Our Culture and Values
We operate under three guiding principles, best illustrated by our logo which embodies our core purpose, culture and values.
Manaakitanga
"Showing kindness, generosity and respect to others"
Forgotten World Adventures embraces 'Manaakitanga'. People are at the heart of our business - our staff and our guests.
- By employing over 40 seasonal staff, we offer financial stability to many families in the community; we source talent locally across all areas of the business
- The contribution to nearby towns has been significant over the years and we now enjoy supporting many local businesses as well as artisan producers who sell their products at stops along the railway line and in our souvenir gift shops
- Ensuring the wider community benefits from our efforts is also essential to our ethos and growth
- When it comes to our guests, delivering exceptional customer experiences is integral to everything we do
- We pride ourselves on our understated Kiwi professionalism and friendly, helpful staff who will go above and beyond to ensure guests have a memorable and safe trip with us. We treat our guests like friends
- We accord guests of all cultural origins equal respect and consideration
Kotahitanga
"The concept of togetherness"
- Community engagement is important to our business. Our whānau is actively encouraged to become involved in local community activities and initiatives. We enjoy partnerships with some truly wonderful heritage attractions and operators in the King Country, including our friends at the Whangamōmona Hotel, Blue Duck Station, Lauren's Lavender Farm, Bradley's Garden, Omaka Lodge, Forgotten World Gardens and Posh Pioneers. Together we work to provide excellent customer service standards and truly unforgettable experiences
- We are supporters of the Taumarunui Women's Refuge, a non-profit organisation which provides services to help women and their children escape violence in their lives and ultimately to help prevent and stop domestic violence in New Zealand. The refuge provides advocacy, support, advice and safety to local community members who experience unsafe relationships. We hope our efforts can go some way to making our community a safer and happier place to live, learn and work for these women and their families
- We enjoy strong relationships with other tourism operators in the region and sit across three Regional Tourism Operators (RTOs); Whanganui, Ruapehu and Taranaki
Kaitiakitanga
"The concept of guardianship - to protect and respect our special place"
We fully embrace 'Kaitiakitanga' as a business fundamental and actively promote a 'what you can do' culture to staff and visitors alike. We enjoy sharing our sustainability stories and goals, from recycling to promoting regional New Zealand.
- We are partners with East Taranaki Environment Collective (ETEC), a community led conservation initiative (administered by the East Taranaki Environment Trust) with a mission to protect and restore the ecosystem and biodiversity within an 18,000 hectare project area in east Taranaki. They work to control and eliminate invasive pest species using traps targeting mustelids, rats and possums. The pest control operations, through the trap network and goat control, aim to restore the habitats native species such as kiwi, kokako and long-tailed bats need to thrive in east Taranaki. The Forgotten World Adventures team operates 69 traps on our land on behalf of the ETEC project. The traps are spaced approximately 150m apart starting at Te Were and ending at Pohokura Saddle - we clear the traps on a regular basis and keep a log. We will soon be launching an exciting new initiative whereby our guests will have the opportunity to buy their own trap in the project area (each trap will be maintained by our team), to help fund the wider initiative. Watch this space...
- We have an ongoing focus on reducing our fuel emissions wherever possible and minimising waste throughout the business
- Our buffet-style rail-side picnic lunches are frequently commented upon in reviews of our experiences; guests appreciate the environmentally friendly approach which reduces the need for plastic food and drink packaging, and use biodegradable paper plates, towels and cutlery
- Guests are told that our compostable outdoor toilets along the railway line are "flash but don't flush" which always draws a smile!
- We're signed up to Refill NZ in a conscious move to supportive refillution, helping to reduce plastic pollution at source and use refillable bottles wherever possible
- We use reclaimed timber and other recycled materials for building projects, such as our current build out at Tokirima
