There’s so much to experience and enjoy during the Hurunui Garden Festival. We’re inviting you to join us for a long weekend in the inspirational private gardens in North Canterbury. Visit 11 very different gardens, an historic home visit and artist studios. Enjoy a day to attend the Hanmer Springs Fete, an exclusive shopping event. This tour includes accommodation, most meals, garden entries, and private transport between the country gardens.
Christchurch
9am
What to bring: suitable layered clothing, a warm jacket or coat, walking shoes, camera, shopping bags for plants and purchases.
Your own travel arrangements to Christchurch, pickups around Christchurch from 9am to travel to North Canterbury for two delightful Amberley Garden visits, enjoy a Waipara Valley winery lunch, before travelling to Hanmer Springs for a three-night stay.
Enjoy a café breakfast in the heart of Hanmer Springs before attending the wonderful Hanmer Springs Fete. This is an exclusive shopping event with over 100 trade stalls, set in the spacious grounds of the former Queen Mary Hospital. You are free to enjoy the day in the thermal village town as you please. Attend the special 3 course dinner tonight.
After breakfast we will visit a Hanmer Springs town garden set in a private oasis, where bellbirds, tui and kereru are regular visitors. Enjoy a special visit to St Helens historic homestead for a guided tour with the owners. Today we also visit Coldstream Garden is a lush oasis with a stream flowing through this one-hectare garden with its series of interconnecting lawns, with mass plantings of daffodils, tulips, and peonies in flower. Plus, Hemingfield an artist’s garden, before travelling back to Hanmer Springs and dinner out tonight.
After breakfast we will visit the well-known Flaxmere Garden and Saddlewood Garden plus gardens of Waipara Gorge including Iron Ridge Sculpture Quarry, before travelling to Amberley and dinner out tonight.
After a café breakfast we will visit a local artist who lives in Amberley’s oldest home built in 1864, enjoy her garden and sculpture gallery before travelling to Christchurch for a farewell lunch in a garden setting. Tour ends after lunch, with drop offs around the city or airport.
I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the beautiful gardens in the Hurunui area and also the interesting St Helen’s Homestead and the artist and sculptor Sharon Earl something different other than gardens. How nice it was to be driven doing some of the back roads and hearing history of the area and properties.
Our trip was everything & more than I expected. We had an amazing time & really enjoyed all the gardens & the lovely people we met. A big thank you to Geoff & yourself for the wonderful experience.
We are still talking about our Golden Girls trip. Thankyou for letting us 3 girls enjoy such a well organised tour and enjoyed so much the story’s the tripping around the country roads such a special part and of course the gardens, the history.
