TePopo Gardens Rural Retreat

Modern clean facilities, super comfy bed with snuggly duvets, nice and warm with heater and electric blankets

No firewood for fire (promo pics had fire blazing) If you have an Apple phone triple check the address - my phone sent us on a wild goose chase, I had entered Te Popo Gardens and it sent us to another road - my phones fault but it was annoying on a cold, wet night

Wonderful native bush gardens. Lovely welcome, good dinner and breakfast.

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Te Popo gardens, Amanda and Les were great hosts and very atentative to our needs. After long days in Hawera attending a sports tournament, it was lovely to retreat back to the peaceful sounds of nature and relax.

What a really lovely stay! Les and Amanda welcomed us so warmly and we very much enjoyed chatting with them over meals, which, incidentally were also excellent. We were very comfortable and warm in our large room, and we were impressed by the hard work that goes into making a place like this work. And of course, the location is so different and full of opportunities to explore. The gloworms at night were a real bonus! We would definitely stay again... it would be like returning to old friends...

We joked that Les forgot the serviettes at breakfast... That's about as bad as it gets!

Location, room, and staff

Spacious, very comfortable room looking out to gardens.

We stayed here for one week in the superior suite. Loved its on-site trails and garden, full of birds and nature on 34 acres. We loved waking up to the tui birds songs, so special. It’s very peaceful but still close to Stratford for shopping and the hiking trails in Taranaki NP. The owners, Les and Amanda, are very welcoming, kind and generous (had farm eggs in the frig for us, wood for the wood stove and cooked a delicious bbq dinner for us). They took very good care of us. The suite was spacious and clean, loved the balcony and the wood stove. Saw glo worms by the creek, heard more pork owls at night, and saw the most magnificent Milky Way during our stay.

Nothing

Le jardin est superbe et très dépaysant . Beau décor africain ! Accueil très chaleureux de Less et Amanda. Le petit déjeuner était succulent! Très belle étape. Merci

Beautiful gardens to explore in a stunning rural setting. Hosts were wonderful.

We loved the garden setting, the peace and unique charm of Te Popo. Our room, Wild Cats, was comfortable, clean, and as described. We were made very welcome by Amanda and Les. They were most attentive and helpful, responding to any request. Amanda's home cooking was delicious. We thoroughly enjoyed the quirkiness of Te Popo.

Die Unterkunft ist in einen wunderschönen Garten eingebettet. Mein Zimmer war mit allem notwendigen ausgestattet, liebevoll eingerichtet und sehr sauber- ich habe mich sehr wohlgefühlt und wäre gerne länger geblieben!

Very spacious and clean room. The Garden is very nice and at night you can see many glowworms around the rocky bit. The hosts are also super friendly.

Quiet Rural location with friendly owners

The property has potential for a quiet retreat.

We booked a 'Superior Double Room' based on photos showing a cosy, fully carpeted space with a high standard of finish. The reality was a significant disappointment: 1. The room provided had hard flooring instead of the advertised carpet, making the space incredibly cold and uncomfortable. The furniture and layout bore little resemblance to the listing photos. 2. Instead of the manicured garden shown online, our view consisted of large piles of lumber, stacked wood, and heaps of broken branches left on the property's awnings. The general messiness made the "garden view" claim highly misleading. 3. No on-site dining was available despite being advertised. The host’s only solution for dinner was for us to drive 1.5 hours round-trip to New Plymouth. 4. When we raised these issues, the host refused to acknowledge the discrepancy - despite admitting in writing that they had changed the flooring and furniture. Their response included personal insults rather than a professional resolution. We left immediately as the property was not fit for purpose. Prospective guests should be aware that the current photos are not an accurate representation of the property’s interior or facilities.

Very interesting looking around the grounds.

Had dinner one night - ok but a bit basic.

