2026 Programme
Welcome to our 2026 Breathe Tekapo programme. Each activity, workshop or keynote has been carefully considered to take you on a journey of learning and discovery. Each one is available to book through our ticketing partner, Eventbrite. Clicking the link below will take you there and give you the ability to buy tickets.
Friday 22nd May
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You're invited to the official welcome for Breathe Tekapo!
Join us at the Dark Sky Project starting at 4.30pm to meet our team and fellow Breathe Tekapo attendees. The official welcome kicks off at 5.00pm, featuring a karakia, light refreshments, and a warm welcome to everyone. We’ll wrap up by 5.30pm so you have time to grab a bite and join us for Dougal Allan's event at the Tekapo Hall at 6.30pm.
Location: Dark Sky Project
Timings: Friday 22 May, 4.30 - 5.30pm
Tickets: FREE
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Host: Dougal Allan, Professional Athlete and Coach (America’s cup Team New Zealand member, Coast to Coast Champion, Multi-sport Adventurer)
As a small town kid growing up in Foxton, nothing Dougal achieved as an athlete was preconceived or planned. Winning events like the Coast to Coast, Challenge Wanaka and the America's Cup came about more through setbacks and other doors closing than through lifelong dreaming and planning. This conversation will describe some of the toughest moments where doors were slammed shut and then the incredible experiences and growth that followed. Key tools and mental approaches Dougal credits for his success will be captured along the way.
Location: Tekapo Community Hall
Timings: Friday 22 May, 6.30 - 7.30pm
Tickets: Early Bird $45, Standard $50 + Booking Fee
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Host: Susan Allen, 22yrs meditation teacher and practitioner
In this 2 hour workshop, Susan will introduce the practice of meditation. Meditation is a practice where you can deepen your understanding of how the mind works; through the practice we learn practical techniques to calm and quieten the mind as well as develop insights that bring freedom by reducing reactivity and learning to operate more from an interconnected field of awareness. This workshop will be a combination of de-mystifying and explaining the context of meditation in our lives. You will leave with a clear, structured practice that you will be excited and inspired to take home with you.
Location: Mackenzie Room, Peppers
Timings: Friday 22 May, 6.30 - 8.30pm
Tickets: Early Bird $40, Standard $45 +BF
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Chameleon Stargazing offers unique, tailored stargazing experiences in the heart of Lake Tekapo, with activities for all ages and interests. Whether you're capturing stunning portraits under the stars, exploring the wonders of our solar system, or photographing deep-sky objects, we provide intimate, small-group tours for a personalized experience. Our expert guides offer in-depth knowledge, and with options like astrophotography, solar observations, and family-friendly adventures, there's something for everyone. Enjoy comfort, warmth, and unforgettable memories with us—book your tour and explore the night sky like never before!
Location: 70 Andrew Don Drive
Timings: Friday 22 May, 9.00pm - 10.30pm
Tickets: Early Bird $100, standard $110. + BF. If the weather is not suitable the tour will be cancelled and attendees can opt for a refund or donate to a local charity.
Saturday 23rd May
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Host: Leigh Marsden, Qigong, Yoga and Meditation Teacher
Qigong (chee-gong) is one of the branches of traditional Chinese Medicine and means 'cultivation of life energy'. It is a flowing, serene practice that suits all ages/movement abilities. Modern Qigong presents simple, accessible sequences for a modern audience, that preserve the integrity of this ancient practice. The session will include gentle breathwork and meditation and is restorative yet vitalising.
Location: Tekapo Community Hall
Timings: Saturday 23rd May 7am - 8am and Sunday 24th May 7am - 8am
Tickets: Early Bird $22.50, Standard $25 + BF
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Host: Valentina Alvarez,, Yoga & Dance teacher
A slow-flow vinyasa style class where we connect breath and movement through creative transitions. Designed for all levels, with both modifications and playful challenges offered, this flow will energize your body, calm your mind, and set a positive tone for your day. Expect to leave feeling grounded, open, and refreshed.
