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7Nov

Taranaki Sustainable Backyards Trail

BY admin | November 7, 2018 | 0 Comment |

The Taranaki Sustainable Backyards Trail was a new feature of the Taranaki Gardens Festival this year. It showcased the grittier side of gardening.…

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We woke up on Day 3 in the parking paddock at Flaxmere, the legendary Hawarden garden of Penny Zino and wondered how it could get any better than what we had seen so far at the Hurunui Garden Festival (HGF) . This many wonderful gardens in a relatively small area – how did it happen? Was it the climate? The soil? I think it was the people.  Many of these gardens started out as smaller gardens around a farmhouse and then green fingers took over and what great results!

After seeing such amazing planting schemes I was lamenting to Derek that perhaps we had downsized our garden too soon. There was no way I could replicate some of what I had seen. Then I realised once I got home and caught up on my weeding I would be quite happy with my small urban garden. In reality I had the best of both worlds – being able to enjoy these magnificent gardens without having the hard graft (and we are talking really hard graft) that was required to create them. How lucky are we that these hard working creative gardeners are only too happy to share.

Just around the corner from Flaxmere is Saddlewood, the garden of Anita and Richard Todd. Saddlewood was part of the Country Gardens Collective operating garden tours set up by the Zinos and neighbours back in 1985. You approach the homestead up a long driveway studded with an array of deciduous trees – plane, elm, oak, birch  very in keeping with the English styled home at the end. Anita and Richard warmly welcomed their visitors at the entrance. There was a festive atmosphere with a refreshments tent and the Weka Pass Market on site offering produce and plants. Walking past the front gate into a small formal rose garden we passed a replica classic SS Jaguar that Richard had imported from England. This was a point of great interest for many visitors, Derek included. Around the corner of the house was a formal rose garden bordered with clipped hedges, white bench seat and a bird bath in the middle. Unfortunately most of the roses were still in bud but I’m sure it won’t be long until they burst forth. Walking around the front of the house there is a sweeping lawn  that Richard had cut cricket ground style. This is not a sexist assumption that the male member of the team was driving the lawnmower – I actually asked  who was responsible for such green velvety finery. The green blended into the surrounding paddocks  leading  the eye on to the spectacular view of Mt Te Koa.

All of the Hurunui gardens we had visited had got the memo about making the most of the natural features their gardens had been blessed with. Even if you are not into gardens and don’t know your hosta from your heuchera, you would have to be soulless not to appreciate the grandeur of the wonderful vistas on display. Saddlewood like Flaxmere and Coldstream has made the most of their available water sources. Saddlewood has a large pond bordered with irises, grasses and poplars and a  woodland area with running water and a smaller pond, quieter and more contemplative.

The planting schemes around Saddlewood included many of the plants that we had seen in earlier gardens. Helpfully Anita had labelled many of the plants. You spot a plant that you love in a garden but often are not sure what it is called in order to source it later. This trip I had downloaded a plant identifier app. It’s a bit hit and miss. Very frustrating to have the plant identified as something you know it’s not. The unusual podophyllum came back identified by the app as hedera ivy. I suppose if you close one eye and squint there are some similarities – but really?! Just as well Gardener Mark is only a WhatsApp message away. His ID is always 100% reliable. Thank you Mark!

Only one more garden that day and it was where we had arranged to spend the night – Karetu Downs, a large hill country property with farm stay accommodation. www.KaretuDowns.co.nz. Karetu means sweet scented grass and  Mt Karetu was initially part of the station back in the 1900s. Another gorgeous setting. Just as well Miss Lil, the fur baby, had swallowed her Drontal and was welcome too. Karen, the friendly and gracious host, welcomed us and said to park wherever we liked. A moho that we had stayed every night with on the tour so far, was also here again this evening. They had gone through a gate into a paddock near the river sheltered by large trees. It looked too perfect so we did the same making sure to not crowd their well-chosen spot.

There are always a few rules to follow when parking up – some written and some just understood. Allow your fellow campers some space. When we parked at Flaxmere we parked at the far end of the parking paddock, away from the day-trippers, but close enough to some logs that we could tie Lily up outside and she wouldn’t get into too much trouble. Gorgeous views up towards the hills in every direction. No sooner had we poured our cuppa when another moho roared up between us and the logs, so close we could have passed a cup of tea out our window into theirs. Luckily Lily was not tied up outside or she may now have been the memorial motorhome hood ornament or a rug on the floor – take your pick. Fortunately, good manners prevailed and our fellow moho travellers relocated after their garden visit. Lily was safe to bark another day.

