Hosts
Woodlands,
kept in the family
A multi-generational family on neighbouring ground: Woodlands Romelda and Romelda Retreat, cared for together beside Lake Mutirikwi.
Woodlands Romelda and Romelda Retreat sit side by side on Lake Mutirikwi. The residences and the retreat are one family story: land cared for over time, and a welcome that feels personal because it is.
Woodlands Romelda
Dave & Lisa
At the heart of Romelda are Dave and Lisa, the third generation on this land, whose passion for the outdoors, hospitality, and sustainable living has shaped the property into a peaceful haven where guests can reconnect with nature and experience a slower pace of life. Guided by Dave’s love of farming and homestead living, the property embraces environmentally responsible practices wherever possible, with banana plants, macadamia and avocado orchards, and an ever-growing connection to the land becoming part of everyday life.
Care
Our Machindas
Each residence is looked after by a Muchinda: laundry, cleaning, and the everyday care that makes a longer stay feel settled.
Blessing
Leonard
Shingi
Romelda Retreat
Amy & Tyler
As the fourth generation became involved, the Romelda vision expanded. Dave’s daughter, Amy, together with her partner, Tyler, now manage Romelda Retreat, which includes a lodge, campsite, and luxury glamping accommodation. They live in the original cottage where Helen and Owen first made their home, and together with their son Callum, the fifth generation, the family continues to build on a shared dream of welcoming guests to lakeside living.
Clements family
The first generations
In the late 1970s, John and Pat bought Romelda as somewhere with more space to look after John’s parents, Helen and Owen, in their older age. Helen and Owen lived in the original small cottage, now Amy and Tyler’s home. Helen lived here only a couple of years before she passed away, but she shared the early dreams of what the property could become. With John and Pat the story of Romelda’s gardens truly began. Pat’s vision, dedication, and love of gardening transformed the land over many years, creating the mature trees, colourful gardens, and tranquil spaces that family and visitors still enjoy today.
When you stay at Woodlands Romelda, you are welcomed to our home; residences on one side, retreat on the other, and a shared care for guests who come to live a while by the lake.