Location: Mackenzie Room, Peppers
Timings: Saturday 23rd May 7am - 8am
Tickets: Early Bird $22.50, Standard $25 + BF
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Meet at the boat ramp in front of the Lake Tekapo Power Boat & Water Ski Club on Lakeside Drive. Join local cold water immersion enthusiasts, including Breathe Tekapo team members. Watch the sunrise together and be invigorated by the pristine, crystal-clear water of Lake Tekapo. All persons participating in the alpine plunge do so at their own risk. It is your own responsibility to ensure that you are a capable swimmer and can handle being exposed to the cold temperatures and varying conditions of the lake, everyone is responsible for their own safety. Please come in your togs and bring a towel and warm layers for afterwards. A plunge is not recommended for anyone with medical condition and we suggest seeking medical advice before participating.
Location: Lake Tekapo Powerboat & Waterski Club
Timings: Saturday 23rd 8.30am and Sunday 24th 8.30am
Tickets: FREE
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A second chance to register at the event and get any further information you need for the weekend ahead.
Location: Bayleys Office in Tekapo
Timings: Saturday 23 May, 9.00-9.30am
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Host: Susan Allen, Buteyko Method breathing practitioner
Breathing health is a growing interest for many people. Did you know 80% of people don’t breathe correctly and consequently suffer from many conditions - from stress and anxiety to asthma, respiratory illnesses, regular colds and sleep issues. In this workshop Susan will explain what functional breathing is and how breathing correctly is essential for physical, physiological and mental wellbeing. You'll get to fill out a breathing questionnaire to assess your own breathing health as well as learn and practice the top three characteristics of healthy breathing.
Location: Mackenzie Room, Peppers
Timings: Saturday 23 May, 10am - 12noon
Tickets: Early Bird $40, Standard $45+ BF
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Visit the Church of the Good Shepherd to find serenity with an exclusive opportunity for Breathe Tekapo attendees. Come and reflect upon your weekend inside one of the most famous Tekapo icons. Those attending are asked to be present for the duration of the session to ensure an enjoyable experience for everyone.
If you would like to take this opportunity to take some time to reflect in one of the most iconic churches in New Zealand, a suggested koha of $20. to the church would be greatly appreciated. While there is heating in the Church please come in warm clothing and arrive 10 minutes ahead of the session beginning. This will allow you time to enter the church, make a koha and make yourself comfortable.
Location: Church of the Good Shepherd, Pioneer Drive, Lake Tekapo
Timings: Saturday 23rd May 8.30-9.00am
Tickets: $20 suggested koha appreciated, paid directly to the Church
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Host: Geraldine, Fermentation & Superfoods Master
Create your own probiotic superfoods at home super fast and super easily (and without having to maintain any starter bugs)!
In this session, Geraldine will inspire confidence in the fermenting process with these simple recipes so you can reap the benefits of increased nutrient content and beneficial gut bacteria.
Together, we'll explore fermented fruit, juice, vegetables and more delicious and easy ferments.
Location: TBC
Timings: Saturday 23rd May 10.00am - 11.30am
Tickets: Early Bird $40, Standard $45 + BF
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Host: Dr. Michelle McCarthy, experienced Clinical Psychologist and Facilitator.
The Science with some Soul
Gratitude is more than a passing feeling, it’s a mindset that changes the way we see the world. Research in positive psychology and neuroscience shows that cultivating gratitude can strengthen relationships, boost resilience, and enhance both mental and physical wellbeing. But gratitude isn’t about ignoring challenges, it’s about training the mind to notice what’s good, even when life feels messy.
This workshop blends science and soul, combining evidence-based insights with reflective, practical exercises to help you weave gratitude into everyday life. Whether you’re seeking greater calm, connection, or meaning, you’ll leave with tools to anchor gratitude in real-world habits rather than fleeting moments.
You will learn to:
Understand the science behind gratitude and its role in happiness and wellbeing.
Practice simple, sustainable gratitude rituals that fit naturally into daily routines.
Reframe challenges through a gratitude lens to build emotional resilience and perspective.
