Discover the best of New Zealand’s enchanting private gardens with horticulturalist Elizabeth Swane and experience landscapes blanketed in a profusion of late springtime floral colour.

At a Glance

  • Visit a series of unique private gardens with an exclusive opportunity to meet their owners
  • Enjoy access to private gardens open only during the Taranaki Garden Festival, an annual showcase of more than 40 gardens
  • Explore renowned gardens featuring a range of native and exotic species, including Ayrlies Garden, Hamilton Gardens and Pepped Warbeck Gardens
  • Discover the legacy of New Zealand’s colonial heritage in the private gardens and Art Deco architecture of Napier
  • Relish in the parks and estates of Christchurch, including Frensham Gardens, Ohinetahi Garden and Flaxmere Garden in North Canterbury

Take in the beauty of New Zealand’s garden culture, where English landscape design meets colonial heritage, indigenous flora and Māori reverence for nature. Begin in Auckland at Ayrlies Garden, the ‘quintessential New Zealand Garden’, then explore Hamilton Gardens’ showcase of 4,000 years of design. In New Plymouth, access private gardens only open during the Taranaki Garden Festival and stroll through the lush bog borders of Pepped Warbeck near Wellington.

Cross the Cook Strait to the South Island to uncover the stunning gardens of Upton Oaks, Paripuma and Barewood near Blenheim, before finishing in Christchurch and the vibrant, colourful Flaxmere Garden.

Please click ‘Register Interest’ to receive further information when more details are available.

Dates

November 2025 (15 days)

Tour leader

Elizabeth Swane

Tour Status

On request

More Details

Tour code: GD2507

Fitness level: Moderate
Please see Terms & Conditions for fitness level definitions here.

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