Canterbury Springtime Gardens

Your included flight departs Auckland mid-morning. From Christchurch we drive north to lunch at Penny Zino's Flaxmere Farm, Hawarden where "Art in a Garden" is getting ready to open. This is an annual event where artists, sculptors, potters and jewellers exhibit. Penny’s garden on a terraced riverbed is a  six star, seven acre, Garden of International Significance, 46 years in the making.

Later in the day we continue to Hanmer Springs and the Heritage Hotel, our home for two nights.

Relax and enjoy this famous one day event – the Christmas Country Fete. There are over 200 stalls to browse, including fine arts and crafts, local wine and food. It's where South Islanders go to shop early for Christmas, not to mention a wonderful highlight on this New Zealand garden tour.

In the afternoon we return to Hanmer in plenty of time to enjoy a soak in the hot pools or check out Hanmer's boutique shops before dining this evening.

After a leisurely start at Hanmer this morning we explore the farm gardens of the Hurunui - visiting Doreen and Michael Dryden at Loch Leaven, lunch with Vicki Collett and Andrew Dalziel at Coldstream and meet Anita and Richard Todd at Saddlewood. 

In the mid afternoon we travel on 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 113 year old farm homestead set in magnificent gardens. 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.

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 Auckland. Thank you for choosing your New Zealand garden tour with MoaTours.