The homestead at Karetu Downs has large lawns surrounded by mature trees underplanted with rhododendrons, camellias, roses  and perennials. There are interconnecting paths through the garden alongside the river. The day was hot so the shade was very welcome. Along with some of Karetu’s own sculptures, there was an exhibit of sculptures by Michael Wells.  Michael’s work, strong geometric forms, are mainly in Corten steel. They look fantastic in a garden situation.  The rusty coloured steel stands out from the foliage but organic enough to not look out of place. Michael Wells Sculptures Instagram   

If you come to stay at Karetu Downs you will not be disappointed. Nature walks, farm animals, farm tours , sheep shearing, lovely garden and hosts.  There is even a little gift shop for those who need some retail therapy . Not only do they stock gardening products and giftware but they also make a great coffee. Yes, we can make coffee in the moho but as many locked down Aucklanders will attest to, a well-made flat white from a barista is hard to beat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a rather hectic 1st day of our Hurunui Garden Festival (HGF) tour, we agreed to take it a bit easier on Day 2. We woke up early to birdsong in Coldstream, a garden of National Significance in Culverden.  The rain was holding off so while Derek performed his daily exercise regime (his own special blend of tai chi and pilates), Lily, the schnauzer fur baby, and I set off down the farm race to spread our legs as Minister Chris Hipkins (Chippy to his mates) would say. The herd of heifers were amazed at the sight of such a little dog and escorted us at pace on our walk. This proved a little too much attention for a town dog and Lil was pretty keen to head back to the safety of HQ, our motorhome. Besides we had to prepare ourselves. Today was the day we were to visit Flaxmere, the legendary Hawarden garden of Penny Zino.( Flaxmere website )

Our gardening friends had gushed over the wonders that we were to behold at Flaxmere. We planned to stay there that night after Penny had kindly waived her No Dogs rule for a small well behaved and wormed schnauzer. Many of the gardens in the HGF are part of a working farm so it is imperative that any visiting canines do not endanger the health  of the livestock………downing a Drontal is a prerequisite, if not part of the dog’s regular health regime.   Flaxmere would be our final garden for the day.

We kicked off the day at Hurunui Homestead in Hawarden. The dire weather predictions had not come to bear and the sun was hot as we wandered around Anne and Matthew’s lovely property. Their home, built in the 1920’s  is located on a main road. The hornbeam hedges and brick walls provide privacy and shelter to the croquet lawn and large perennial borders overflowing with irises, roses, peonies and aquilegias. There was also a very striking pink and white candy stripe lupin that we saw nowhere else. The fat peony buds  were beginning to open. I always struggle to suppress a wave of jealousy when admiring peonies never having lived anywhere where they would flourish. I console myself knowing that to truly be successful with peonies you need to have the stamina to endure very cold winters. I do not. Dotted around the garden were cute bird houses made by the local joiner, Matthew Newton. Not just your average bird house – some were more a town house and down one end of the garden there was the equivalent of a bird condo. Prunus Shimidsu Sakura stood guard either side of the entry way. They were the main prunus flowering at this time. The other notable tree in blossom was the Malus Ioensis Plena. Those balls of pink petals are just moreish. A great start to the day.(Hurunui Homestead website )

Next stop was Kintail in Waikari but first, we needed caffeine. Waikari Kitchen not only has great coffee but delicious food. Feeling fortified we drove up the driveway to Kintail. Vicky, the co-owner, gave us a very warm welcome and was interested to hear what we thought of travelling in a motorhome. It seems that could be on Vicky’s and her husband Peter’s bucket list. Looking at the size of their garden and the standard to which it was maintained, made me wonder how they were going to find time to put down their trowels. Their house is set on an exposed ridge with sweeping views over farmland to Mounts Te Koa and Lyford and to the south west, Mt Mason and the Waikari Valley. They have used pencil cyprus to great effect. The cyprus frame the many wonderful vistas or add height in, for example, the beds of agapanthus. Due to the exposed site there was quite a different plant palette used here. No swathes of delicate aquilegias or irises. Instead euphorbia, echium, the forementioned agapanthus, cabbage trees, flaxes and other natives featured heavily. There were sweeping lawns on three levels with teuchrium and buxus hedging used to create separate areas. There was no fussiness about the garden. It looked like it belonged to a hard working family who enjoyed spending time outdoors, enjoying their spectacular bit of Godzone.

