Out of respect for, and the health and safety of, Orama clients/guests/visitors, the resident Orama community and the environment the following rules apply to everyone on the Orama property in Karaka Bay. These rules may be over-ridden in some cases by other more specific Orama rules, policies or agreements applicable to Orama clients, partners and staff e.g. Health and Safety policy.
Orama is home to the Orama Christian Community & Hillary Outdoors and as such we ask that you respect this place and all who stay here. Treat this place with the same respect and care you would give your own home and property.
Dogs or other pets are not allowed on the Orama site unless specifically authorised. This is because Orama is located on the Kotuku Peninsular Wildlife sanctuary and is part of the “Restoration Planning of Endangered Bird Species” on Great Barrier Island.
Children are welcome but please ensure they are adequately supervised at all times. In addition to the hazards within our staff-only Restricted Areas (see below) there are also some natural hazards like the stream, the foreshore, farm stock, the car park and the public and private areas of road. Please supervise your children at all times.
Fire is the greatest risk to you, to Orama, and to Great Barrier Island. Most of the year round there is a fire ban on the whole island due to the risk of bush fires. No naked flames or candles are permitted in your accommodation; and no fires are to be lit anywhere on the site including the foreshore / beach without a fire permit. We are in a remote situation and there is only a volunteer fire service on the island so please think safety at all times.
Smoking is also NOT permitted in or around any buildings at Orama. Designated areas are the carpark & foreshore.
If you hear the fire alarm (a loud continuous siren), please leave the building immediately in an orderly fashion via the nearest exit and assemble on the front lawn by the large macrocarpa tree. Anyone who may need assistance in an emergency evacuation should ask reception to enter their names in the Disability Register located at reception. Please familiarise yourself with the fire evacuation procedure outside Orama reception and in your accommodation.
Candles or other naked flames are a fire risk and must not be used inside any room or building – please bring a torch for light when the site generator is not available.
Tampering with smoke detectors, fire alarm devices or unauthorised use of fire hoses and fire extinguishers (except in an emergency) is strictly prohibited. If a fire emergency happens we must be able to rely on the operation of fire safety equipment.
When walking on the beach / rocks please wear beach footwear with good soles – and preferable covered toes to protect feet from the oyster shells and other sharp objects. Cuts from oyster shells can easily get infected.
When swimming please be careful diving or jumping off the pontoon / wharf at low tide when the water is shallow. The depth at low tide is variable and you could mis-judge the depth and hurt yourself. Also be aware that:
The trampoline on the front lawn is available for guest use but must not be used by more than two children at once, and only one adult at a time. Parents of young children must supervise their children when they are on the trampoline.
If you are going to walk one of the tracks on the property or going out for an activity elsewhere on the island please, for your own safety, sign out in the Intentions Book located on the small table outside Orama reception with information including where you are going, who is with you and when you expect to return.
Restricted, staff-only areas are deemed private or hazardous and include:
Please report any damage or breakage to reception immediately. You may be charged for the cost of repair or replacement.
Out of respect for other guests, especially young families, loud noise, music, shouting etc is not permitted after lights-out 10:30pm.
Orama provides access to the internet via a chargable Internet Hotspot service that is subject to a set of terms and conditions governing its use. Internet access or performance is not guaranteed since it is delivered via a rural broadband service that is subject to overloading during peak holiday seasons. The Hotspot service is charged on a per MB basis and vouchers for various data denominations are available from Orama reception.
Mobile coverage is very poor at Orama with usable signal only possible at a small number of locations on the property if at all – depending on your cellular service provider.
We provide landline phones in each self-contained unit and in some Lodge rooms as well as a phone booth outside reception. Calls from an Orama landline to a New Zealand land-line number are free but all mobile and international calls are not. Phone cards are available from Orama reception.
Unauthorised use of land-line phones located in Orama offices or residences is prohibited.
Guest kitchen facilities are available upstairs in the Lodge for use by casual or self-catering guests.The guest kitchen in the Lodge contains a shared fridge and shelf space for food storage.
Rose Cottage is also available for casual and self-catering guests but only by prior arrangement since it is frequently booked out by the Hillary Outdoor Education Centre. Use of Rose cottage fridges and shelves for food storage must also be arranged prior to your visit.
Orama runs a commercial kitchen used for cooking meals for the Orama on-site community and for catered guests. This main kitchen including the pantry, store room, chiller and freezer is not to be used by casual or self-catering guests without Orama authorisation.
Orama maintains a commercial laundry for use by Orama hospitality staff. The laundry is available for guest and public use during the weekends and in the afternoons after 4:30pm (when the power is on). Washing machines and driers are token operated and tokens can be purchased from Orama reception.
Access to the Orama linen room attached to the laundry is restricted to Orama hospitality staff. If you need linen or a linen change then please talk to Orama reception or to the Orama Duty Manager – do not help yourself to linen from the linen room.
The commercial washing machines are connected to a liquid soap dispenser. If you prefer to use your own soap powder please ensure you use eco-friendly washing liquids and powders when washing clothes in your accommodation or in the laundry. Many washing detergents will kill the bacteria necessary to maintain a healthy septic system. If you are uncertain about the suitability of your washing detergent then please ask advice from Orama reception or the Duty Manager.
Washing lines are for general use outside on the hill at the rear of the laundry but please keep the first two lines free for Orama in-house laundry. Please provide your own pegs, these can be purchased from the Orama shop.
The lounge in the Lodge is available to casual guests for relaxing, reading etc during the day and is typically reserved for use by the Orama on-site community after dinner on Wednesdays and Sundays, and after morning tea on Fridays. Please treat the lounge with respect and make sure that activities (cards, games, books, chargers, electronic devices etc) are put away, and rubbish, cups and plates are removed when you leave.
