About The Falls Retreat
The Falls Retreat sits on Waitawheta Road in the Karangahake Gorge, with Owharoa Falls as the backdrop to the property. Owners Brad King, the executive chef, and Emma Walters, the general manager, came across the place about a decade ago when it was a small holding called Goose Farm and have turned it into a place to stay, eat and learn. Food is cooked from scratch with seasonal produce from their organic vegetable garden, and chickens on the property supply eggs.
There are four places to sleep, all bed and breakfast: a two-level Log Cabin with a log fire and full kitchen (sleeps up to five), Rose Cottage with an A-frame loft, the 10-square-meter Waterfall Cabin with a falls view and an outdoor bath, and an unpowered bell tent that is pitched only from Labour Weekend in late October to Easter. Their website listed rates from NZ$260 to NZ$350 a night in October 2026. Children up to five stay free, and dogs are welcome with advance notice.
The bistro serves a casual paddock-to-plate menu built around handmade wood-fired sourdough pizza, plus a set grazing-board feast. In winter it opens only on weekends from 11:30am; in 2026 Fridays were added from 2 October and Thursdays from mid-November. On the first Sunday of each month, a community lunch called The Local brings pizza and organic salads from noon. Full-day classes cover sourdough, pasta, pickling and vegetable gardening; a kombucha workshop runs Sunday 22 November 2026 (NZ$99) and a gardening day on 8 November 2026 (NZ$165).
The Hauraki Rail Trail passes nearby: riders can head about an hour west through the gorge to Paeroa, or east to Waihi and come back on the Goldfields Railway to Waikino. Waihi Lavender Farm is about 15 minutes' drive east, so a December stay can cover both.
What to do
- Eat wood-fired sourdough pizza in the bistro (weekends from 11:30am in winter)
- Stay in the Log Cabin, Rose Cottage, Waterfall Cabin or the seasonal bell tent
- Walk the organic vegetable garden before or after a meal
- Take a kombucha workshop on 22 November 2026 or a vegetable gardening day on 8 November 2026
- Ride the Hauraki Rail Trail about an hour to Paeroa or Waihi
- Come for The Local community lunch on the first Sunday of the month
Season, hours and prices
- Season
- Open year-round; bistro weekends only in winter, adding Fridays from October and Thursdays from mid-November; bell tent from Labour Weekend (late October) to Easter
- Hours
- 2026: bistro Saturday and Sunday from 11:30am in winter, plus Fridays from 2 October and Thursdays from mid-November; closed 25–26 December 2026 and 1–2 January 2027
Good to know
- Dogs
- Allowed (with advance notice)
- Reservations
- Recommended (walk-ins welcome if tables are free)
Tips for your visit
- The venue sometimes closes for weddings and private events, so check their website before driving out for a meal.
- Tables are held for two hours; groups of 15 or more need to call or email ahead.
- The bell tent and its bathroom have no power (lanterns are provided) and need a two-night minimum from Labour Weekend to Easter.
- Cyclists can ride to Waihi and return by the Goldfields Railway to Waikino.
Pair it with a lavender farm
Waihi Lavender Farm · about 15 minutes away
Waihi Lavender Farm is about 15 minutes east and opens for its 2026/27 season from 5 December 2026, so pair a lavender visit with dinner or a night here.
Getting there
Questions
Can you eat at The Falls Retreat without staying?
Yes. The bistro takes bookings online or by phone, and walk-ins are welcome when tables are free.
Are dogs allowed?
Dogs are welcome with advance notice.
Is the bistro open in winter?
Yes, on weekends from 11:30am; more days are added from October.
🗺️ Part of the guide Things to Do Near the Lavender Farm of Waihī and the Karangahake Gorge, New Zealand
Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free