There was time for one more garden before we headed for Flaxmere. Newstead, in Hawarden, is a lovely country garden. It apparently started off as one hectare but then fences were moved and paddocks were hijacked to allow for a wedding marquee. The effect is park like. Big sweeping lawns, lovely mature trees and plenty of thoughtful underplanting. I loved the hot border with nandina and red helianthemums. There were plants that I had not seen in other gardens to date – a pure yellow aquilegia, a purple sedum (maybe Purple Emperor), wallflowers and  astrantia. But it’s not all froth. The vegetable garden also looks extremely productive. Pea straw is used extensively as mulch. Apparently they grew the prize winning pumpkin at the 2019 Hawarden Show, weighing in at 91.5kg. What a whopper! How much pumpkin soup would that have made? In 2020 Newstead lost ten mature trees. The garden now has a stumpery. It looked great showing that even when there is a garden disaster there is always a silver lining – the opportunity to plant something new or turn that disaster into a feature.

Flaxmere was a mere hop skip and a jump from Newstead. We found HQ a spot for the night in the parking paddock, slaked our thirst with a cuppa, locked up leaving Lil on guard and headed for the entrance. Flaxmere, is not to be taken lightly. It is a three hectare six star garden of International Significance. Penny Zino is the driving force behind the garden. It is truly miraculous what she has managed to create over the last fifty five years. Penny and her late husband John moved to the farm in 1966. The farm was renamed Flaxmere in a nod to John’s mother’s connection to Hawkes Bay.

The first task was cutting down old overgrown shelterbelts that overshadowed the house. This revealed amazing vistas of Mt Te Koa that were pivotal in Penny’s garden design. The other pivotal feature is water. A stream running through the property was used to create the chain of ponds. Bulldozers were utilised but not before two were submerged in the process.  Penny’s artistic eye and ability to draw her designs has resulted in strong structural elements throughout the garden. All of the different themes in the garden blend seamlessly. Nothing jars. It is very pleasing to the eye. Whether it is the woodland garden , the rose garden, the native area, the marquee lawn or the Mt Te Koa vista area, nothing is higgledy-piggledy. In fact it is the complete opposite of higgledy-piggledy, whatever the word for that may be.

Flaxmere is an extremely challenging environment. Searing hot temperatures in Summer with savage nor-westers to bitterly cold winters with snow on the ground and ponds frozen over. I had taken a picture (one of many!)  of an attractive Burrelli terracotta pot, planted with echeveria. In the barn, there was a photo of that same pot capped with 8 inches of snow. One bit of wisdom that I have taken to heart is Penny’s advice about sourcing plants to ensure they get the best start. Try and source your plants from a nursery further south than your garden. They are likely to be hardier and do better than the same plant from a nursery further north.  This is the joy of garden festivals. Not only seeing the wonderful gardens but talking to their creators who are always so happy to share their knowledge. Whether it is plant identification or a tricky cultivation question, they are always happy to share .

The thing that stuck out to me most at Flaxmere is the woman at the centre of it all. It is hard to believe the slender welcoming smartly dressed septuagenarian still does 90% of the work in the garden herself. This is the story of her life. It appears that she has always been extremely hardworking and resourceful. When farming incomes dropped dramatically, Penny grew gypsophila. At that time a carload of gypsophila was fetching as much as a truckload of lambs. Penny and John, along with some of their green fingered neighbours, set up a Country Garden collective operating garden tours. This was an innovative concept being the first cluster group of gardens to open in NZ.  She set up a nursery cultivating climbers after talking to Nurserymen around Christchurch to identify a gap in the market. This was later expanded to old fashioned roses. With a friend, Penny established the Art in a Garden exhibition that they ran together for 11 years, attracting 2,000 – 2,500 visitors to the garden not just from NZ but overseas as well. So much energy and drive in such a petite package. Penny Zino is truly the Jewel in The Crown of just not the Hurunui Garden Festival but gardening in NZ. You can tell I’m a big fan.

We had to have two sessions at Flaxmere. The day we got there rain delayed play. We scurried back to HQ as big drops of rain tumbled down. The next day, the sky was blue, the sun was hot, the colours in the garden were brighter and Mt Te Koa had emerged from behind the clouds. Penny’s attention to detail has resulted in a garden that has something to offer in any season. I’m looking forward to returning to Flaxmere. I’m thinking early next year! The roses should be pretty special.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At this time of year it is difficult to decide which of the garden festivals to visit. The last couple of years we have been to the Taranaki Festivals – so many gardens you could go 10 years in a row without seeing the same garden twice. Like painting the Harbour Bridge. Once you are finished it is time to start all over again to see what has grown or changed since the last time.

