Bella Rakha is a retreat centre and creative venue at 581 West Coast Road in Oratia, at the base of the Waitākere Ranges. The property was once the Knock Na Gree retreat, owned by the Catholic Church from the 1930s until it went on sale in 2007. The owners, Yvette and Simon Feasey, live on the site with their family. The website describes a lodge with a guest side, grounds with established trees and native bush, a creek, and a disc golf course that the grounds include. Guests can cater for themselves. The website says the name means the beauty of life, and that the owners want to share a place of peace and creativity.
Customers describe the land as beautiful, with a windy creek and gardens, and say the facilities are clean and functional. They mention free-range chickens, ducks and geese, an outdoor area with a pizza oven, and soft beds in a well-furnished lodge. One says the place is a special one to find peace and reconnect, and that the owners are wonderful and attentive. Our pick in Oratia for a quiet retreat in the bush.