Be Local, Support Local
“The saying, ‘Think globally, act locally’ — turn it around, think locally, and then you have the courage to act globally. If you only think globally to start with, you won’t have the energy to act.”
At Te Karaka, we have always believed that we should be part of the community, work as a local, grow with the locals, and support the locals.
Our lodge is built on Te Karaka Station, a 600-hectare well-managed beef and lamb farm. The farm has been under the great care of our Farm Manager James and his family for over 23 years.
We have been donating to Waikaretu School since 2016 and witnessed the school grow from 8 students to 33 in 2023.
When the lodge opened in September 2023, we had a community open day to announce our opening, and invited nearby communities to come to the lodge, have a tour, a cuppa, some yummy biscuits, and of course, neighborly chats. We have visitors coming from Waikaretu, Naike, Port Waikato, Tuakau, Te Akau, Hamilton, and Auckland; and started many new friendships that we know are going to be long-lasting.
In November 2023, we hosted the entire Waikaretu School on their school trip day. Our Head Dominic Dsouza taught kids how to make Christmas cakes, and our General Managers Aaron and Danielle made sure that everyone had a good time playing Jenga, watching TV, or jumping into the swimming spa.
Some of the students wrote about the trip, and you can read the whole collection here
Apart from our local Waikaretu Community, we also try to get involved in other community-building causes and charities wherever we can.
As a partner of Hamilton and Waikato Tourism, we are committed to working with our fellow local businesses and attracting more tourists to our charming, off-the-beaten-road North Waikato Region.
Te Kohanga school’s fundraising event for a new school van, and the local Waka Ama team to compete nationally.
We have also participated in Everybody Eat’s Annual Fund Raising Gala and Catering Plus Service’s Annual Golf Fund Raiser for Sands Charity.
We also purchased a dozen of Gumboots to supper Gumboot Friday, an initiative by I AM HOPE, a charity providing free mental health services to teenagers in New Zealand. Every time our guests wear our gumboots, they will have the chance to learn a bit about the charity.
We are committed to doing the right thing, little by little, starting small, starting local.