About

It all started when…

Having been a child free to roam and sleep in the forest, after 17 years working as a photographer in Auckland I found here.

Into a dream where magic becomes real, 35 acres of forest full of moss and lichen, teeming with birds. Three rivers meet, an amphitheatre of wild forest in a secluded corner of Northland. A 1910 Kauri bushman’s cottage, added to by a clever architect in the 1980’s. A tent pitched in the trees and a recycled shipping container above the canopy of the forest. A place to listen for the quiet of the stars and the moon. To drink the wild air.

Wild Forest is a place to connect to the healing power of nature. A lifestyle in synch with the rhythms of the natural world. A way of living that respects all forms of life, where happiness, well being, flow and meaningfulness go hand in hand.

These are wild times, our planet has a fever, and at the same time there has never been more interest in healing it. Together we can do it.

Words from the Forest

In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi (侘寂) is a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection.

In our current world view, Wild Forest Estate is a beautiful expression of Wabi Sabi. One that we are lucky enough to not only live within but to share with others.

Wild Forest Estate is 35 acres of mostly native forest. It was rewilded about 100 years ago. The forest plays host to a multitude of living creatures and beautiful natural features. We count kauri trees and kiwi amongst the beings living here. The powerful healing energy of the forest works on us daily, and guests experience glimpses of it during their stay. 

Stress dissolves, horizons broaden, connections are reestablished - within individuals, between lovers, between people and nature. It’s a potent feeling when you find yourself gazing at the crystal clear night sky, in the bath, in the forest; plans unfold effortlessly, the future is yours to map and create, your soul is reminded of the magic of slow living, of a different, more nutritious existence.

Joanna’s Lupus diagnosis prompted her to dive deep into the absolute cutting edge of medical thought, which in turn led to the reassurance and rediscovery of ancient wisdom, the benefits of immersing yourself in nature, the re-connection with thousands of years of human evolution.

Her experimentation and desire to find the healing that she needed, coupled with her longing to return to the environment where she grew up in, led her here - Wild Forest Estate. 

Nigel’s need for mental health rehabilitation, his desire for mental, physical and spiritual growth saw him arriving here to join his soul mate. 

We are better together, stronger, more able to use the energy of the forest to uncover and find purpose. We are aligned with each other in terms of our respect and love of nature, of the transience and imperfection we encounter daily, of the gut feeling of ‘rightness’ present when we are here.

There is untold joy in seeing spiders float on threads across the forest, or a Kingfisher perching on a book in the lounge, or our goat in the sun on the deck.

There is magic in seeing the transformation of people after only one night in the forest. The decompression that occurs, the space gifted, the break from the conventions of ‘normal’ society.

Countless are the examples of the beauty of existence - imperfect and transient - Wabi Sabi.