A beautiful, comfortable place, close to the city, where you can lose yourself in lovely gardens and the sounds of birds. The rooms are super comfortable, spacious, and have everything you need. The owners, Amanda and Lee, are so lovely and make you feel at home from the moment you arrive. Highly recommended, and I would return without hesitation.

Very friendly hosts, extremely accommodating. The setting was amazing, surrounded by natural bush.

The location was perfect - peaceful and rural but close enough to Stratford to be convenient. There was lots of space and having a mini fridge and cutlery, etc was an unexpected bonus.

Nothing

Zeer gastvrije ontvangst, heerlijk gegeten, prachtige kamer op een heel bijzondere plek

Staff were exceptional. Loved the African theme. Shame it was too wet to explore the gardens properly but the sculptures were amazing.

The rain and thunder!!!!!!

Die Lage des Hotels - ruhig in einem ungewöhnlichen Garten gelegen. Von hier aus kann man den Vulkan Mount Taranaki mit der fantastischen Hängebrücke (Manganui Gorge suspension bridge) erreichen und dann mit der extrem sehenswerten Straße The Forgotten World Highway in Richtung Turangi fahren. Die Gastgeber sind sehr nett und hilfsbereit. Das Bett war sehr bequem.

In dem Zimmer gibt es keine Kochnische, es gibt keine Kochplatte, nur Mikrowelle, Kühlschrank, Wasserkocher und Toaster. Die 4 Sterne entsprechen dem europeischen Niveau überhaupt nicht. Das ist ist ein uriger Hotel mit einfacher Einrichtung - für eine Nacht ganz OK

South African themed room. Lovely grounds and gardens. Attention to detail. Great company.

Sculptures, setting ,gardens, location,Hosts,we're all superb!!!

The room we stayed in was cute, clean and comfortable. The property is huge with walking trails, creeks and some gardens.

The property is a bit run down. Some of the trails are overgrown and we weren’t comfortable exploring too far out. It is rural and not close to food or restaurants so you should bring your own food. If working remotely, the WIFI was not strong and we had a lot of connection issues.

Huge room, comfy beds, super pillow, good shower and WONDERFUL hosts! Great to have the option to book dinner and breakfast. I had a delicious thin base homemade pizza. The full breakfast was huge with a little bit of everything. The garden was so tranquil. There was even s cute little giftshop.

Nothing.

TePopo besteht nicht nur aus einem bequemen voll ausgestatteten Zimmer, sondern auch aus einem Garten der Teilweise an Märchen und zum anderen an Regenwald in Südafrika erinnert. Die Erkundung dieses Gartens ist ein MUSS. Amandas Küche ist hervorragend und Les ist ein Meister packender Geschichten. Beide sehr liebenswerte Menschen. Wir können TePopo nur empfehlen.

Es war alles Tiptop!

Exceptional, quiet and beautiful location. Rooms are quaint but charming and very comfortable and well appointed. Was delightful to sit having breakfast overlooking the garden, listening to the birds. Continental breakfast was delivered to our room. Staff really friendly.

Bit of a driver to the nearest restaurant, but nothing to complain about really! If you're caught short, the guest house has some counter food available.

Leuke inrichting in tuin en kamers. Zeer unieke vogelgeluiden 's ochtends vroeg. Op een half uur rijden van mount Taranaki in Egmont National Park.

Het weer. Het goot zo erg de eerste dag, dat we binnen zijn gebleven. Wel stond er een pooltafel, dus we hebben ons toch geamuseerd.

Beautiful location and grounds!

De rust van de Bush. Het magnifieke vogelgezang. Prachtige wandeling op het eigen terrein via zowaar een echte hangbrug over een ravijn.

Alhoewel de kamer schoon en compleet was, deed het geheel toch wat sleets aan. Een likje verf zal wonderen verrichten.

Fantastiskt trevliga värdar,,Lez och Amanda..vi hade missat att boka middag men Amanda lagade till en jättegod lasagne. Även frukosten var superb. Ett något udda ställe långt ute på landsbygden ,,finns inga affärer,restauranger eller liknande i närheten. Blev mycket väl bemötta och trevligt samtal med Lez om både det ena och det andra..

