Country Roads & Cross HIlls Gardens Fair 7 day garden tour

Country Roads & Cross Hills Gardens Fair

7 day small group North Island garden tour

Discover the beautiful country gardens of the Waikato, Hawke’s Bay, Northern Wairarapa and Manawatu. Stay in Masterton and Feilding, both winners of town beauty contests, and wander the fair and acres of rhododendron and azalea gardens at Cross Hills.

WHAT TRACY LOVES ABOUT THIS TOUR: We’re following a garden trail along country lanes to discover special historic homes and hidden gems. There’s lots of natural beauty to enjoy – relaxing over a garden lunch with our hosts or wandering the paths at the Cross Hills Gardens Country Fair.

$4,290 (NZD) pp twin
$4,790 (NZD) pp single

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Day 1

Auckland - Hamilton - Tamahere - Taupo

Wander the “garden rooms” at Hamilton Gardens including the Katherine Mansfield garden. We lunch with Jeanette and Stephen Williams at lovely Moondance Manor in Tamahere and enjoy their expansive garden beside the Waikato River.

We stay at the Millennium Hotel & Resort, Manuels on Taupo’s lakeside and dine in this evening.

Lunch with Jeanette and Stephen Williams at Moondance Manor
Stay on Lake Taupo’s waterfront

Accommodation

Taupo - Millennium Hotel and Resort Manuels

Boasting a spellbinding lake edge location, this welcoming Taupo Hotel and Resort presents you with uninterrupted views of the magnificent lake and mountains from guest rooms, restaurants and bar areas.

What we love about Millennium Hotel and Resort Manuels – Artfully decorated to create an air of glamorous elegance and with a heated swimming pool, private grotto plunge pool and sauna this is a relaxing and stylish location to spend time on tour.

Day 2

Taupo - Tikokino - Eketahuna - Masterton

We call into forested Waipahihi Botanical Gardens, created from scratch by volunteers. Continuing to Hawke’s Bay, we lunch with Phyllida and Stuart Gibson at historic Gwavas Homestead and stroll in their garden in Tikokino, first established by the family over 120 years ago.

We arrive in Masterton and stay at the Copthorne Hotel & Resort, Solway Park, our home for two nights, and dine in this evening.

The lovely lake views from Waipahihi Botanical Gardens
Strolling in the garden at Gwavas Estate

Accommodation

MASTERTON - COPTHORNE HOTEL AND RESORT SOLWAY PARK

Set in 24 acres of landscaped parklands, native bush and gardens this accommodation offers a relaxing base to explore the region.

What we love about the Copthorne Hotel and Resort Solway Park – A spacious hotel in a central position that’s well placed for a countryside adventure

Day 3

Masterton - Brancepeth & Te Parae Homesteads, Wainuioru

Masterton is the home of the Golden Shears championship so naturally our first stop this morning is the town’s Wool Museum.

We join Edward Beetham for morning tea and a guided tour through his family’s Brancepeth homestead built in the 1850s. We lunch nearby with Angela Williams at Te Parae homestead built in 1905. Te Parae shares family history with Brancepeth and thoroughbred horse breeding is a family tradition. We return to Masterton in the mid afternoon and dine at Solway Park this evening.

Meet the locals at the Wool Museum
Two iconic Wairarapa homesteads

Accommodation

MASTERTON - COPTHORNE HOTEL AND RESORT SOLWAY PARK

Set in 24 acres of landscaped parklands, native bush and gardens this accommodation offers a relaxing base to explore the region.

What we love about the Copthorne Hotel and Resort Solway Park – A spacious hotel in a central position that’s well placed for a countryside adventure

Day 4

Masterton - Braemore Farm - Greenhaugh Gardens - Feilding

In Eketahuna we visit Sue and John Presow’s Braemore Garden featuring rhododendron plantings. From Woodville we climb over the Saddle Road to Te Apiti wind farm where we stop to view the turbines stretching along the ridge.

We lunch in the Giraffe House at Lynne Atkin’s Greenhaugh Gardens, a six star Garden of National Distinction, where wonderful, lush plantings surround the homestead built in 1874. We visit Dugald MacKenzie rose garden in Palmerston North and stay two nights at South Street West Motel, Feilding and dine out this evening.

Rhododendrons are a special feature of Braemore Garden
Stroll in Greenhaugh Gardens and lunch in the Giraffe House

Accommodation

FEILDING - SOUTH WEST STREET MOTEL

These modern, self-contained units are located slap-bang in the middle of the action with Manfeild Park on the doorstep and the town centre just a stone’s throw away.

What we love about South West Street Motel – A fresh, friendly and functional motel all rooms are at ground level allowing easy access for a quick stroll into Feilding.

Day 5

Villa Candotti - Feilding Saleyards - Lansdale - Longwood Gardens - Feilding

In Colyton we visit Peter and Jeanette Cranstoun’s Villa Candotti, an Italian Renaissance inspired garden they have created from bare sheep paddocks. Back in Feilding a local farmer guides us through the historic sale yards where the livestock auction is getting underway.

At Kairanga we lunch with Kathryn Wells in the Alfred Buxton designed garden, Lansdale, featuring ponds and a grotto and still tended by the original owner’s family. In the afternoon we visit Yvonne and Peter Long’s lovely Longwood Gardens nearby before returning to Feilding and dining out this evening.

Lunch at Lansdale, an Alfred Buxton designed garden
Villa Candotti Garden, inspired by the Italian Renaissance style

Accommodation

FEILDING - SOUTH WEST STREET MOTEL

These modern, self-contained units are located slap-bang in the middle of the action with Manfeild Park on the doorstep and the town centre just a stone’s throw away.

What we love about South West Street Motel – A fresh, friendly and functional motel all rooms are at ground level allowing easy access for a quick stroll into Feilding.

Day 6

Feilding - Cross Hills Gardens Country Fair - Tongariro Lodge

We visit Heritage Park Rhododendron Garden which is maintained by volunteers. At Cross Hills Gardens’ Country Fair 180 stalls showcase unique and New Zealand–made products displayed in Rodney and Faith Wilson’s magnificent 7ha garden of 2000 rhododendrons and azaleas.

In the afternoon we drive the scenic Ruahine Road to Mangaweka and on to Turangi to stay at boutique Tongariro Lodge where we dine in this evening.

The Heritage Park Rhododendron Garden
Cross Hills Gardens’ Country Fair

Accommodation

TURANGI - TONGARIRO LODGE

This iconic lodge is set on 22 acres of stunning park-like grounds, on the banks of the Tongariro River.

What we love about Tongariro Lodge – it has to be the beautiful surrounds and warm lodge atmosphere.

Day 7

Turangi - Aramatai Gardens - Crosshills Farm - TreeChurch - Auckland

Stunning views are a feature of the scenic road over the ranges from Turangi to Taumarunui. Colourful borders and a pond feature in Jill Mouat’s Aramatai Gardens near Te Kuiti.

We lunch at Debbie and Fraser Robertson’s Crosshills Farm Garden and visit Chris and Bev Gatenby’s unique TreeChurch in Ohaupo on the way back to Auckland.