6 Day / 5 Night tour
This New Zealand garden tour makes the most of New Plymouth while the rhododendrons are blooming. Meet private gardeners and wander magnificent Pukeiti and Tupare. Other highlights include Whanganui, Cross Hills garden in the Manawatu and Taupo. This small group tour focuses on showcasing the most beautiful gardens of the North Island.
$2,990 per person twin share
$400 single supplement
22 – 27 Oct, 2022
25 – 30 Oct, 2022
We’re excited to let you know that we have partnered with MoaTours, one of New Zealand’s leading and most trusted local tour operators since 1971. MoaTours offers a range of small group tours all over New Zealand that we think you’ll love — from Cape Reinga to Stewart Island.
A a family run business just like Tours Direct, MoaTours has great connections and unbeatable local knowledge of New Zealand’s best kept secrets. They also share common values so we know you will be well looked after and have a great experience.
“Enjoy Taranaki’s beauty ahead of the festival crowds when the gardens are fresh and the gardeners too! I especially like having the gardeners and the gardens completely to ourselves. On the first and last day of our travels we enjoy the warmth and hospitality of private farmhouse lunches.”
All travellers joining this tour must be fully vaccinated. Your 'My Vaccine Pass' must be brought on the tour as proof of full Covid 19 vaccination.
It is important that the date of your final dose is at least 14 days before the tour departure date.
All travellers joining this cruise must be fully vaccinated. Your 'My Vaccine Pass' must be brought on the cruise as proof of full Covid 19 vaccination.
It is important that the date of your final dose is at least 14 days before the cruise departure date.
To safeguard your deposit and tour payment in the event of you having to cancel your reservation or curtail your tour, we highly recommend you take out travel insurance.
call us on 0800 868 748 if you like a travel insurance quote
The bike trails in the Hawke’s Bay are easy to ride and generally flat and smooth. Introductory Level.
If you have never ridden an E-Bike before we can help you learn, usually in 15 minutes. These trails are great to build confidence and increase your riding skills.
Needless to say the fitter you are the more you will enjoy the rides. Most days, 2 – 3 hours on an E-Bike (with frequent breaks).
All clients and support crew are required to be fully vaccinated.
Extensive Terms and Conditions are outlined in the free Information Pack
To safeguard your deposit and tour payment in the event of you having to cancel your reservation or curtail your tour, we highly recommend you take out travel insurance.
call us on 0800 868 748 if you like a travel insurance quote
The bike trails in the Hawke’s Bay are easy to ride and generally flat and smooth. Introductory Level.
If you have never ridden an E-Bike before we can help you learn, usually in 15 minutes. These trails are great to build confidence and increase your riding skills.
Needless to say the fitter you are the more you will enjoy the rides. Most days, 2 – 3 hours on an E-Bike (with frequent breaks).
All clients and support crew are required to be fully vaccinated.
Extensive Terms and Conditions are outlined in the free Information Pack
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We travel through the Waikato farmlands and stop for lunch with Rachel and Denzil Anselmi at Carmel Farm in Piopio. Continuing through the limestone country of the Awakino Gorge we drive out to the Tasman coast.
Reaching New Plymouth we visit John Wilmshurst and Diana Montgomery’s Waiongana Gardens.
Your home for three nights, the Millennium Hotel New Plymouth Waterfront, is just across from Len Lye’s Wind Wand kinetic sculpture and the waterfront boardwalk. We dine in at the hotel’s Salt restaurant.
We meet Judi Gopperth at sweet Hirst Cottage, built in 1862, where the garden features a green and white theme and Valda Poletti at renowned Te Kainga Marire, a native garden of Global Significance.
We visit Tupare House and its beautiful garden then lunch at Monica’s Eatery and visit the adjacent Len Lye Centre.
At Pukeiti wander the enchanted landscape of one of the world’s greatest collections of rhododendrons growing in lush rainforest on the slopes of Mt Taranaki.
Travelling the picturesque country roads on the seaward slopes of Mt Taranaki we visit expansive farmhouse gardens.
Maureen Brophy’s Hikurangi plus Maria van der Poel and Elaine Sanderson’s gardens. At Openlands we lunch with Marie Mills in a garden that includes a church, museum and an aviary.
We stroll in city treasure, Pukekura Park then drive to the start of the Forgotten World Highway to Cairnhill Garden to meet June and Colin Lees and enjoy their large rhododendron and vibernum garden. In Hawera we visit Jenny and John Pease’s Gravetye Garden, with sweeping lawns, hedges and topiary.
We visit Jennifer and Ken Horner’s country garden, Puketarata set high on a hill with magnificent views then continue on to Whanganui. We tour the city’s landmarks and dine out this evening.
We drive over to Kimbolton in the Manawatu region to discover another gem on our New Zealand garden tour. The Wilson family’s Cross Hills garden boasts 7 hectares of park like grounds with a renowned collection of over 2000 rhododendrons and azaleas. Further colour is added by tree paeonies, candelabra primulas and perennials.
Continuing north to the Central Plateau we drive up the Desert Road and skirt around the lake to Taupo. We dine and stay this evening at the Millennium Hotel & Resort Manuels on the Taupo lakeside.
This morning we drive above the lake to beautiful Waipahihi Botanical Gardens where volunteers look after mass plantings of rhododendrons in the forest and visit Lorna Henry’s lovely Tauhara Garden nearby.
We continue north and stop for lunch with Penny Diprose at Rosenvale, Te Awamutu before returning to Auckland later in the afternoon.
