Waitetuna Retreat Centre is a retreat, conference and events centre in a secluded valley on Cogswell Road, outside Raglan in the Waikato. It is about half an hour from Hamilton or Raglan and two hours from Auckland, Tauranga or Rotorua. The website says the centre is not taking new bookings at present, so check before you plan a visit.
The centre suits yoga and meditation retreats, seminars, team-building and training days, artists' and writers' workshops, health and wellness programmes and martial arts groups. A quiet Sanctuary building in the garden is open to all guests for silent meditation. The meeting hall is 80 square metres, well lit and fully carpeted, and seats up to 70. It can be used for weddings, conferences, yoga or meditation, and floor cushions are provided.
Guests can sleep up to 28 in nine rooms of different sizes, one of them a double room with a queen bed, which suits a seminar leader who wants more privacy. Beds come made up with towels, or guests can bring their own linen. The centre has two large bathrooms with showers, and one shower and two toilets are wheelchair accessible.
The kitchen is well equipped, with a commercial gas oven, electric stoves, walk-in cool room and a commercial dish steriliser. Groups can cook for themselves or ask the centre to arrange a preferred caterer. The dining area seats up to 70, with outdoor tables under sunshades in the garden. There is no cell phone coverage in the valley, and the centre says that adds to its tranquillity.
Our pick near Raglan for a group that wants a quiet valley, a big kitchen and no phones.