Retreat FAQs

We use one account for all payments including donations. Please direct credit to: Te Moata Charitable Trust 12-3044-0422743-00.

Please put your name and what the payment is for in the reference boxes. Emailing us is also a good idea if you have made a deposit. Donations are tax deductible so let us know so we can produce a receipt for you. Email Paul at retreat@temoata.org

International payment info: Swift code ASBBNZ2A Te Moata Charitable Trust, Hunters Plaza, Papatoetoe, Auckland, New Zealand.

When special diets and upgraded accommodation is confirmed, these can be pre-paid online. We now have EFTPOS on the premises for payments for items purchased during retreat.

Rooms for retreatants are mainly single cubicles with windows and curtains for privacy. The cubicle spaces are contained within two large rooms that have lofts accessed by a ladder. These spaces are heated by newly installed radiators. The rooms are usually allocated by gender but not always. We usually allocate the loft cubicles to the youngest on the retreat. We supply pillows and all mattresses have a covering. The bathrooms are shared.

A limited number of single rooms/double rooms/cottages/cabins are available ( see link below) and these can be requested on the registration form or by contacting the retreat teacher if they are taking registrations. These requests are listed and prioritised when a retreatant has paid in full.

Please note: We do not allocate single rooms/cabins/cottages until just prior to the retreat as single rooms are allocated firstly for teachers; then for those with medical / mobility reasons and to those over the age of 70, and then by retreatant request. Retreatants requesting to share rooms/cottages are prioritised when appropriate. Once rooms and cabins have been allocated we let you know, around 2 weeks/10 days before the retreat starts or when the retreat is full. We advise what size of linen to bring then too.

We ask all retreatants to bring their own bedding, (sheets, pillowslips, duvet, towels) as we have a limited supply of solar power to run a washing machine to do large quantities of washing.

If you are travelling to us in a plane or cannot bring your own linen, you can hire bedding which includes a duvet, blanket, sheets, pillowslip, towel and flannel. These can be hired for a fee of $25.00 and pre-paid online.

Retreatants are requested to pre-pay by direct credit into Te Moata’s bank account once their upgraded accommodation, bedding and special diets has been confirmed.

Te Moata employs a French Pâtisserie chef who cooks delicious vegetarian meals for retreats. The menu is wide and varied, and non-vegetarians often comment that they do not miss their usual foods. All meals are served buffet style. Breakfast includes a wide range of fruit, cereals, milks, yoghurt, and toasts. Fruit and vegetables are sourced from our own gardens whenever possible.

Teachers can choose between vegetarian or fully plant-based retreat menu’s.

Single or Queen sheets and duvet ( according to your accommodation, you will be emailed if you need to bring Queen sheets ) or sleeping bag, and pillowcase, towels, and hot water bottle in winter – we have some.

Torch and spare batteries, slip on shoes/sandals/jandals are essential, warm indoor slippers/socks and personal belongings. Earplugs can be useful, as well as an alarm clock, so you aren’t reliant on a cell phone if you are in a cabin or hut. We use a gong as a wake up bell, but if you are a very sound sleeper or are using ear plugs, you may need more of a wake up.

Warm comfortable, casual clothes, jacket/raincoat and stout walking shoes/boots if you intend going on a bush hike.

All footwear and walking poles to be used in the Te Moata bush must be scrubbed to protect our Kauri trees from the Kauri die-back fungus, no matter where you have come from. Your boots/shoes and poles should look brand new!

Gentle biodegradable shampoos/soaps (e.g. ecostore) to protect our ‘worm-erator’ system.

Yoga mat and meditation cushion (some are available), shawl or blanket for the meditation room, and for walking the labyrinth.

Nylon outdoor clothing that is noisy upon moving is not suitable for meditation retreats, nor are highly perfumed toiletries.

Yes we can but there is a handling fee of $25 plus postage for this service.

The Te Moata registration fee for meditation retreats covers food and accommodation. Meditation Teachers fees are not set and consist entirely of Dana.

Dana (meaning generosity or giving) is an integral part of Buddhist practice inviting each individual to develop their own capacity to be generous according to their means.

Dana contributions can be given at the end of the retreat. We now have an Eftpos machine at Te Moata so Dana payments can be made with that or cash or online.