Please do not move couches by pulling the arms (they loosen and break) – push them instead.
Please do not use the couches for sleeping on and do not sit on the couches with dirty or sweaty clothes / bodies.
Orama musical and audio-visual equipment located in the Lounge is not to be used without permission.
Mail is received and posted most weekdays. A mailbox for outgoing mail is maintained outside reception as well as alphabetised slots for sorted incoming mail.
Outgoing mail should be in the mailbox by 8:00am.
Incoming mail may be collected usually after 3:30pm from the mail slots.
Our mailing address (for letters) is: Orama Oasis, PO Box 67, Port Fitzroy, Great Barrier Island, Auckland 0963.
Our physical address (for package delivery) is: Orama Oasis, 300 Karaka Bay Road, Great Barrier Island, Auckland 0991.
Orama maintains a mooring in Karaka Bay and subject to availability and meeting the mooring requirements is available for guest use upon request. Use of the mooring must be requested in advance of your stay and any applicable fees paid prior to use.
The mooring is regularly surveyed however Orama will not be held responsible for the failure of the mooring and/or any damage to, or loss of, boats or property during your use of the mooring.
Guest parking is available in the car park area at the bottom of Karaka Bay Road. Please observe the no parking signs and out of consideration for the many children around the site reverse your vehicle into an available car park space so that you have good visibility when you leave. Please do not park on the grass areas or down by the wharf without first obtaining permission from Orama reception.
Please do not drive on the grassed areas of the property – especially the lawn in front of the Lodge. When the ground is wet (especially in the winter) the ground can get boggy and tyre tracks will disfigure the lawn.
For the sake of the many children at the Orama site please do not exceed the speed limit of 5km/h in and around the parking areas and on Orama’s private roads.
There are many beautiful walks and beaches in the near vicinity of Orama. Some of these are detailed in the maps and brochures available at reception or the guest booklet in your room.
Please leave all farm gates in the same state you found them i.e. if you find the gate open then leave it open; if you find the gate closed then close it after you.
The Orama shop and reception is generally open between 9am and 5pm week days. When reception is not open you can phone “0” for assistance from the phone booth in the foyer outside reception.
Some sports gear is available for hire at reception. Please treat our sports gear with respect. You may be asked to pay for damaged gear.
All boats and kayaks within Orama are privately owned. Orama does not currently have the ability to hire out these toys. For groups of 10 or more however, Hillary Outdoors may be able to help. You can reach them by using Orama Phones on ext 252 or 4290762.
A tea and coffee station is located in the covered courtyard area outside the main dining room. The water tap can also be used for filling water bottles. The station is used by Orama community members and is also available for guest use. Hot water for the station is provided from the main kitchen at scheduled meal times and at morning tea. Clean mugs and glasses are located under the bench.
Please do not leave your used cups in the tea and coffee station sink or on the bench – take them inside to the dining room and put them on the servery by the washing up station.
Other guest tea and coffee making facilities are provided in the self-contained units/rooms and upstairs in the Lodge guest kitchen.
Orama maintains a wharf and floating pontoon in Karaka Bay. In general you must not tie your boat up to the front of the pontoon for longer than 20 minutes. In particular the south and west side of the pontoon must be kept clear for boats dropping off and picking up passengers. And the north and east side of the pontoon kept clear for small boats and dingies. If you have a boat and are staying at Orama then please request use of the mooring or anchor in the bay.
The pontoon is a favourite spot for fishers, swimmers and sun bathers so please keep an eye out for fishing lines and people swimming in the water when approaching the wharf and pontoon area in your boat.
When approaching the pontoon please reduce speed to 5 knots from at least 200 metres out and in general do not approach the area at high speed such that the wash from the wake upsets people and boats on or around the pontoon area.
In general please be considerate of others on the pontoon. The pontoon is not to be used for exclusive activities without prior authorisation.
Great Barrier Island is not connected to the main New Zealand power grid and therefore, here at Orama, we currently rely on a diesel generator to provide all of our electricity needs. Scheduled electrical power hours are from 7.30am to 10.30am and then again from 4.30 pm to 10.30 pm. You will need a good torch for when the generator is off. If you don’t have a torch they can be purchased from the Orama shop.
Outside of generator hours we rely on battery-based inverter power for powering our critical systems including alarms and emergency lighting. There is a limit to the amount of battery power available so please be careful – Orama’s inverter-based power points must only be used for powering low-power consumer devices e.g. mobile devices, personal computers etc.
Unauthorised use of heavy duty electrical appliances (e.g. electric blankets, hair driers, heaters, toasters, ovens, microwaves, vacuum cleaners, power tools etc) from Orama-provided inverter power points is not permitted. Such appliances must only be used from generator-fed power points.
Orama maintains a sophisticated septic treatment system for disposing of raw sewage and grey water. However the systemwill fail if the wrong stuff is flushed down the toilets and drains.
Please do not put women’s sanitary products or excessive amounts of toilet paper down the toilet otherwise the system will block up. Make sure that sanitary products are placed in the bins provided inside the toilet cubicles.
Orama draws all its water from the stream and this is processed via a sophisticated gravity-fed water treatment station from storage tanks on the hill. Water from all Orama taps is clean and safe to drink. We do not recommend drinking water directly from the stream as we cannot vouch for its purity.
There is a limited amount of hot water available in both the Lodge and self-contained units. Hot water for use in the Lodge bathrooms is recovered from use of the power generator and is generally hottest in the mornings once the generator has been on a while. Please be efficient in your use of hot water and think of others – keep your showers as short as possible.
