Sustainability
An emphasis on our community, land & people
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Manaakitanga
"Showing kindness, generosity and respect to others"
We embrace ‘Manaakitanga’. People are at the heart of our
business – our staff, our guests and our partners.
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 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 operate a guest education plan aimed to help educate guests about responsible travel
Kotahitanga
"The concept of togetherness"
We champion kotahitanga across all areas of our business.
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 adopt ‘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. We 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 possibles
We use reclaimed timber and other recycled materials for building projects, such as our current build out at Tokirima
New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitment
We’re signed up to the NZTSC which aims to see every New Zealand tourism business committed to sustainability by 2025; Toitū te taiko, toitū te tāpoi. E kōkiri and e Aotearoa.
On this journey we strive to deliver high quality experiences for both domestic and international visitors while having a positive impact on local communities, contributing to the restoration and protection of our natural environment, and rebuilding the economic sustainability of the tourism sector.
We believe that together we can create a truly sustainable tourism industry that makes a positive and enduring contribution to Aoteroa New Zealand. We are working towards twelve Commitments across the four elements of tourism sustainability:
ECONOMIC
We are committed to being an economically sustainable, resilient and innovative business
VISITOR
We are committed to offering world-leading experiences that exceed visitor expectations
COMMUNITY
We will enable our communities to benefit from and be supported by tourism
ENVIRONMENT
We pledge to protect and enhance our natural environment
We uphold the Tiaki Promise
CARE FOR LAND, SEA & NATURE
We strive to tread lightly and leave no trace. As kaitiaki guardians it is our mission to ensure the Forgotten World is preserved for future generations.
TRAVEL SAFELY
We strive to tread lightly and leave no trace. As kaitiakiguardians it is our mission to ensure the Forgotten World is preserved for future generations.
RESPECT CULTURE
We strive to tread lightly and leave no trace. As kaitiaki guardians it is our mission to ensure the Forgotten World is preserved for future generations.
We support local
We partner 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 and Posh Pioneers. Thank you all for being such an important part of our story and success so far. We couldn’t do what we do without your hard work, dedication and support.
Lauren’s Lavender Farm
1381 River Road, State Highway 43, 3991
Republic of Whangamōmona
6018 Ohura Road, Whangamōmona 4396
Bridge to Nowhere
13001 Whanganui River, Whanganui National Park, Parinui 4392
Blue Duck Station
4265 Oio Road, Retaruke 3990
Forgotten World Gardens
Multiple Locations
Bradley’s Garden
26 Totaranui Drive, Taumarunui 3991
