An Exciting Surprise! Redwood Farm Glamping – Canopy Camping Escapes
By Kim Hobson
Making Anniversary Glamping Plans!
The situation around COVID had been weighing heavily on my mind. I couldn’t deny the feeling that, regardless of any individual’s personal stance on anything COVID related, unpleasant rifts in society were beginning to surface.
I’m a sensitive soul, and the whole thing was getting me down. When Jeremy suggested we go away for our upcoming anniversary (the exact date of which neither of us can actually remember, let alone how long we’ve actually been together – I calculate somewhere between 9 and 11 years but who knows), I jumped at the idea.
Feeling in dire need of some sort of peaceful retreat far away from everything and everyone, we scoured Canopy Camping Escapes’ website, finally deciding on Redwood Farm Tiny House in Te Puke. Te Puke is in the Bay of Plenty, which is only a 3 hour drive from Wharekaho, where we’d been living.
We secured our booking and my spirits continued to lift as the date drew closer – what better way to switch off from the worries of the world than a spot of the old glamping? The perfect way to reset and gather your thoughts when life starts to get overwhelming.
Enroute to Redwood Farm
The day finally arrived, and we set off towards Te Puke stopping first at the seaside town of Whangamata. Our next stop was at Papamoa, where Jeremy ran into the post office to check if my anniversary “gift” had arrived.
I thought this was a bit intriguing, as we never normally buy gifts for each other, but I was excited for the surprise anyway! The gift hadn’t arrived yet, which Jeremy was a bit disappointed about, but the lady at the post office told him to check again tomorrow.
The Redwood Farm glamping hosts had given us clear instructions on how to get there, so we continued on to Te Puke, finding our way to our destination with no issues. We grabbed our keys from the little letterbox and drove down a long farm track, past green fields and rolling pastoral hills.
Another track forks off to the right, leading to Redwood Farm’s other glamping site – a magical treehouse hidden away in a grove of trees. Redwood Farm Tiny House is a little further along the track, in a private rural setting with expansive views over the farm out to the East Coast.
It’s an idyllic, sundrenched spot high up on a hill, far away from everything and everyone – perfect!
Getting Settled in at the Tiny House
We unpacked and got settled in, ready to kick back and unwind. There’s plenty of mobile reception at Redwood Farm Tiny House, but I chose to switch my data off so that I could be fully present without the distractions of everyday life.
Redwood Farm Tiny House has a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen/lounge area with a front-facing glass wall to maximize the views and make you feel more connected to the outdoors.
Glass sliding doors open out to a large deck where there is an outdoor table and chairs and a huge bathtub perfectly positioned to enjoy sunrises over the East Coast. There’s another seating area under a beautiful puriri tree and a fire pit in the garden in front of the deck.
The bathroom has a flushing toilet and shower, and the tiny house runs off solar power. In the lounge there’s a comfortable sofa and a small woodburner fireplace for colder nights.
It’s a cozy but luxurious set up that you can tell has been lovingly created and tended to by the hosts. They even left us a little gift pack of chocolate, chips and marshmallows to toast in the fire pit! Too spoiled!
Day 1 at Redwood Farm Tiny House
Our first afternoon was spent chilling on the deck with a drink, and as the sun went down we sparked up the fire pit and enjoyed the stars.
We woke at the break of dawn to clear skies the next morning, so I turned the taps on to fill up the outdoor bath and climbed back into bed to enjoy the views as the sky transitioned from purple to pink to orange.
The sun rose golden and glowing, filtering through swirls of steam rising from the bathtub. Birds sung their morning chorus as the sun bathed the rolling hills in soft light. I hopped into the bathtub and enjoyed the scene, feeling relaxed and miles away from the chaos of the world.
The bathtub is massive – big enough to fit 2 people, so Jeremy soon joined me before we got up to cook a BBQ breakfast on the Weber BBQ (which has convinced me I need one!).
The rest of the day was spent doing what we always do on our glamping escapes – nothing much at all. We read our books in the sun, listened to music, took photos, and nibbled on all the tasty snacks we’d brought with us.
An Intriguing "Gift" Turns into an Exciting Surprise!
Jeremy called the Papamoa post office again to see if this gift of his had arrived, but it turned out they’d had an issue with the scanner, and the parcel had ended up at the international terminal and that it could take another 10 days for it to be redirected?!?
Jeremy was not satisfied with this answer and spent the next hour in a series of phone calls trying to get someone to help. He was very sneaky on the phone, going around the other side of the house so that I couldn’t hear.
At this stage I was starting to get a bit suspicious about this “gift” of his – he seemed pretty determined for me to have this gift, and for it to remain a surprise!
It seemed he finally managed to get through to someone at NZ Post who promised they’d do everything they could to get the parcel to Papamoa while we were still around, so we sunk back into our prior state of relaxation for the remainder of the day.
We were treated to another stunning sunrise from the bathtub the next morning, and day 2 progressed hot and sunny, making us excited for summer. Around lunchtime Jeremy popped down to the shops to buy a hat, while I sunbathed on the deck.
He returned with a large new straw hat, but I thought he was acting a little weird as he asked me to come look at the Puriri tree. As soon as I walked over I noticed Jeremy’s hands were shaking a little, and he seemed kind of nervous.
Before I could gather my senses, he produced a little box from under his hat and dropped down on one knee! I couldn’t believe it! My mouth dropped in absolute shock and my eyes widened as I finally began to register what was happening. Jeremy was proposing to me!
Time stood still as my heart began to race and the question echoed through my mind like a dream-scene from a movie. Jeremy stood up, and of course, I said yes! We both shed a couple tears of joy and embraced as we let the moment sink in. In that instant, I couldn’t have been any happier.
After approximately 11 years of being together I assumed we’d both kind of tossed the idea of marriage out the window. It was such a beautiful and thoughtfully planned surprise – the type of romance I didn’t know Jeremy had in him!
A Celebration in the Most Romantic of Settings!
He even chose the ring, which is handmade from recycled white-gold set with an ethically sourced Australian sapphire. The ring is perfect – inspired by nature with a raw, organic aesthetic. It even came in a cute, recycled rimu box.
Once the initial shock had worn off, we cracked open a bottle of bubbly to celebrate. I made a delicious platter and we sat beneath the shade of the puriri tree, accompanied by kereru as they snacked on puriri berries.
As the sun began to set, we lit the firepit and chatted idly in the early evening light. It was the night of the lunar eclipse, which made the whole day even more special. The moon began to rise in the distance – a gigantic orb glowing pink then red then crimson as the sky darkened from dusk to night.
Redwood Farm Tiny House - A Place We'll Never Forget!
For dinner Jeremy cooked another BBQ and baked some potatoes in the firepit, and we ate our dinner outside by candlelight with the moon watching over us.
We returned to the firepit after dinner to toast some marshmallows and watch the eclipse in silence, the only sound from the moreporks calling out to each other in the darkness.
A fiery sunrise greeted us on our final morning at Redwood Farm Tiny House, and we had one last soak in the tub, basking in the morning tranquility. After coffee and breakfast, we packed the car again and gave the tiny house a little tidy-up.
We were sad to leave, but excited to share our news with family and friends. It had been an unforgettable experience for us; a moment in life that I’ll cherish forever.
Redwood Farm Tiny House will always hold a special place in my heart, and I couldn’t think of a more romantic getaway to get engaged!
Trip Details
Accommodation Info:
Redwood Farm Tiny House – Canopy Camping Escapes – https://www.canopycamping.co.nz/redwood-farm-tiny-house
Price – from $290 per night
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