We invite you also to contribute Dana for Te Moata’s ongoing costs.

Silent retreats in any tradition take the energy you use for external communication and channel it inward. Prolonged silence supports you to recharge from the stresses of daily life, but the practice and intention of silence goes beyond relaxation. Outward silence shines a light on parts of your inner life you don’t usually experience, encouraging you to acknowledge and process even your most uncomfortable thoughts and feelings.

Teachers explain the commitment to silence as part of their teachings and the directions for practice are followed by retreatants, service team and managers during the retreat.

If it is necessary to speak, it is done discreetly and usually whispered. People are advised to leave computers at home and their cell phones in their cars as a commitment to dropping into silence.

An intensive silent retreat can be a positive and life transforming experience. At the same time, meditation practice can be strenuous and requires stability of physical and psychological health.

If you have recently experienced considerable trauma, significant depression or anxiety, or are currently experiencing PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), a silent retreat may not be appropriate for you at this time in your life. A therapist can help you assess whether it’s best to wait a while before silently retreating, or you can discuss your situation with the retreat facilitator if you are unsure.

Although retreats are conducted in silence, there are usually scheduled times for retreatants to speak with teachers and ask questions about meditation practice. Resident managers are also available to speak to during retreats to ensure retreatants are comfortable and have their needs met.

Yes, we are off the grid and use solar power as a source of electricity. We use gas and firewood for water heating and cooking. The wood-fired ‘boiler’ provides hot water for the kitchen and showers. It runs 24 hours a day when retreats are on. Our delicious drinking water comes straight from a spring and is filtered at source, and at the centre. All taps are safe to drink from except at the remote huts, where water needs to be boiled.

Retreatants wash clothes by hand in buckets and tubs in the Centre bathrooms if they are on long retreats. We provide environmentally friendly laundry products, so to not harm worms in our sewerage system. There is a mangle behind the shared women’s space and a clothes line at the garden. Nearly dry washing can be finished off on the racks hoisted up to the ceiling in the boiler room.

We charge $25 to supply linen as we have one solar powered washing machine and do not have the capacity to do large amounts of washing. When sun is in short supply we need to use a laundromat, and the linen fee contributes to those costs.

We are situated in a remote valley, so there is limited cell phone reception unless you have a ‘Spark’ or ‘Skinny’ account. For other providers, retreatants need to walk to the top of the drive. Outlets for charging phones can be found in the corner of the carpeted room at the centre. During retreats the centre area is a ‘no cell phone area’ and except for the duty managers, phones must be turned off or ideally left in your car.

We don’t provide wifi at the centre or the woofers cottage or Earth Hut. Phoenix Cottage and Nanouk Cottage ( for teachers) has wifi.

Family can use the manager’s cells phone numbers to use in emergencies.

Longer retreats usually have plenty of time allocated to explore Te Moata. There is time to reflect, walk the Labyrinth, hike in the bush, swim in the stream, discover the waterfalls and visit remote huts.

Shorter retreats usually have a fuller schedule and retreatants are kept busy.

Tairua is usually a 12-minute drive away except at Christmas, New Year and public holidays when the traffic is much denser than usual and there may be queues. Tairua has an info centre, supermarket, gas station, post shop, pharmacy, library with free ( and after-hours) wifi, laundromat, a range of great restaurants and cafes as well as a number of other boutique stores.

Tairua is usually a 12-minute drive away except at Christmas, New Year and public holidays when the traffic is much denser than usual and there may be queues. Tairua has an info centre, supermarket, gas station, post shop, pharmacy, library with free ( and after-hours) wifi, laundromat, a range of great restaurants and cafes as well as a number of other boutique stores.

Some cars are permitted to park near the Centre depending on where your accommodation is. Most cars however need to be parked on Paul Road at the top of the driveway, after luggage has been dropped off.

Yes, we do. We have 2 remote huts and 2 nearby cottages that are self contained and can be booked between retreats. Over the winter period these cottages are available for weeks at a time. Please visit our accommodation page for more details.

We no longer hold a regular Sangha unfortunately.

es we do. Images and a brief overview of the sites can be found on our About section.

If you would like time to walk the labyrinth you can contact us and request a time. There is a charge for group bookings.