Canterbury Springtime Gardens

Your flight departs mid-morning and after arriving in Christchurch we drive north through Waipara and onto lunch at Penny Zino's Flaxmere Farm, Hawarden. Penny’s stunning seven acre garden sits on a terraced riverbed. Penny has devoted 47 years.to creating this six star Garden of International Significance.

Later in the day we continue through the Hurunui farmlands to Hanmer Springs, our home for two nights. We dine in this evening.

After a leisurely start at Hanmer this morning we explore three very different farm gardens of the Hurunui - visiting Doreen and Michael Dryden at Loch Leaven, enjoying a picnic lunch with Vicki Collett and Andrew Dalzell at Coldstream and meeting Anita and Richard Todd at Saddlewood, 

In the afternoon we return to Hanmer in plenty of time to enjoy a soak in the hot pools or check out the boutique shops.

Relax and enjoy this new one day event – the Hanmer Springs Fete. In the leafy grounds of the historic Princess Mary Hospital browse the stalls, including fine arts and crafts, local wine and food. South Islanders like to shop early for Christmas and this is the perfect place on our New Zealand garden tour. 

In the mid afternoon we travel down the Canterbury Plains to Mount Somers where we stay two nights at Stronechrubie and nearby B&Bs. We dine at Stronechrubie's restaurant.

We visit Sara and Blair Gallagher's garden at Rangiatea sheep and cattle farm. Their jewellery shop and gallery display agate rocks found on the property. Then we call into Carol and Donald Williamson's Coniston Gardens with its vintage, classic cars and farm machinery collections.

Nearby at Akaunui we join Ian and Di Mackenzie for lunch in their 114 year old farm homestead set in magnificent gardens. There's time to relax and enjoy country hospitality. Sean and Madeline Brown host us again at Stronechrubie this evening. 

We visit Paul and Sara Grigg's garden nearby at Surrey Hills Station before heading for Akaroa to lunch with John and Lesley at Blythcliffe. Built in 1857, the architecture and expansive garden reflects its colonial history.

Later we visit The Giant's House, a six star garden of International Significance that's alive with sculptural mosaics. This unique garden is always a highlight and our friend Josie Martin is there to show us around. We stay two nights at the Bruce Apartments on the waterfront.

After breakfast we set off for some local touring. We visit Jos and Stew Howden's Potter's Croft garden then drive to Fisherman’s Bay. Along a dramatic clifftop Richard and Jill Simpson have created a stunning garden with a variety of planting themes. We lunch with the Simpsons and explore the garden. 

We return to Akaroa in time to wander this pretty village with its French connections. We dine along the waterfront this evening.

We visit Jendy and Pat Brooks’ garden at French Farm and call into Barry’s Bay Traditional Cheese shop nearby then return over the hill to lunch at Little River. We take Gebbes Pass to Governor's Bay for afternoon tea at Miles Warren's superb Ohinetahi, a garden of international significance.

From here it's just a hop, skip and a jump to the airport for our late afternoon flight to your home airport. Thank you for choosing your New Zealand garden tour with MoaTours.