Our Story
Te Taki and Cheryl both grew up in Otorohanga, meeting at primary school when they were ten. In 2010 they got married and now have three children – Baeden, six, Arianah, four, Grayson, almost two, and another on the way. Before making the move to Orchard Valley they lived in Cambridge but in 2018 they decided they wanted to be closer to their families – and more space. Making the move was one of the best decisions - it felt like coming home for them. "We love our community and having our childhood connection to Otorohanga really resonates with us." says Cheryl. "Neither of us have ever been involved in the hospitality industry, so setting up a glamping site was a bit out of our comfort zone. However, we’ve always enjoyed having people visit and are passionate about sharing what we have here, with others."
Homeward Bound
As we’ve both grown up locally to the district, it was really important to us that our kids grew up rurally and could share some of the same experiences we enjoyed as children. The opportunity came up to buy some land, so at the start of 2018 we moved back home. Our ultimate goal was to be able to spend more time with our kids while they are still young and share the wonders and the intrigue of the outdoors with them. We also plan to be as regenerative and teach them how to live off the land as much as possible.
Farm Life
Being back home has been life-changing. Having space for our kids, teaching them how to care for the land and animals and spending time in the outdoors with them is truly enriching. We have pet lambs, chicks, piglets and frogs! Each day is different. We enjoy summer afternoons in the berry patch as well as picking seasonal fruit from the trees. We like our children to see where food comes from – all the way from the farm to the table. Being here feeds the soul!
Orchard Valley
Like its name suggests, Orchard Valley is surrounded by fruit trees- not just in our paddocks but the new kiwifruit orchard on our neighbour's land too. We have really fallen in love with our local area and are well aware we have a slice of something special which we want to share with others. Creating our luxury boutique glamping retreat was a way to open up our world and offer others the chance to enjoy our spot as much as we do.
" We have really fallen in love with our local area and are well aware we have a slice of something special which we want to share with others. "
- Te Taki & Cheryl - Owners