Wild Canvas offers a truly immersive luxury glamping experience set high in the rolling countryside of the Waitomo region, providing complete privacy, expansive views, and a deep connection to nature. Each stay is designed to slow the pace, immerse guests in the landscape, and deliver a sense of exclusivity rarely found in the outdoors. Tents are positioned on private hilltops, spaced well apart to ensure seclusion, and thoughtfully styled to combine refined comfort with the raw beauty of the land.
Kōwhai Tent
The Kōwhai Tent is an intimate, adults‑only retreat designed for two, set on its own private hilltop with sweeping 360° views across the Waitomo countryside. Thoughtfully crafted for couples, it offers complete seclusion and a quiet sense of place, where the landscape feels entirely your own. Inside, a spacious ensuite with rain shower and stone basin is positioned to overlook the valley, while a wood‑burning fireplace brings warmth and atmosphere, ensuring comfort in every season. Outdoors, twin claw‑foot baths invite long soaks beneath open skies, perfectly framing the surrounding hills. The experience embraces a refined, off‑grid simplicity, with solar lighting, battery power and seamless connectivity allowing guests to disconnect without compromising ease. Cooking is centered around the open air, with a private outdoor kitchen featuring a wood‑fired pizza oven, Weber BBQ and gas hob—ideal for slow, shared meals under the stars. Evenings gather naturally around the firepit, with opportunities for stargazing and fireside moments, while a movie projector offers a more relaxed indulgence, whether watched inside or beneath the night sky.
Pōhutukawa Tent
The Pōhutukawa Tent is thoughtfully designed for relaxed living, comfortably accommodating up to eight guests across four queen bedrooms, each appointed with luxury linens. Generous in scale, it features 2.5 bathrooms, including a private ensuite alongside well‑considered shared spaces, creating ease and comfort for families or groups. At its heart, a fully equipped indoor kitchen—complete with oven, induction cooktop, microwave, dishwasher, fridge and freezer—invites effortless entertaining, complemented by outdoor cooking with a Morsø wood‑fired pizza oven and Weber BBQ for relaxed, open‑air dining. A double‑sided fireplace and underfloor heating ensure warmth and atmosphere year‑round, while a cedar hot tub, pre‑heated to 38°C on arrival, offers a restorative place to unwind beneath the open sky. Powered by a seamless off‑grid system using solar and renewable energy, the experience feels both sustainable and uncompromising—every modern comfort quietly accounted for. From its elevated position, the tent enjoys sweeping 360° panoramic views across the Waitomo countryside, creating a sense of space, privacy and connection to the surrounding landscape
Across both tents, guests enjoy high‑quality linens, thoughtfully designed interiors, outdoor bathing experiences, and total privacy.
Dining
Dining at Wild Canvas is thoughtfully designed to be as relaxed or indulgent as you choose—less about formality, more about atmosphere, provenance, and the pleasure of time well spent. Each stay begins with a selection of locally sourced provisions, inviting guests to settle in immediately, from fresh farm eggs and homemade bread to wine, coffee and thoughtful pantry staples. Guests are encouraged to cook and gather at their own pace, whether firing up the wood‑fired pizza oven, preparing a simple meal over the barbecue, or sharing an alfresco dinner as the sun fades over the Waitomo hills. For something more elevated, curated dining can be arranged—from generous antipasto platters and ready‑to‑cook gourmet dinners to a fully private chef experience, tailored entirely to the occasion.
Experiences
Wild Canvas is perfectly positioned as a private base from which to explore the natural drama and quiet beauty of the Waitomo region, where experiences range from deeply immersive to quietly restorative.
Beneath the rolling hills, a vast limestone landscape reveals some of New Zealand’s most extraordinary underground worlds. Within the Waitomo Caves, guests drift silently through cathedral‑like chambers illuminated by thousands of glowworms, or, for the more adventurous, descend deep into the earth on guided abseiling journeys through ancient cave systems.
Above ground, the experience of Waitomo continues through its striking natural landscapes. Native bush walks wind through limestone formations, across suspension bridges and alongside waterfalls, offering a more tranquil way to connect with the region, with opportunities to encounter New Zealand birdlife and secluded natural landmarks.
Elsewhere, a range of experiences invites a different perspective on the landscape—from ziplining through forest canopies to scenic e‑bike journeys that trace the countryside toward the rugged west coast, blending light adventure with a strong sense of place. Beyond the region, the landscape opens further, inviting day journeys to iconic destinations such as Hobbiton, where pastoral beauty and cinematic storytelling come together in a distinctly New Zealand experience.
Back at Wild Canvas, unwind with an in‑tent massage or simply embrace the rhythm of the land—slow mornings, outdoor baths beneath open skies, fireside evenings and stargazing in complete seclusion. For something more active, experiences such as clay target shooting can be arranged.
The true luxury lies in the freedom to shape each moment entirely your own.