Did someone say 2023?
It’s that classic time of year again, the end of one orbit around the sun and the start of another. How did it come around so quick? The time between this last month of the year and the first month of the next one is always an interesting one, with so many celebrations, resolutions, changes, and new beginnings.
Before diving headfirst into what is to come for 2023, let’s have a wander through what has been here at Aro Ha in 2022 - there’s plenty of great memories and moments to highlight. To those that came to visit us in person and to those that follow from afar, thank you all for helping us have such a beautiful year.
Kitchen Creativity
The kitchen has been working on all sorts of projects this year, developing new recipes, welcoming new chefs, and other bits and pieces that we can’t tell you about yet… but get excited! More good food things to come.
We may have some secrets in the pipeline but to make up for it our head chef, Marika, has created a plant-based festive recipe for you to include in your Christmas spread. Bon appétit.
Pistachio & Cranberry 'Cheese' Bites
You! Our Community
We met so many new (and some familiar) faces this year! Continuing to expand our community of guests is such a delight to both witness and be apart of. Thank you for joining us, for sharing your journey and for being open to this experience.
In 2022, we have held 33 retreats, supported the transformation of 510 humans and had countless incredible moments shared. If you would like to adventure into wellbeing with us next year, our 2023 bookings are open.
Awaken & Realise
Meet Realise Retreat, an immersive at-home wellness retreat experience. For the first time ever, you can access the magic elements of an Aro Ha retreat in your own home. It's wellness, wherever you are. Meet us digitally and tune in with some of the best instructors in movement, nutrition, mindfulness and insight. From breathwork to contrast hydro-therapy, the menu to movement sessions, here, the latest research is infused into a guided online immersion that will leave you glowing.
Interested? Here’s all the information you might need.
Cleansing Every Season
Speaking of online immersion, we continue to develop and innovate our Seasonal Renew 5-Day Online Cleanse program each year. This a chance to connect back to your sense of wellbeing while being part of a community with our live online cleanse program. Over 5 days, you'll combine movement, a nourishing seasonal menu, and live classes accessible from anywhere in the world.
Available four times per year.
Sign up here.
In The News
We do what we do for our guests, but we also definitely get a warm fuzzy feeling from receiving world-wide media attention and awards for what we have created here at Aro Ha. Here are some of our highlights from 2022:
- Food: We recently won Best Wellness Cuisine in the Spa and Wellness Awards! We are so proud to see the love that our talented chefs have for the creation of each meal being recognised across the world.
- Retreat: We were listed as one of CNN Travel’s '9 of the world’s best wellness retreats’.
- Location: Conde Nast Traveller featured as the #1 Destination Spa in the Southern Hemisphere
- Meditation: Gareth Michael featured Aro Ha as one of the 'Best Meditation Retreats in the World'
Garden Abundance
As it is starting to come into summer here in the southern hemisphere, the gardens at Aro Ha are flourishing with abundance. We’ve been continuing to develop our ‘Plant to Plate’ ethos this year, and progress is always being made. We’ve just received some pretty incredible stats back about our food production here on site and are very excited to say 45% of the produce on our menu comes from our gardens, that's an increase of 10% on last year!
- We also grow 65 different edible species
- 14 varieties of edible flowers - to garnish, decorate and bring beauty
- 32 types of edible herbs
- 13 different varieties of microgreens.
Natural Surprises
Imagine the utter magic of waking up to a blanket of snow all over the Aro Ha property during your retreat... Well, it happened this year. Having some proper snowy retreats this winter was a huge highlight for both our guests and our team. There's something incredibly special about seeing your everyday surroundings turned into a winter wonderland. It made snuggling up by the Aro Ha fire in the library all the more cosy. (Some of us even took the snow as an opportunity to give ‘cold plunge’ a whole new meaning!)
Our Team
We’ve welcomed in some wonderful new faces this year who have brought exciting skill sets, inspiration and growth to our team. We love working with brilliant humans! From the kitchen to housekeeping, maintenance, gardeners, retreat leaders and everyone in between. Here’s to the entire Aro Ha family for doing what you do so well, your work shines through in every retreat.
Newness
We had our first baby born on site! Welcome to the world little Nova, the Aro Ha whānau are all so happy to have you here with us.
And how could we forget Beckett, a consistent if mischievous highlight of Aro Ha since the day we began. Our resident canine friend can generally be found wandering about the property (usually with Damian or Anna in tow) and is always up for a pat.
Meri Kirihimete and sending love to wherever you are in the world.
Blessings for the new year,
The Aro Ha Team