Rongo Backpackers, Eco accomodation,
Karamea, West Coast, New Zealand

Rongo Backpackers & Gallery, Karamea

Travellers from all over the world meet at Rongo and every 4th night is free,
so come and stay a while, meet some fabulous people, and have a groovy time in one of New Zealand’s most beautiful locations
.
 Rongo is the place to stay in Karamea …
Funky, friendly, fun and every 4th night is FREE!
 (Transport available)

Rongo is designed to be environmentally sustainable and features many technologies used in this aim.
Rongo Backpackers & Gallery is a carbon balanced businesses, which means we strive to minimize
the carbon emissions from the business and balance the deficit by purchasing carbon shares
in a windfarm venture to make up the difference.

We are situated in Karamea, in the sub-tropical far north west coast, a small community isolated from the rest of New Zealand by the mountains of Kahurangi National Park, the only road connection being the spectacular scenic drive over Karamea Bluff from Westport.

Karamea is the start (or finish!) of several popular tramping/hiking trails in the mountains and forests of the Kahurangi,
such as the Heaphy Track, Wangapeka and Leslie-Karamea tracks.

Spectacular mountain and coastal scenery and recent improvements in access to the internationally significant
Oparara Basin draw an increasing number of visitors to the area, as does the relaxed atmosphere and sub-tropical micro-climate,
making Karamea the perfect place to get away from the crowds and have a real West Coast adventure

Accommodation at Rongo

Rongo offers beds for a total of only 22 people, ensuring it retains a quiet and comfortable atmosphere.
However because of this it is worth booking in advance if you are coming here in the peak season (Dec-Jan).

Quality furniture is used throughout the backpackers, with many items handcrafted from local timber, and all rooms
(even the toilets) have original artworks from local and overseas artists hanging on the wall (many of which are for sale).

Facilities:

• Wireless internet
• Well equipped kitchen
• Free tea, coffee, sugar. Herbs, fruits and vegetables from the gardens
• Wood burning fireplace
• Library of books and magazines
• Outdoor Firebath - a must to recover after finishing a track
• The local community FM radio station is also located in our grounds and is frequently enjoyed by our guests.
• Our grounds themselves are an attraction with beautiful and diverse gardens; a cactus garden, herb garden, zen garden and some nice grass to lie back on and soak up Karamea's plentiful sunshine.

Karamea Eco-Tourism Business Goes Carbon Neutral

Rongo Backpackers & Gallery has recently undergone a carbon emissions audit conducted by Carbon South, a Christchurch-based carbon consultancy.
The accommodation facilities, which are owned by eco-tourism operator Paul Murray, are now rated as "Carbon Balanced" after purchasing carbon credits in a wind-farm project to compensate for a small carbon deficit.  The business also wishes to take partial responsibility for the carbon emissions of guests who have travelled to
New Zealand from afar and has started monitoring visitor emissions with this goal in mind. Guests can also choose to offset the carbon cost of their travel by purchasing a “CO2 Sorted” package managed by Carbon South in return for a discount on their accommodation. The package includes carbon credits to offset travel emissions and the donation of one tree to a bio-diversity project located in the Malborough Sounds.

Rongo Backpackers is striving to be a sustainable tourism business and aims to minimize carbon emissions, fuel, electricity and energy through the following initiatives:

• Solar hot water heating
• Organic gardens to provide locally grown organic food meals to guests
• Complete composting system
• 4th Night Free policy, which minimizes laundry, water use, electricity, detergent use etc.
• Rainwater collection
• Recyclable promotional material
• Full recycling program
• Waste minimization program
• Room and water heating from locally grown wood
• 31 hectare nature reserve, which also acts as a potential carbon sink
• Permaculture farm that produces organic, locally grown food for staff and guests
• Fruit orchards, free-range chickens, sheep and cattle, vegetable gardens and woodlot

About Rongo Backpackers

Rongo Backpackers & Gallery grew out of a desire to build a centre for artistic excellence and a place for artistic and creative people to meet and share their  knowledge, abilities and talents for mutual benefit - The LivinginPeace Project.

Rongo, which means “Peace” in Maori, was formally the Karamea maternity hospital and was purchased in June 2004
and converted into a backpackers and gallery space.
 The backpackers and associated motel business (Karamea Motels) are designed to fund the expansion of the art centre.

A team of volunteers from around the world has been working since mid-2004 to convert the building into a world-class hostel.
 The backpackers business provides accommodation and full use of all facilities for the volunteers in return for helping run the business.