This year, we decided to tour the Hurunui Garden Festival (HGF) for the 1st time and then travel back up to Blenheim for the Marlborough Garden Show. We have been to Marlborough a couple of times over the years. It does not disappoint – the gardens are magnificent.  Touring in a bus takes away the stress of finding a parking space for HQ (our motorhome) on what is often skinny twisty roads. We both get to sit back and enjoy the scenery. Unfortunately with easing of lockdowns not coming soon enough, the organisers decided to pull the pin. We felt for the garden owners who would have been working so hard to have their gardens looking perfect for the show.

Chas and Jean were to tour with us this year, flying in to Christchurch and picking up a Maui “slider” (campervan with a sliding door for those unfamiliar with the parlance). These plans were made before Delta reared its ugly head. So in the end we left Chas and Jean locked down in Cambridge and went to Hurunui on our own. We’ll have to try again next year.

This is only the 4th year that the festival has been held, organised by a dynamic team of 6 women and Gary Mitchell as Chair. There are 22 locations to visit – private gardens, historic homes and artists from Hanmer Springs in the North to Amberley in the South. This is a very professionally organised festival with the brochure, website, signage and other communication well organised and thought out. The gardens we visited were of a consistently high standard and the hosts welcoming and generous with their time, sharing their knowledge. The difficult part was deciding which locations to visit!

Day 1

We started in Cheviot, travelling 10 minutes out of  town to Cathedral Cliffs in Gore Bay. What a stunning location. Due to the misty weather we missed out on the spectacular clifftop views but enjoyed the multitude of rhododendrons, perennial beds, flowering prunus and wonderful bird song. A great start to our Festival tour.

On to Ribbonwood Country House, 20 minutes inland. Another spectacular setting with views over the Waiau Valley towards Mt Parnassus and the Seaward Kaikouras. The owners, Robert and Gary (Chair of HGF) were most welcoming, their professional hospitality experience shining through. Ribbonwood operates as a boutique luxury lodge. They have a large vegetable and picking garden to support the lodge as well as other gardens for the pleasure of guests. Extensive native plantings protect the gardens from the fierce winds. This would be a lovely location to spend a weekend and Robert and Gary would be consummate hosts. Ribbonwood Country House website

Our next pick of gardens was Loch Leven. It has been awarded 5 stars by the NZ Gardens Trust, meaning that it is a “Garden of National Significance”. The Trust’s star system is a reliable benchmark of the standard and certainly didn’t disappoint. Loch Leven is a 3 acre garden on a small farm in the Amuri Basin.  It is park like with large sweeping lawns that would turn many golf clubs green with envy. Large borders are studded with trees and beautifully underplanted with an interesting selection of plants. Rock walls and clipped hedges provide structure. A  summerhouse, large locally sourced boulders and garden art provide interesting  focal points. The garden was as it was described in the HGF brochure – expansive and tranquil.

This garden is the result of thirty years of hard work by the owners Doreen and Mike. As if a three acre garden isn’t enough to keep you busy, they also propagate plants that they sell through their small nursery or online Loch Leven Nursery website 

It was the worst kind of hell perusing the nursery with its quality interesting plants at very reasonable prices knowing that unless HQ had morphed into the Tardis I would have to resist. I could only resist for so long. I placed an online order this afternoon. Within a couple of hours Doreen was on the phone enquiring whether I had used the right address as it was not my home address. What service and attention to detail! Watch out Chas and Jean – plants coming your way. A small consolation prize for missing out on the HGF.

The day was slipping away and we were looking forward to opening a bottle of red and reviewing the events of the day. “Just one more” I pleaded. “It’s just down the road” I whined. Happy wife, happy life and we were off to Hemingford in Culverden. Another lovely country garden owned by Artist Lissa and husband Al – large trees, peonies, irises, roses mostly still in bud and other herbaceous perennials. The archway walk, recycled from a Sumner garden and originally a gift made in the Littleton shipyards, was bordered by the largest lilac bushes  I have ever seen, complementing the clematis and roses growing over the structure. It was easy to see where Lissa gets her inspiration for her artwork on display in her studio. We loved Lissa’s work and decided to make one our own. I’m sure it will remind us of their beautiful garden. Lissa Holland Artist website

It was time to head to that night’s resting place. A feature of the HGF is that some of the gardens allow motorhomes to stay free overnight. They welcome a donation to their Student Scholarship fund which we were only too happy to make. What a privilege staying in such beautiful settings. Our choice for the 1st night of the Festival was Coldstream. It was after 5pm as we drove up the long driveway leading to the garden The hosts Vicki and Andrew couldn’t have been more welcoming after what I’m sure has been a hectic few months and a busy 1st day of the Festival. Vicki invited us to wander the garden at our own pace, warning that rain could be on the way. In fact the next morning there was a weather warning in place. High wind, thunderstorms and hail were predicted. We were pleased we had taken Vicki up on her kind offer of an after-hours’ viewing.