Location: Godley Conference Room
Timings: Saturday 23rd May 10.00am - 11.30am
Tickets: Early Bird $40, Standard $45 + BF
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Host: Gemma Douglas, certified Breathwork and Nervous System Coach
This 2-hour workshop explores the powerful intersection of breathwork, presence, and nervous-system science. Participants will learn evidence-based breathing techniques to lower stress, improve emotional regulation, enhance focus, and create more internal space in a fast-paced world. The session blends education, practical tools, somatic practices, and guided breathwork designed to shift the body out of fight-or-flight and back into calm connection. Everyone will leave with simple, transformative techniques they can use instantly in daily life.
Location: Tekapo Community Hall
Timings: Saturday 23rd May, 12.30pm - 2.30pm
Tickets: Early Bird $85.50, Standard $90 + BF
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Nordic Walking offers a wide range of benefits, including increased engagement of upper-body and core muscles, greater overall energy expenditure, and reduced strain on the hips, knees, and ankles. Using poles transforms a simple walk into a more effective full-body workout while also providing added stability and comfort.
Participants should come prepared with sturdy walking or running shoes — trail runners are perfect. Please wear breathable, weather-appropriate activewear, as sessions can still proceed in light rain. If needed, we’ll begin with basic instruction at our site before heading out.
Alpine Recreation will provide walking poles, but participants are welcome to bring their own.
Please pack a warm hat and gloves in case of cold temperatures.
We’ll be using the trails close to our lodge and the Cairns Golf Course, which offer an ideal environment to learn proper pole technique and practise brisk walking with poles.
Location: Meet at the Edelweiss Lodge, Alpine Recreation 8 Erebus Place, Lake Tekapo
Timings: Saturday 23 May 12.30-2.30pm
Tickets: FREE
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Host: Geraldine, Fermentation & Superfoods Master
In this interactive class we cover how to care for your sourdough starter so it can thrive for years to come. I will share how to bake simple, delicious no-knead bread and pizza dough. We will also discuss baking and lots of tips and tricks to ensure your success. My aim is to share just how simple sourdough can be! This class includes printed recipes, taste testers and your own starter bug.
Location: TBC
Timings: Saturday 23rd May 3.00- 4.30pm
Tickets: Early Bird $40, Standard $45 + BF
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Host: Alex Ballagh, Holistic Wellness Coach
Mini Rituals & Micro Habits is all about creating sustainable, achievable change in your everyday life. This workshop explores the science behind why small, consistent actions often outperform short-term “all in” approaches, highlighting the vital role of a regulated nervous system. You’ll discover practical tools and simple rituals to weave into your day, supporting ease, vitality, joy, and mental clarity. Attendees will leave with deep insights into the power of rituals, a clear, high level understanding of the nervous system, and a wealth of actionable strategies they can implement immediately - many of which can be shared with family and kids too!
Location: Godley Conference Centre
Timings: Saturday 23rd May, 3.00-4.30pm
Tickets: Early Bird $45, Standard $50 + BF
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Host; Bridgette Barwood, Masseuse
During this practical session participants will get the opportunity to learn several self massage techniques with spikey balls, foam rollers and bands. Benefits of self massage include improved circulation, ease tight or sore muscles, improved range of motion and a greater sense of relaxation.
Attendees will need to provide their own yoga mats and please bring a foam roller if you have one. Each participant will be provided with their own spikey ball and band to take home with them to put into practice their new skills.
Location: Tekapo Hall
Timings: Saturday 23 May 5.00 - 6.00pm
Tickets: Early Bird $45, Standard $50 + BF
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Host: Valentina Alvarez, Yoga & Dance teacher
A fun, expressive class that blends simple choreography with creative, free movement. We’ll move to different rhythms to awaken the body, build stamina, and reconnect with joy. All levels are welcome — no dance experience needed! Please bring comfortable clothes, water, and an open mind ready to move.
Location: Peppers Mackenzie Room
Timings: Saturday 23 May 5.00 - 6.00pm
Tickets: Early Bird $22.50, Standard $25 + BF
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Host: Prue Gordon, Artist
In this class you will be guided to create an acrylic painting of florals while enjoying some refreshments.
