Sustainability

It is our goal to support local, consider the environment and protect the land for future generations to enjoy. This means we have a focus on reducing energy consumption & carbon emissions, ensuring sustainability, investing in our community and treading lightly.

PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT

At Delamore Lodge, we pride ourselves in protecting the flora and fauna of this beautiful Island. Before the Lodge was even built, planting was undertaken by the original owners to increase the native bush in the area but also other species of plants to catch the eye and attract the insect and birdlife. The lodge building was constructed with the environment in mind. It literally follows the terrain of the landscape, so it moulds into the contours of the land. We are nestled in the native bush and from the bay below, it is quite difficult to find us, meaning our footprint has minimal visual impact on the landscape and views, both looking towards and from the Lodge. The neutral earthy colors of the building along with the soft curving construction enhances the sense of a space which has grown up from the earth.

Some of the steps that we take in the operations of our Lodge include reducing the amount of plastic that comes onto the property and this is a consideration when we work with suppliers providing items for the Lodge.

One of the key suppliers we work with is NZ company Vendella - the suppliers of all of our bedroom linens. Since partnering with Vendella and joining the Dream Green Initiative, we have helped to recycle 1,197 plastic bottles through the mattress protectors, pillows, and pillow protectors we use here at Delamore Lodge. Vendella uses a clever three-step recycling process to transform plastic bottles into a premium, hypoallergenic microfibre. The result is a high-loft and luxurious softness that our guests rave over. You can read more about their sustainability ethos here https://www.vendella.co.nz/sustainability/. We are the proud recipients of a regular certification from them whenever we make a purchase - allowing us to acknowledge how we are all doing our bit.

WE ARE SURROUNDED BY WATER & ENSURE WE PRESERVE IT

We have three water tanks for collecting rainwater and we also have a bore. We use the collected tank water before we consider using the bore so we don’t over utilise a natural resource. Water conservation is a key aspect of life here and being aware of what goes down drains and using as much natural or environmentally friendly products as possible is vital. We use all our tank water on laundry, cleaning and watering the garden so we don’t deplete a natural resource unnecessarily.

Water for guests is provided in glass bottles in the fridges – and why wouldn’t we use our water considering it comes from an underground aquifer where the water has never seen a chemical let alone the light of day. Drinking water is filtered prior to being used at the Lodge.

MINIMISING WASTE

We recycle all items that can be recycled and we have liaised with our produce suppliers and have asked that we receive our orders in minimal packaging and delivered in plastic crates that are returned with each new delivery.

We also use coffee grounds and compost from our kitchen waste to use in our garden; the key to a lush and vibrant surroundings.

SUPPORTING LOCAL

When we can’t buy local, we buy NZ made ecofriendly and organic products.

Our guest amenities are Macadamia & Fig from Matakana Botanicals, and these are put into refillable ceramic bottles which were made for us by Waiheke Ceramics.

We have our laundry onsite which means there are no emissions involved in transporting replacement laundry daily and it means that we can control the products which we use for laundering all our linen - our cleaning products are environmentally friendly

Some of suppliers we use include:

• Gulf Foods

• Waiheke Specialty Foods

• KB Distributors

• Raw at Waiheke

• The Island Grocer

Our wine list heavily features Waiheke Island vineyards including Man O’ War, Obsidian & Kennedy Point.

As well as supporting local suppliers, we also ‘grow our own’ where possible and we have a well-established native and non-native garden, a citrus grove. Chef makes as much of our food from scratch as possible, using locally grown produce, including what we have available in the garden which can include peas, beans, capsicum and herbs and edible flowers.

Add to this the fact that we champion as many complementary local operators as a possible on our website and within the Lodge such as activity providers, restaurants, and local artists; we take our role in advocating for our community seriously.

Our most recent refurbishment programme involved renovating the Owners Villa, we used the services of local trade companies to bring the interior designer’s vision to life and we completed the visual elegance of the space with artworks for Waiheke Island artists sally Smith. Read more about here in our blog.

SUPPORTING OUR CULTURE & HERITAGE

Each guest is welcomed to Delamore with a guided tour, where we point out the Islands in the Gulf that are visible along with some history and facts about them as well as the meaning behind their names.

When Delamore Lodge changed hands in 2020, we were fortunate to welcome a local carver Paora Toi Te Rangiuaia to bless the site to pave the new owner’s way forward with the Lodge. One of Paora’s carvings is at the Lodge (‘the chief’) and he gifted a greenstone (pounamu) to place in front of the carving after the blessing.

We relish sharing our knowledge of the Lodge and stories of life on the Island with guests and there are plenty of fantastic guided tours which can be taken on the island to learn more about our shared history. We recommend a visit to Enclosure Bay to visit the pou ihi (Māori totem poles). These are usually only on a Marae, so it special to see them up close. Hugging the pou is encouraged to feel connected to the land; akin to hugging a tree for many people.

BRINGING GUESTS ON THE JOURNEY

We share our environmental vision with our guests and encourage a refill, recycle policy while they are staying with us.

And guests staying in the Luxury Suites are introduced to our special sliding windows and doors which are cleverly magnetised to turn the heat/cool pump off if the door is opened to ensure we do not waste energy.

On the occasion that a rental car is required our policy is to only book an EV and we recommend the use of e-bikes for sightseeing or the Hop on Hop off buses on the island which are also electric.