Volunteer
The Wangapeka Study and Retreat Centre is a place of beauty. To serve here is an opportunity to both give and receive.
For nearly fifty years the Wangapeka has been shaped by volunteer love and labour. This is Dana, the practice of generosity that sits at the very foundation of the path of liberation — the open-hearted giving and receiving from which everything here grows.
To serve here is to step into the lifeblood of spiritual practice — to live alongside the teachings, share in community, and discover what service itself has to offer.
There are ways to help both on the property and from wherever you are. Take a look at what we’re currently looking for, or simply get in touch.
There's so much to do at and around the centre. One thing we need is someone to list all that stuff here for would-be volunteers to sign up for. Might that someone be you?
Living and serving at the Centre is the most direct way to offer Dana. Volunteers stay on the property, share in its daily rhythm, and help care for the land and buildings that hold the practice. The details below cover what to expect.
There is a wide range of work and in most cases there will be something to suit your interest and skills. Tasks and projects include housekeeping, gardening, track maintenance, lawn mowing, weed control and building maintenance including painting and repairs.
The Centre welcomes volunteers for one week initially. Sometimes there’s an opportunity to stay longer if the arrangement is working well.
If there’s a retreat coming up and you would like to join in with parts of it, that can sometimes be arranged. It needs to be agreed with the teacher and course manager in advance. Talk to us about how to do this while remaining a volunteer.
The primary purpose of the centre is to foster an attitude of open-heartedness and natural curiosity into all the wonders of life; to encourage healing in a deep and pervasive way for the benefit of all beings, and to support the growth of wisdom and compassion through deepening awareness. Please explore our website to understand more about what happens here.
There are two volunteer arrangements that we offer;
Volunteers contribute 3 hours of service per day for 6 days, with one rest day each week, and pay $150 to cover food and accommodation. Food will be provided according to your preferences. Volunteers may also choose to self-cater.
Volunteers contribute 5 hours of service per day for 6 days, with one rest day each week, food and accommodation are provided at no cost.
We have three rooms available in our volunteer accommodation Dana Vihara. There is one double room and two single. There are basic cooking facilities, a bathroom and shower. Full cooking facilities are located at our main hall.
Usually cooking is shared with the caretaker or other volunteers, however cooking for yourself is an option and occasionally during group retreats and courses you may be able to have meals prepared by the on-site cook.
Serving the Wangapeka requires good physical fitness and mobility as the property is hilly and buildings are spread out.
Willingness to serve
Ability to work alongside others
Ability to self-manage and work alone
Interest in keeping shared spaces tidy and clean
Enthusiasm for work
An active interest in personal growth
A commitment to or interest in Dharma
Wangapeka is maintained by a diverse group of dedicated volunteers, and not all of that support happens on the property. We are always looking for help with a range of tasks — from administrative to maintenance and everything in between — that can be offered from wherever you are.
Whatever you’d like to offer, onsite or off, we’d love to hear from you — register your interest here and we’ll be in touch.