A Unique Bush Dining Experience Near Auckland
The Morning Show co-host Kylie Gillies has swapped city life for the tranquility of the forest, embarking on a one-of-a-kind bush dining adventure just outside of Auckland. In partnership with Tourism New Zealand, Gillies visited Velskov, New Zealand's first modern native forest farm, where visitors forage for food, cook over open fires, and reconnect with nature through regenerative farming and conservation.
Set amidst lush native bush just outside Auckland, the experience encourages guests to slow down, learn about the land, and eat directly from the forest around them.
“We’re going to learn about nature, forage for our food and cook it right here in the bush,” Gillies said. “And there’s not a supermarket trolley in sight,” she joked.
The experience was led by Mamakan, a Danish-born botanical installation artist and founder of Velskov, whose work blends Indigenous ecological restoration with immersive food experiences designed to reconnect people with nature.
A Forest Breakfast Like No Other
Gillies described the property as a “little slice of heaven” as she sampled a forest breakfast known as “TUMM”, a dairy-free dish created using native botanicals grown on the land.
Mamakan explained the unusual name was inspired by both family and fantasy. “When it came to naming it, it’s a second breakfast, a bit like Hobbit style. My son, Sammy, he named it Tum. So it’s spelled T-U-M-M because it’s good for your tummy and it’s yummm.”
The breakfast featured tea made from 10 botanicals grown throughout the forest, alongside a creamy dairy-free base made entirely from native ingredients harvested on the property.
Foraging and Cooking Over an Open Fire
Gillies then joined Mamakan on a guided foraging tour through the forest, learning about more than 40 edible native plants grown on the farm and tasting ingredients straight from the bush.
The foraged ingredients were later cooked over an open fire, with fish wrapped in leaves gathered directly from the forest and prepared using traditional techniques.
“There’s fresh food and then there’s this,” Gillies said. “It’s something quite unique isn’t it, the land and what it provides.”
Gillies said the experience highlighted how disconnected many people have become from where their food comes from and the value of reconnecting with nature.
“We’re so used to eating from the supermarkets, both in Australia and in New Zealand,” she said. “And I think we should eat a little bit more from what’s around us and that is the idea of Velskov.”
She even tried her hand at chopping wood before taking part in one final activity designed to “give back to the forest”.
Planting Trees for the Future
As part of the experience, every visitor plants a tree to help regenerate the land and support biodiversity efforts across the property.
Gillies and The Morning Show crew chose to dedicate their tree planting to producer Rebecca and her newborn daughter in an emotional moment.
“Rebecca has just had a baby, a little baby girl,” Gillies said. “And this is a little baby fern. A baby fern for our baby girl. We plant this for Rebecca and Amiria.”