A fun opportunity to relax and be creative while taken through a step by step process is suitable for people with all levels of expertise. You will have the opportunity to personalise your piece with your own colours and flare to match décor if required.
Location: Tekapo Community Hall
Timings: Saturday 23 May, 7.00 - 9.00pm
Tickets: Early Bird $67.50, Standard $75 + BF
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Host: Lesley Roy, Yogi
As we dwell in the late Autumn metal element, our energy moves from the fire and busy-ness of the summer (yang) to the slower, cooler energy of winter (yin). Our practice will focus on delving into the poses that support our lungs and large intestines, stimulating the flow of energy/chi along the meridien lines of these organs. The practice will be gentle and available to all bodies.
Location: Mackenzie Room, Peppers
Timings: Saturday 23rd May 7.00-8.30pm
Tickets: Early Bird $22.50, Standard $25 + BF
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Host: Julie Zarifeh, Clinical Psychologist & Author
Julie has recently been travelling in different cultures and has been fascinated by observing the same traits in action, allowing her to draw many parallels and thus more validity to her approach. In this session she will share these observations with you and how these can impact your own lives.
Location: Lake Tekapo School
Timings: Saturday 23rd May 7.00-8.30pm
Tickets: Early Bird $40, Standard $45 + BF
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Host: Tekapo Springs
The tour takes place in two parts. The guided portion of the experience focuses on the stars, planets and galaxies using telescopes, with a unique combination of astronomy and stories passed down from the ancestors of the first people of Aotearoa. If the weather is not suitable for outdoor stargazing, you will experience a customised virtual reality tour of the Lake Tekapo night skies!
The Breathe Tekapo tour also includes exclusive use of a hot pool, where it really gets magical. Lie back with the help of a floating hammock to ensure ultimate relaxation and easy sky viewing. Feel like you’re floating among the stars as you explore the wonders of the night skies.
Please ensure you bring with you swimming attire and towel with you alongside warm clothes for after the soak in the stars. Towel and robe hire is included.
Location: Tekapo Springs, 300 Lakeside Drive
Timings: Saturday 23rd May 9.00pm - 10.30pm
Tickets: Early Bird $119, Standard $129 + BF
Sunday 24th May
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Host: Leigh Marsden, Qigong, Yoga and Meditation Teacher
Qigong (chee-gong) is one of the branches of traditional Chinese Medicine and means 'cultivation of life energy'. It is a flowing, serene practice that suits all ages/movement abilities. Modern Qigong presents simple, accessible sequences for a modern audience, that preserve the integrity of this ancient practice. The session will include gentle breathwork and meditation and is restorative yet vitalising.
Location: Tekapo Community Hall
Timings: Sunday 24th May 7.00- 8.00am
Tickets: Early Bird $22.50, Standard $25 + BF
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Host: Alex Ballagh, Holistic Wellness Coach
This all-levels gentle flow offers a space to explore your connection with your inner landscape, physically, emotionally, mentally, and energetically. Through mindful movement, breath, and subtle awareness practices, participants are guided on a journey inward, cultivating presence, balance, and self-awareness. Each session encourages reflection, release, and reconnection, creating a sense of alignment and ease from the inside out.
Location: Lake Tekapo School
Timings: Sunday 24 May, 7.00 - 8.00am
Tickets: Early Bird $22.50 Standard $25 + BF
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Hosts: TJ from Tekapo Trails alongside Dr Michelle McCarthy.
The trailhead for the Lagoon trail is at the southeast corner of the Lake Tekapo Regional Park. It is a 8.5km loop track on Sawdon Station. A shorter option to Frog Rock (3.5km) will also be available. The walk offers magnificent 360-degree views from this iconic high-country station. The walk will begin with a short session on mindfulness with Dr Michelle McCarthy.
