Rhododendron Gardens Tour

Package Overview

Garden lovers unite! How good would it be to hang out with fellow gardenites. What secrets can our garden hosters share? What horticultural delights do we have in store? Would meandering through lush Rhodo forests whet your appetite for all things splendiforous? Then the Rhododendren Tour is for you.

We are taking you to rhododendren heaven at Pukeiti, where you can drink in the awesome displays of colours, and hues on these impressive plants. You will travel to gardens of national significance, enjoy a devonshire tea at Merleswood Rhododendren Garden and enjoy evenings relaxing while dining in style.

Not only will you have a great time but you can indulge your love of rhodos to an extreme level of satisfaction

Other Information
Departure

​Please click on the Prices and Dates tab

Day wise Itinerary

• Day 1 : Auckland – Hamilton – Jury Garden - New Plymouth

  We depart Auckland and travel south in a coach through the lush farmlands of the Waikato to visit the renowned Hamilton Gardens. We drive to Te Kuiti and through the limestone country of the scenic Awakino Gorge to the Tasman coast. We have afternoon tea at the Tikorangi, a garden of national significance. This family garden goes back four generations and today Abbie and Mark Jury continue to develop the garden. We reach New Plymouth in the late afternoon. Your hotel is right on the seafront just across fromLen Lye’s Wind Wand kinetic sculpture and the waterfront boardwalk. We dine in at the hotel restaurant this evening.

  • Meals & Drinks Lunch, Dinner
• Day 2 : New Plymouth Gardens

  We have morning tea with Valda Poletti of renowned Te Kainga Marire, a native garden of National Significance and lunch at the Pukeiti Rhododendron Park cafe. Five-seat buggies are booked for you to view Pukeiti’s enchanted landscape – one of the world’s greatest collections of rhododendrons planted in lush rainforest adjacent to Egmont National Park. We visit Tupare Garden and Pukekura Park. This evening we dine in the hotel restaurant.

  • Meals & Drinks Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day 3 : New Plymouth – Merleswood Garden – Whanganui

  We drive to Stratford and Merleswood Garden to meet Erica Jago for a Devonshire morning tea and a stroll in her 1.5 acres of rhododendron gardens, a Garden of Regional Significance. We explore and lunch at unique Tawhiti museum in Hawera before driving on to Whanganui, an attractive town of parklands on the banks of the Whanganui River. We tour the city landmarks and heritage buildings before checking into our hotel. We dine in at the hotel this evening.

  • Meals & Drinks Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day 4 : Whanganui – Cross Hills Garden – Taihape – Ruapehu

  We drive over to Kimbolton in the Manawatu region arriving at Cross Hills garden in time for morning tea. This garden is renowned for its collection of over 2000 rhododendrons and azaleas. We stop for lunch at Taihape then head into the dramatic landscape of the Desert Road and around the slopes of Mount Ruapehu. We arrive at The Chateau Tongariro in time to refresh before dining in this classic, landmark hotel.

  • Meals & Drinks Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day 5 : The Chateau Tongariro – Tapuwae Garden – Auckland

  After a leisurely breakfast at The Chateau we’re bound for Taumarunui for morning tea. Driving through backcountry roads in this rugged farming landscape we reach Tapuwae Garden high in the hills at 1,650 feet and right in the heart of the King Country. We stop here to stroll in the Tombelson’s 8-acres of rhododendrons, camellias, ponds and peacocks and have a picnic lunch in the woolshed. Then drive north through the Waikato to reach Auckland in the late afternoon.

  • Meals & Drinks Breakfast, Lunch

Inclusions

• Hotel
• Sightseeing
• All transport by comfortable, air conditioned coach (maximum of 16 travellers)
• Services of your experienced MoaTrek driver/guide
• Quality, en suite accommodation
• All breakfasts, lunches and dinners
• Morning & afternoon teas where applicable
• All sightseeing and exploring in the regions
• Visits to renowned gardens: Hamilton Gardens, Tikorangi – The Jury Garden, Te Kainga Marire Native Garden, Pukeiti Rhododendron Park, Tupare Garden, Pukekura Park, Merleswood Garden, Cross Hills Garden and Tapuwae Garden
• Visit and lunch at unique Tawhiti museum in Hawera

Price & Rates

Terms & Conditions

This Tour is Offered by

• 12 Princess Street, Christchurch, New Zealand - 567
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