Scents of Place: Building Ākau Fragrance from Memory and Coastlines

Scent has a way of holding memory, of taking us back to places we didn’t realise we had stored so deeply. For Ryan, that connection between scent, place, and emotion became the foundation of Ākau Fragrance. This Northland-based candle brand creates handcrafted scents inspired by Aotearoa’s natural environment and lived experiences. Designed for those drawn to intentional living, thoughtful gifting, and clean sustainable candles, each piece is created to feel deeply personal.

From exploring the stunning waterways of Northland to presenting his handcrafted candles, Ryan captures the essence of nature at the Cape Brett walkway, inspiring his soon to be released candle scent.

Growing up in the small farming community of Whakapara, Ryan spent time visiting family in Ōakura, Northland, where early experiences by the water helped shape a strong connection to place. At eighteen, a move to Auckland marked the beginning of his working life in retail, eventually leading overseas to London, where a role managing a high-end pet store introduced a new level of responsibility and business understanding. When COVID disrupted life abroad, there was a move to Australia, followed by a decision to return home to Aotearoa. Today, alongside working in insurance and training consultants across the North Island, Ryan is also quietly developing a meaningful small business on the side.

Candles inspired by New Zealand's iconic waterways: Lake Tekapō, Waiheke, and Spirits Bay, beautifully crafted for everyone.

The idea for Ākau began unexpectedly. Candles Ryan created for a best friend’s bachelorette, stepping into the role of “man of honour.” What started as a one-off quickly turned into something more, with friends asking where they could buy them. After rediscovering leftover supplies, more were made for friends, and through word of mouth, demand began to grow.  Inspired by a desire to create something meaningful and rooted in place, the vision was clear: to build a brand that celebrates the natural landscapes of Aotearoa New Zealand, beginning with Northland, while staying as clean and environmentally conscious as possible. The name Ākau, meaning shore, coast, or riverbank, reflects this intention.

Behind the scenes, building a New Zealand candle business came with a steep learning curve. There was trial and error, changing suppliers, and learning the practical side of creating a product-based business, from understanding the accounting and finance spaces that would support long-term growth. Starting well mattered. Once the branding felt cohesive and professional, the candles were introduced at Northland markets, where the response was immediately encouraging. With support from a friend, a website was created, allowing the brand to reach a wider audience across New Zealand. From there, Ākau has grown beyond word of mouth, with candles now stocked in a small number of aligned spaces, including August & Co run by Ryan’s close friend Lauren and more recently InnoNative in Whangārei, a store known for supporting Māori, Pasifika, and local makers.

Ryan and his friend bring a vibrant Ākau Fragrance display to the Northland Markets, creating a welcoming space to share their candles with the community.

Ākau candles are made using a soy wax and beeswax blend, chosen for both performance and quality. While many people associate candles with essential oils, Ryan believed it was a stronger choice to use fragrance oils instead to achieve a stronger scent throw and more consistent burn. These oils are sourced through suppliers who prioritise a clean, low-tox approach, reflecting a conscious decision to create non-toxic candles in New Zealand where possible. Scent creation is where things become particularly intricate. Many of the fragrance bases already contain multiple notes, which are then blended further to create something entirely new. Ryan explained “By the time I mix three or four fragrance oils, I’m at around twenty different notes, and you have to play with the levels of everything because some oils are already pre-mixed.” The result is a collection of layered, complex scents that are less about single notes and more about capturing a feeling.

Experience the essence of Ōakura Beach with this citrus-infused candle, capturing the serene beauty of Northland's coastline.

This is especially evident in one of the first scents created, inspired by Ōakura. Designed to reflect memories of childhood beach days, it brings together citrus top notes, reminiscent of fresh orange slices, warm spice through the middle, and grounding woody, coastal base notes. It is less about recreating a place exactly and more about capturing how it felt to be there. More recently, inspiration has continued to come from both personal experience and community connection. A new scent, Waipū Cove, was developed following strong local resonance with the area, showing how the brand continues to evolve alongside the people who connect with it. As Ryan shared, “I’d have people at markets say, ‘Waipū needs to be on your list.’ I’ve always loved Waipū Cove itself, it’s the main beach, and even recently it’s been named one of the best beaches in Northland.”

Ryan and friends enjoying a sunny day at Little Munroe, a place that inspired an Ākau candle scent. The Waipū Cove candle, is inspired by the calm of Waipū Cove beach pictured to the right.

Looking ahead, there is a clear vision to expand the range of handcrafted candles in New Zealand, with each scent continuing to tell a story of place. New products have just been produced including roll-on fragrances designed to complement the existing collection. Alongside this, Ryan has a growing desire to give back, with future plans to support environmental initiatives focused on waterways, coastlines, and restoration projects across Aotearoa.

Elegant candles casting a warm glow, a tranquil sunset over Kaihiki Bay, and a newly launched collection of roll-on fragrances capture moments of beauty and tranquility.

At its core, Ākau is about more than candles. It sits at the intersection of people, memory, and the places that quietly shape us, creating something that feels deeply personal yet shared. One moment that stayed with me came when I asked what his favourite part of making the candles was. His answer wasn’t about the product itself, but about who he gets to share it with. He spoke about wanting his dad to see his small business grow and what it could become. “Right now, it would be my dad. I want to keep building this vision, honouring my community, and showing him that I can keep going, bringing more stories, more emotion, and more impact as it grows.”

A quiet reminder that sometimes the simplest things, scent, place, memory, are the ones that stay with us the longest. Having experienced these candles myself, I can genuinely recommend them. If you feel drawn to explore the collection, you can find them on Ryan’s website: https://akaufragrance.co.nz/