Kunde förvarnats om att det inte finns restauranger eller liknande i närheten,,nu löste det sig för oss.

I was amazed by the gardens and the stay was great. The host is really sweet and helpful. Got to see glow worms at night as well which was cool.

Nothing. It’s remote as the name indicates so as long as you have your meals sorted or let the host know beforehand you’ll have a great stay

Food was excellent, hosts were welcoming and environment magical.Very comfortable spaces.

Maybe some upgrade in the bathroom.

Beautiful, peaceful, natural surroundings

Nothing

unique location with many animal features with an African influence

Just loved it!

Welcoming hosts, very comfortable accom, nice meals - a little way out from township so vehicle needed. We enjoyed our stay.

Außergewöhnliche Lage inmitten eines großen Parks. Netter Empfang trotz kurzfristiger Buchung. Tolle freundliche Gastgeber.

Exceptionally comfortable bed and room Lovely owners

We loved the location, like a secluded getaway in paradise, waking up to birdsong was magical. Amanda makes an amazing breakfast as well and is such a lovely host.

Staying here was a spur of the moment decision. We're glad we did. The location is lovely, and the staff are very welcoming.

Location is some distance from the nearest town.

Amazing space, amazing people. Thank you Les and Amanda for your beautiful love of all things 💕

Not staying longer and not participating in the murder dinner 😀😉

Unfortunately it was storming during my overnight stay, so I couldn't really go for a wander around the gardens, but the view from the room was gorgeous nonetheless. There are beautiful statues in the front garden as you drive in through the lush foliage, and the room was spacious and comfortable- with both a heater and electric blanket available for the cold weather. I would have loved to sit in the garden area outside the back door of the room if the sun had come out, but it was still nice to look at from inside the room. It's clear the owners take good care of their property, and it's definitely a very serene escape.

There wasn't anything I didn't like- just wanted to say (as the listing states) people considering staying should note that the property is VERY remote. There's no phone reception (but their WiFi is free and works perfectly!), and no food delivery services or local food spots besides driving back to Stratford (15-20min drive). Organising your meals prior to your stay is ESSENTIAL. It would be nice if I could leave this as a neutral comment since everything else was great and there wasn't anything bad about my stay.

The location was amazing, located in TePopo Gardens, where there were large replicas of wild animals reminiscent of southern Africa throughout the woods. The owners were delightful people, and we enjoyed chatting with them. Our upstairs room overlooked the Gardens (and animals) and served our needs for our one-night stay.

Nothing.

Great Pizza. Great gardens amazing walk with sculptures and tiny houses.

The beautiful gardens and friendly hosts. Quiet tranquil setting. Amazing structures throughout the gardens.

Being an older beautiful although it s unique in its style it was cold but they had good heaters and a dehumidifier so we kept it warm.

Amazing garden, great accommodation, lovely hosts, comfy room.

A bit of a drive from town but it's worth it 😁

We were warmly welcomed. Lovely relaxing gardens. Enjoyed the outdoor chess. Enjoyed the glow worms. Exceptionally good meals. I recommend driving in via the longer routes for the best vista. Lovely Taranaki landscape and the local farmers always wave.

breakfast was not provided

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Great hosts and room. Amanda very helpful

It is a fair way out of Stratford and unless u have pre ordered food you need the bring your own. Not really a problem but i was unaware and seldom read instructions!

Me, my cousin and our two aunties enjoyed ourselves during Matatini 2025! The hosts and accommodation were amazingly highly recommended.