Location: Meet at the Car Park on Lilybank Road (Google Tekapo Advanced Disc Golf Course)
Timings: Sunday 24 May, 8.00am - 9.30am
Tickets: Free
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Meet at the boat ramp in front of the Lake Tekapo Power Boat & Water Ski Club on Lakeside Drive. Join local cold water immersion enthusiasts, including Breathe Tekapo team members. Watch the sunrise together and be invigorated by the pristine, crystal-clear water of Lake Tekapo. All persons participating in the alpine plunge do so at their own risk. It is your own responsibility to ensure that you are a capable swimmer and can handle being exposed to the cold temperatures and varying conditions of the lake, everyone is responsible for their own safety. Please come in your togs and bring a towel and warm layers for afterwards. A plunge is not recommended for anyone with medical condition and we suggest seeking medical advice before participating.
Location: Lake Tekapo Powerboat & Waterski Club
Timings: Saturday 23rd 8.30am and Sunday 24th 8.30am
Tickets: FREE
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Host: Tekapo Springs
Indulge in complete relaxation with a variety of wellness experiences, immerse yourself in tranquil pools, embrace the restorative heat of the sauna, purify your body in the calming steam room, or awaken your senses with a revitalizing dip in the cold plunge pool.
Location: Tekapo Springs, 300 Lakeside Drive
Timings: Sunday 24th May 9.00 am, exclusive use of the facility until 10.00 am. Attendees are welcome to stay longer or return again later in the day.
Tickets: Early Bird $40, Standard $45 + BF
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Host: Susan Allen, 22yrs meditation teacher and practitioner
In this 2 hour workshop, Susan will introduce the practice of meditation. Meditation is a practice where you can deepen your understanding of how the mind works; through the practice we learn practical techniques to calm and quieten the mind as well as develop insights that bring freedom by reducing reactivity and learning to operate more from an interconnected field of awareness. This workshop will be a combination of de-mystifying and explaining the context of meditation in our lives.
Location: Lake Tekapo School
Timings: Sunday 24th May 9.30-11.30am
Tickets: Early Bird $40, Standard $45 + BF
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Hosts: Dr Olivia Smart, Gynaecologist
Niamh Clerkin, Pelvic Health Physiotherapist
Sara Widdowson, Registered Dietitian
Jo Hopkinson-Haigh, Mindful PhysiotherapistThis interactive 2 hour session explores the connection between body, hormones, movement, and nourishment through peri-menopause and beyond. The presenters will share practical tools for supporting pelvic health, hormonal balance, and nervous-system regulation, blending science, lived experience, and guided self-awareness. Expect a blend of discussion, demonstration, and embodied practice designed to leave participants informed, grounded, and inspired.
Location: Tekapo Community Hall
Timings: Sunday 24th May 9.30am - 11.30am
Tickets: Early Bird $67.50, Standard $75 + BF
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Host: Gary Clarke, Food and Beverage Director at High Country Salmon
We’re excited to present three delicious courses; starter, main, and dessert—using High Country Salmon products. Cooking with our salmon is simple, easy, and highly nutritious. Each recipe is designed to maximize flavor, presentation, and the overall dining experience, demonstrating that exceptional food can be effortless. All attendees will be able to sample the dishes created and be provided with the recipes to recreated the items at home!
Location: Tekapo Community Hall
Timings: Sunday 24th May, 12noon - 2.00pm
Tickets: Early Bird $63, Standard $70 + BF
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Host: Julie Zarifeh, Clinical Psychologist & Author
Julie has recently been travelling in different cultures and has been fascinated by observing the same traits in action, allowing her to draw many parallels and thus more validity to her approach. In this session she will share these observations with you and how these can impact your own lives.
Location: Godley Conference Room
Timings: Sunday 24 May 12noon -1.30pm
Tickets: Early Bird $40, Standard $45 + BF
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Everyone is invited to join us as we come together to officially conclude the weekend’s events. We will take time to reflect on our learnings, inspiration gained and new discoveries as we celebrate our wellness journey.
Join us on the lawn in front of Dark Sky Project where we will gather as a team
Location: On the grass overlooking the lake outside Dark Sky Project
Timings: Sunday 24th May 2.00 - 2.15pm
Tickets: Free
