Kawai Purapura

After living on the Shore for years, this was my first time visiting this lovely place. We went for a traditional Maori healing mirimiri, and the koha is $20, which felt well worth it. My husband and our four-year-old joined in too. It was easy to find and had lots of parking. We’ll be back to try the vegetarian food at the cafe.

I spent three weeks there, and I agree with John Smiths review from october '17! There’s plenty to like: a good selection of yoga sessions, nice people, good rooms for yoga and workshops, easy public transport, a nearby shopping centre, good cafe food, and a green setting by hooton reserve. You can still hear traffic from the park. The downsides were management’s poor communication and ignored issues, and it didn’t feel environmentally friendly. The female wwoofer dorm is in a former slaughter house. There also didn’t seem to be much sense of yoga as a philosophy, since some guests, residents, and staff drink alc or eat meat, and many don’t go to yoga classes.

After two months living at Kawaipurapura, I regret moving here. I was drawn in by the spiritual messages and the promise of a peaceful life, and the natural surroundings are beautiful on the surface. But I’ve experienced substandard living conditions and heard sad stories. Residents and wwoofers are treated like disposable placeholders. Conflicts are handled unpolitically, and tears are common.

My room wasn’t clean, and what was called a garden view was really a dirt wall. I had an asthma attack and couldn’t stay. Nobody had told me there were restricted areas. People kept saying I couldn’t go here, pointing me somewhere else, and then telling me I couldn’t go there either. I wanted somewhere that would welcome me, but instead I was treated as badly as I am in the outside world.