Thank you so much for a serene, "me time" week-long holiday. Hosts, were attentive, welcoming and respectful, thank you Amanda & Les. Situated in the middle of know where, but well worth the drive. Amongst the natural beauty of the forest and as though a welcoming committee of south African animal sculptures was certainly a conversation among my whanau. The accommodation certainly exceeded my expectations. Warm, clean, spacious and all the utilities necessary to enjoy a wonder stay. Enjoyed meeting other holiday makers too. I loved my stay, thank you! Ngaa mihi ki a koutou!

Just amazing. Really relaxing. Owners very friendly and helpful. Well worth the drive off the main highway. Lovely grounds.

Fabulous grounds with stunning statues of African animals. A warm welcome from the hosts. Very quiet.

I enjoyed the peaceful surroundings and well-kept grounds. The unit was immaculate inside and out.

nothing in particular

Breakfast was so good, gardens were stunning! The sound of the cicadas at night were special!

Quirky and different

Nothing!

The hosts were friendly and welcoming. A very quiet and peaceful location. The room (Elephants) was very spacious. Will definitely stay here again when next in the area.

Te Popo Gardens and accommodation are in a unique location which adds to the ambience - great glowworm display on the canyon sides at night, gardens and native forest to wander through. The life scale animals and themed rooms add to the character. Hosts are very welcoming.

There was nothing we didn't like; it was an unexpected environment. The pizzas were amazing!!

This is definitely worth the stay, beautiful surroundings with cozy and friendly setting. The gardens are a pleasure to walk around nd the staff are very friendly.

N/a

Clean and comfortable bed, well appointed rooms and lovely decor. Huge and Beautiful gardens, the room overlooking gardens, just beautiful. Very peaceful and quiet. Gardens were perfect for kids and adults to run around. Live sized African animal statues were located all around the garden with signs identifying the species and information on them. Glow worms down by the creek. Just beautiful. Tranquility at its best. However I would suggest if visiting take your own supplies as the restaurant and cafe may not be open and it not located close to any shops were you can eat.

Nothing, it ticked all the boxes for us as a place to stay. With the exception of not being close to any shops for provision. But that’s what we loved about it.

Beautiful, extensive garden, glow worms were a great surprise! Lovely owners. I would recommend this place to others.

Out in the countryside, so you need to be prepared to drive a bit to eat lunch/dinner, or carry food.

The garden was so peaceful and their breakfast is delicious 😋

Nothing not to like

I can't really say enough positive things about Amanda and Les, and their beautiful property. They were exceptionally welcoming, and cooked us a delicious meal (South African-style braai), for dinner - which had been arranged beforehand. They (and another guest) joined us for dinner, and we all shared stories and laughter. The property is a bit of an oasis of peace, with glow worms to view at night, for those who wish to seek them out (they're fairly close to the main buildings - try the Night Sight setting on your camera). The bed was extremely comfortable, and we enjoyed the best sleep of our journey. All in all, a great experience...and a great overall value.

Can't think of a thing, really; however, if you're (sadly) tied to your phone, there is no cell service...but the WiFi works great.

The accommodation and garden are full of interest with a pronounced African flavor.

Warm and friendly host. Cozy warm and comfy beds.

my wife and I enjoy walking through the gardens and the common areas were nice

The grounds, sculptors, owners , room , bed etc

Although offered breakfast if required had no idea cost etc. Maybe an option on fb “breakfast included “ Also as remotely located, evening meal option/menu /price These are suggestions rather than “ didn’t like”

Breafast came in a basket and there was enough for us to use for both mornings. The bed was very comfy and warm. The hosts were welcoming and asked if we had all that we needed, which we did. We also had dinner with our hosts, a lovely home cooked meal, during which we spent the time chatting. We loved the gardens, which was an unexpected surprise as we booked on location, rather than for any other reason. We have told all our friends about it, and would love to go there again.

I can think of nothing to improve it, it was perfect.

Les and Amanda are superb hosts in this wonderful garden setting. This is our third visit and we so well looked after and comfortable. The gardens were at there very best with the spring flowers. We particularly enjoyed the evening meals. Thank you again!