About Kahuimanu

The Kahuimanu vision

Why Kahuimanu?

Pauline and Steve fell in love with their piece of Waihou paradise in 2017 as they sought to escape the Auckland rat race and live as sustainably as possible on a one acre rural lifestyle property on the edge of a working farm.

Blessed with extensive stands of totara and kahikatea nearby, the property was named Kahuimanu, which loosely translates as a flock of birds. Perhaps aspirational at this early stage, we're hopeful that with extensive plantings of both native and fruit trees and on-going pest trapping we'll realise our vision of an increased population of native birds. Kotare (kingfishers) and piwakawaka (fantails) are already present, and with luck kereru (wood pigeons) and tui will also become more prevalent over time.

The house

The house and guest wing were built by Brown Construction to eHaus standards, which assure an excellent level of comfort and economy. Sadly too many houses in New Zealand are still being built to the lowest common denominator of the building code, resulting in new houses that are often cold and damp.

eHaus is different. By paying careful attention to insulation, glazing, air tightness, removal of thermal bridges and clever ventilation, eHauses are consistently warm, dry and comfortable year round with minimal heating or cooling costs. Thinking of building an eHaus? Come and stay for a day or three, experience it for yourself, and talk to us about our eHaus experience.

And if you're building, you'll want to make sure you get the kitchen (the most important room in the house) right. Pauline is a kitchen designer with Kitchen Studio in Hamilton. She'd be very happy to discuss design ideas with you, whether formally or informally.

Our house was completed in 2019 and continues to be a delight to live in. Feel free to check out the house, orchard and vege gardens, visit the chooks, have a game of petanque, or just soak in the spa while watching Mt Te Aroha's ever-changing vistas unfold, or the night sky in all its glory.

The surrounds

The property is located in rural Waihou, between Te Aroha which nestles at the base of the Kaimai ranges to the east, and Morrinsville (home of Mabel the Megacow) to the west. It's within easy distance of Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua and Tauranga, and is an ideal location for access to the Waikato, Coromandel and Bay of Plenty.

The most notable tourist attractions nearby are the Hauraki Cycle Trail, Hobbiton and Wairere Falls, but the Waikato offers a wealth of tourist opportunities best reviewed on the following websites:

But don't miss out on some of our local attractions, such as the delightful river walks in both Te Aroha and Morrinsville, checking out the gold mining history in the Wairongomai Valley, hiking to the top of Mt Te Aroha, soaking in the Te Aroha mineral pools, visiting the herd of cows in Morrinsville, or falling in love with Adrian Worsley's scrap metal sculptures in Te Aroha.

A special note for two-wheelers

If you're a keen mountain biker we've got you covered. Locally we have the Te Aroha MTB trails (typically Grade 3), while a bit further away at Te Miro there's a huge range of trails from Grades 2 to 4.

A motorcyclist? We understand the desire for freedom and a more immersive experience, and whatever mother nature throws at us! We can help dry your soggy bike gear if you happen to get caught in a shower.

Feel free to park your bike(s) in the garage next to Steve & Pauline's for added security, then jump in the spa to ease the strain of hours in the saddle. And if you're heading off to do the Coro loop (whether tarmac or gravel) the next day we might just join you if work allows. Steve has been riding bikes all his life from sports to adventure to dirt, and knows the area well.

Needless to say, there's a well stocked garage with tools, parts, lubes & cleaners if your bike (pedal or motorised) is in need of some quick maintenance.