free services to people with dementia and their carers. Most of Alzhiemers Auckland's revenue comes from fund raising activities.
Our yoga homestay is designed to give our guests a relaxing and rejuvenating experience during their stay with us and to share the beauty of our unique city which lies between two oceans - the Tasman and Pacific. We inform guests of any cultural events that are planned during their stay. These include outdoor concerts in the various parks, local theatre productions, special events which showcase NZ food, art, design and culture. Mt Eden village is home to a large number of arts and crafts specialists.
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