Treat your team to an unforgettable Christmas experience this year.
If you are looking for a truly unique experience for your team's Christmas get together this year, come and share together the magic of the maunga. This is an exclusive opportunity for small groups to recharge and celebrate in the outdoors, while at the same time learning more about this world-class conservation project. Through your booking, you will be giving back to the incredible work of the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust in restoring the biodiversity of Maungatautari.
Duration: 3 hours
Group size: 8 - 16 people
Programme overview
11am: Arrive at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari
11.15am: Ancient forest highlights tour (50minutes). As we make our way into Maungatautari's Southern Enclosure, hear from Sanctuary Mountain staff about the birds and the bees, the flowers and the trees and what makes this ambitious conservation project truly special as the largest mainland ecological island in the world! It is about 1km to walk into the secret Bush Boardroom location.
Lunch: Enjoy a truly unique Christmas together lunch nestled in the bush under the canopy, with the birds for company.
After lunch, mix and mingle in the events centre or take the opportunity for a short 5minute walk up to the tree tower to view these ancient giants from their heights.
2pm: Walk out and finish
Note: * We are unable to serve alcohol on Maungatautari, but will serve a selection of hot and cold festive beverages.
* We do have a wonderful open-sided canvas tent cover for our Bush Boardroom to account for the weather when needed!
* The above price for a group of 16; All prices New Zealand dollars and GST exclusive.
This price INCLUDES a contribution from your company to the incredible
conservation work of Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust.
OPTION: Talk to us about turning it into a full day by adding...
A mindful hike on the maunga
There's bodies of research to support that time spent in nature reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, elevates mood and can even boost your body’s immune response.
Walking in nature can also boost creative output (divergent thinking) by 60% on average! So it's far more powerful than sitting around trying to solve a problem or come up with new ideas. In fact, Steve Jobs was known for his walking meetings. Come on a mindful hike with us - we can prime your team's creativity for an afternoon session by taking a short walk, letting their unconscious minds roam.
Aotearoa Survival Experience (FUN!)
Aotearoa survival scenario: Imagine being one of the first to arrive in ancient Aotearoa.
Moa are roaming the countryside, giant predatory birds hunt the skies and the ground is covered in thick canopy. Your group will be split into teams and given a scenario and a bounty of survival items from which they must work together to ensure they live through a series of challenges!
A glowworm kayaking experience
Explore the Waikato river by kayak with the team and enjoy the magic of the Pokaiwhenua canyon.
We can organise a fun team building activity at 'the landing', or you can simply relax as you paddle gently and enjoy stories from local guides. For something extra special, try the night time Glow worm kayak experience. As night arrives over Lake Karāpiro, paddle slowly up the stream and through the canyon carved out by water over many hundreds of years. When darkness falls, float silently back downstream, being guided by the glow worms on either side sparkling like fairy lights.
Tell me more about...
Transport: How do we get there?
All all packages are bespoke so we can either arrange transport for you from Hamilton, Cambridge, Te Awamutu or surrounding areas, or you and the team can meet us at Maungatautari. Although we base our packages primarily around Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari (20 minutes from Cambridge) we can also create a package for you at a different location within the Waikato or Coromandel accessing one of the over 20 walking tracks we operate on, or visiting one of the several artisan foodie producers we have great relationships with.
Rain / weather policy
We will go ahead with the agreed programme if there is rain on the day(s), as long as it is safe to do so. If your group has booked the bush boardroom for a session, we will make a call no later than 2 hours before this session whether to move it into the covered (open-faced) events centre in the Southern Enclosure.
Fitness requirements
We know that not everyone will be experienced when it comes to the outdoors and hiking, and that's fantastic. Getting a little out of comfort zone in safe hands is what it's all about. We can cater to most fitness levels and abilities and will work within your groups capabilities. As a rough guideline, individuals should be able to walk for an hour continuously with some steep incline at gentle pace.
Accessibility
Sanctuary Mountain tracks all have gradients which makes wheelchair access difficult or impossible, depending on the ability of the person using the chair, their supporters and the sort of chair. The tracks are metalled but not smooth so it can take quite a lot of strength to move a wheelchair. There is an unavoidable gradient down to the entrance through the fence. We would like to be more accessible but the terrain makes this difficult and, being a Charitable Trust, we need to find funding for any alterations and additions.
100% New Zealand owned and operated business
We are a family run business who have been running highly rated hiking and food tours since 2017. We're approved DOC concession operators and we've achieved a GOLD Qualmark endorsement for our experiences.
Say hello
hello@natureandnosh.co.nz
Phone: +64 204 130 5060
