About Us

“Hi there and thank you so much for taking the time to learn a little about us.

Contributing to the wellness of people and the environment has always been a common passion shared between us. We guess this is because we both value gratitude, authenticity and ‘giving back’ with utmost importance.

We feel extremely grateful to have a venue that enables us to ‘walk our talk’ and contribute on a higher level, by enabling us to help others have experiences that create lifelong memories and by enabling us to take care of the natural environment.”

A little about Gary and Adele’s past:
Adele grew up in the country on a farm in Southland. She went to school in Gore and then studied in Dunedin.

Gary grew up and studied in Dunedin.

It was here they met one another and were married in September 2010. They now have two beautiful girls – Khloe (7 years) and Lily (2 years).

Ironically, they married at RiverRidge Retreat (then called Catlins Woodstock Lodge and Function Centre) long before they knew they would one day own the venue.

Adele’s parents farm is across the river from RiverRidge Retreat. The two of them would often sit up on the hill and look down at the retreat. It was there dream to one day own this (although this did seem like a very unrealistic dream). After a lot of very hard work and relentless persistence, Gary and Adele took over Wood Stock Lodge and Function Centre in October 2011. It was renamed to RiverRidge Retreat - Nature's Paradise - not long after this.

“We are both extremely passionate about creating an environment that fits precisely with the needs and wants of the RiverRidge Retreat guests and delivering meaningful heartfelt experiences that leave lasting memories. Looking forward to chatting soon”