Old Forest School

Old Forest School Old Forest School…a heritage gathering place since 1933, caretaker of a thousand stories.

Old Forest School is the perfect rustic country venue, hidden away in the Rotoehu Forest, Bay of Plenty. A truly magic spot for weddings and corporate events with onsite accommodation. Historic buildings, rustic barns and expansive grounds, entirely surrounded by forest, your own little world.

Some books entertain.Others quietly change the way you look at the world around you.A Wild Wind from the North did that ...
06/08/2026

Some books entertain.
Others quietly change the way you look at the world around you.

A Wild Wind from the North did that for me.

Reading about Hongi Hika’s 1823 invasion of Rotorua, and seeing familiar names like Pongakawa woven through its pages, makes this landscape feel deeper somehow. The streams, valleys and ridgelines we pass every day have carried stories for centuries.

Living at Old Forest has taught us that we’re never really the beginning of the story. We’re simply the current caretakers of a place that has been shaped by many hands, many journeys and many lives before our own.

It’s a quiet reminder to tread lightly, listen carefully, and leave this little corner of New Zealand better than we found it.

From the Old Forest School Library. One book at a time, exploring the ideas that continue to shape the way we care for this place.

One of the questions we’re asked surprisingly often is whether businesses can pay to be recommended by Old Forest School...
06/08/2026

One of the questions we’re asked surprisingly often is whether businesses can pay to be recommended by Old Forest School.

The answer has always been no.

We don’t accept referral commissions.
We don’t receive a percentage of bookings….And no one can buy their way onto our recommendation list.

Our recommendations are built over time.

We watch people work.

We see how they respond when plans change.

We hear what our couples say after the wedding.

We hear what parents, guests and friends say.

We hear what other trusted vendors say.

And slowly, quietly, trust is earned.

If we recommend someone, it’s because we genuinely believe they’ll look after you and help make your day extraordinary.

Nothing more.
Nothing less.

Every recommendation we make carries a little piece of the Old Forest School name with it.

That’s why it has never been for sale.

And it never will be.

Winter has a quiet way of rewarding those who rise early.Before the day fully wakes, the frost is transforming Old Fores...
27/07/2026

Winter has a quiet way of rewarding those who rise early.

Before the day fully wakes, the frost is transforming Old Forest School into something almost magical, tracing every leaf, pot and piece of weathered iron with thousands of tiny crystals.

It may look harsh, but beneath the frozen ground our peonies are quietly celebrating. They need this winter chill. Every frosty morning is another promise of the spectacular spring to come.

Not every beautiful season is loud. Some whisper.

This month from the Old Forest School library.A reminder that softness can still feel grounded.Garden flowers gathered g...
21/05/2026

This month from the Old Forest School library.

A reminder that softness can still feel grounded.

Garden flowers gathered generously.
Rooms layered with colour and warmth.
Spaces that feel welcoming rather than overly formal.

We’re always drawn to beauty that feels relaxed, lived in, and connected to nature.

A little romantic.
A little abundant.
Never too polished.


🌿

The restoration of The Beddy has quietly begun.Built from a British chassis and bodied here in New Zealand, it spent dec...
10/05/2026

The restoration of The Beddy has quietly begun.

Built from a British chassis and bodied here in New Zealand, it spent decades carrying forestry crews through the very landscapes that still surround us today.

Worn, weathered and wonderfully rare, The Beddy is now beginning an entirely new chapter here at Old Forest.

Some stories simply feel meant to continue.

The restoration of The Beddy has quietly begun.Built from a British chassis and bodied here in New Zealand, it spent dec...
10/05/2026

The restoration of The Beddy has quietly begun.

Built from a British chassis and bodied here in New Zealand, it spent decades carrying forestry crews through the very landscapes that still surround us today.

Worn, weathered and wonderfully rare, The Beddy is now beginning an entirely new chapter here at Old Forest.

Some stories simply feel meant to continue…

Some wedding guests arrive softly, as though they’ve always belonged here.Tucker wandered through Old Forest during one...
07/05/2026

Some wedding guests arrive softly, as though they’ve always belonged here.

Tucker wandered through Old Forest during one of our Booked Couple Open Days, padding quietly beside his people beneath the trees, stopping for pats, sunshine, and the occasional moment of admiration from absolutely everyone he passed.

By wedding day, he returned not simply as a guest, but as one of the groomsmen. Calm, charming, and entirely at ease amongst the old buildings and forest paths.

We will always have a particular fondness for dogs woven gently into the story of a wedding day 🤍🐾
photography

Address

Rotoehu Road
Pongakawa
3186

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