Otaki TodayThis series of profiles on local businesses is supported by Land Matters and Pritchard Civil.
In the rural back-blocks of Hautere, down a quiet country road surrounded by paddocks and lifestyle properties, a small community gym is quietly building something bigger than fitness.
River Rock Health and Fitness is run by husband-and-wife team Pete and Laura Rowe, who opened the gym in late 2020 after coming to New Zealand from Australia.
Laura and Pete Rowe at their River Rock Health and Fitness gym at Hautere. Photo Ōtaki Today
What began as a simple personal training setup inside a shipping container during the Covid lockdowns has steadily grown into a thriving community fitness hub attracting everyone from young mums to retirees in their 80s.
“We didn’t have any clients to begin with,” Pete says. “It was during lockdown and we thought, if we get a couple of clients, awesome. Now we’re still going and realising we need a bit more space.”
The couple moved to the Kāpiti Coast after spending nearly a decade in Australia. Pete, originally from Queensland, worked as a plumber while Laura, who grew up in Kāpiti, built a career as an emergency nurse.
The pair bought their Hautere property while still living in Australia, intending to eventually settle there with their three daughters.
They gained health and fitness qualifications and started by running personal training sessions from a single container gym before deciding to trial group fitness classes.
“We launched the group classes in November 2020 and it just grew from there,” he says.
Today River Rock runs classes six days a week, with sessions at 6am, mid-morning and evenings. Class sizes range from about five to 15 people, with a mix of strength training, conditioning and Hyrox fitness sessions.
River Rock also offers a new recovery room, boasting a cold plunge, sauna, compression therapy, and red light therapy face masks.
Pete says the business’s success has little to do with trendy fitness culture or intimidating gym environments.
“We really try and sell it on the community side of things,” he says. “Our motto is ‘just turn up and do what you can do’. It’s consistency over intensity.”
That philosophy appears to resonate strongly with the rural locals, many of whom have never stepped inside a gym before.
“I reckon 90 percent of our group have never done anything like this. The hardest thing is just turning up the first time.”
Rather than focusing on bodybuilding or elite athletic performance, the gym caters for everyday people wanting to stay active and healthy.
Laura’s nursing skills give her important insights that allow her to offer valuable advice for clients.
“The nursing background helps me to better understand what some people are dealing with, and how to adapt things for them safely.”
She also coaches classes, runs personal training sessions and leads a popular mums-and-bubs group for women returning to exercise after pregnancy.
The couple say flexibility is central to how they operate. There are no long-term contracts, people can pause memberships when needed, and parents are encouraged to bring children along to classes.
The relaxed atmosphere is a deliberate contrast to what many people associate with gyms.
“We always said we’d never be that mirror-and-bodybuilding sort of place,” Laura says. “People come here for the community, not the space.”
That sense of belonging has become one of the gym’s strongest drawcards, with friendships forming well beyond workout sessions.
“We always joke we’d have no friends if we didn’t have the gym,” she says. “People have built relationships outside of here now.”
The Rowes are already planning their next expansion – a new 110-square-metre pole shed gym they hope to complete by the end of the year. And they’re adamant any growth won’t stop River Rock from offering the personal touch for which they’ve become well known.
“We like keeping it boutique,” Pete says.
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