Back to Good Health at Muriora Farm Shop
There’s a quiet shift happening.
As fuel prices climb and the pace of the outside world feels increasingly unpredictable, more people are turning their attention closer to home — to local food, local knowledge,
and the kind of resilience that’s been here all along.
Out in Whananaki, Maria and Raymond Lawton have been
living that way for decades.
Muriora Farm began in 1989, when Maria and Raymond were raising their young family at Muriwai Beach. Looking for a different way of life, they placed a simple advertisement in the newspaper: land wanted in Northland. What followed were countless weekends spent travelling, exploring, and searching. Until they arrived in Whananaki.“ It just felt right.” That instinct — quiet but certain — became the foundation for everything that followed.
From the outset, Muriora was shaped by permaculture principles — working with nature, not against it. What started as growing food for themselves slowly grew into something more, with surplus shared among friends, neighbours, and eventually the wider community. The name Muriora means “back to good health,” and it’s more than just a name — it’s a way of thinking. Biodiversity sits at the heart of the farm, with a rich variety of crops grown throughout the seasons, alongside a 50-hectare QEII covenant protecting native bush. The regenerating forest stands as a living reminder of balance, patience, and long-term care. Today, the harvest is as diverse as the land itself — heritage apples, nashi pears, grapes, pumpkins, squash, taro, figs, chillies, and fresh greens. Organic avocados sourced from friends sit alongside what’s grown on-site, and thanks to Northland’s climate, there’s always something coming through.
In season, you might also find persimmons, cherimoya, olives and more. But Muriora isn’t just about produce — it’s about experience. The farm shop, built from adobe brick, lime plaster, and locally sourced timber, feels like an extension of the land. Grounded, warm, and thoughtfully made. A place where food isn’t just picked up — it’s connected to. And then there are the extras — small, memorable touches like berry sorbet and wild peach coconut ice cream,
made right there.
Open Saturdays from 9am to 3pm (with Mondays returning after the olive harvest), the shop offers a simple invitation:
Slow down. Stop in. Take something real home with you. Because for the people behind Muriora, “local” is about much more than proximity.“ The word ‘local’ is about to take on a different meaning,” Maria says. “When supply chains are stretched and fuel becomes uncertain, local keeps everything within reach — right on our back doorstep.”
Looking ahead, the farm continues to evolve — exploring new ways to share what it grows, from dehydrated fruit to honey and flowers. All while staying grounded in the same philosophy it began with.
They also stock organic body care products from Wahre Lebenswerte, extending that idea of wellbeing beyond food and into everyday life. At its core, Muriora Farm is about connection — to the land, to what we eat, and to each other. And in Whananaki, that connection is something quietly shared.“
We really value the diversity and like-mindedness of the people here,” they say. “We really value the diversity and like-mindedness of the people here,” they say. “There’s a shared appreciation for this small piece of paradise we’re lucky to call home.” And in Whananaki, that feeling isn’t something you have to explain — it’s something you just feel.