Coldstream, another 5 star garden of National Significance, is a one hectare garden that wraps around the farmhouse. The stream that flows through the garden creates a large pond (or is it a lake). A huge willow grows at its edge, the tips of its branches gracefully dipping into the clear water. Mature oaks and the biggest silver birches we have ever seen are underplanted with camellias, rhododendrons and roses. Vicki told us they had had to remove 14 of the birches. It was difficult to see where they had been removed from and they certainly weren’t missed. One had been blown over by a high wind and had been propped back up and stropped into place, none the worse for its experience. Some of the garden beds were more formal, edged with buxus and again an impressive emerald green carpet of lawn.  Like many of the gardens that day there were impressive swathes of irises and aquilegia. Coldstream Facebook page

All of these wonderful gardens and only the 1st day. We staggered back to the van with weary legs but happy hearts. After weeks of uncertainty whether or not Covid would rob us of another pleasure and having to leave our travel buddies behind, our day felt like a miracle. We slept the night peacefully with only one other motorhome for company.  Gardens are so good for the soul. It was a very auspicious start.

 

 

 

 

We have spent the last few days in Christchurch.  I don’t think we have been there for eight years and it was hard to recognise the place. A lot has been accomplished post-earthquake and Christchurch was looking very glamorous in its autumnal colours.

While we were there we caught up with Kurt and Missy, our old neighbours from Whanganui. Missy, Kurt’s rescue dog, and our dog Lily were best friends. Missy used to show up at our house before 7am, leaping the front gate and knocking on our bedroom window to let us know she was ready to go for a walk. We worked out that if we let her in and turned on the gas fire everyone was happy and we got an extra hour’s kip. Missy is also famous for raising the alarm when the premises next to their new home in Christchurch caught fire. Fortunately everyone escaped unscathed. We were alerted to Missy’s heroism by my sisters-in-law – Jeannette in Invercargill and Tracy in Matamata who had seen the article on line and thought it might be “our” Kurt and Missy. Indeed it was. Missy has however changed from the sleek running machine she was in Castlecliff to, as Kurt affectionately describes her, Miss Wobbly Bottom. It was great to see them both looking so happy in their new home.

After our Kurt and Missy rendezvous we carried on to catch up with Fiona and John in Halswell. They live on a few acres with splendid views across to the Main Divide. It was a while since we have seen Fi and John but like with most old friends you take up where you left off and the additional gray hair and wrinkles dissipate into insignificance as you yarn on into the night. The most obvious markers of the passing time are the changes in the kids. We were lucky to be joined for dinner by their two daughters. Gone were the wee girls to be replaced by gorgeous talented mature adults. So lovely to see them. Their son was away at university but looking at the photos we were shown he had stretched a foot or two and now sported a moustache.  No longer the little guy we had watched 8 years ago running around the rugby field and then thanking the “people” in the kitchen (not just ladies Fi reminded him) in the captain’s after match speech. It was a lovely evening. I joked with Fi that we would be giving them an excellent review in the NZMCA app.

From Christchurch we headed for Hanmer Springs, virgin territory for both Derek and I. After less than an hour on SH1 we drove past a sign for a sculpture garden. Two three point turns in the moho later we are heading up Ram Paddock Road towards the Iron Ridge Sculpture Park  (www.raymondherber.com).

“This rings a bell with me” Derek says flicking through the notes he occasionally makes on his phone. Sure enough. We had seen an article about the artist Raymond Herber and his gallery in an old limestone quarry in a Life and Leisure magazine back in 2017. Four years later we are driving up the stunning Waipara valley to meet the artist himself and view his work.

Raymond lives and works at Iron Ridge Quarry. The old Limeworks buildings nestled into the side of the hill have made an excellent workshop, gallery, and living space. Steel and stainless steel are Raymond’s medium of choice, and his work encompasses small scale sculptures, whimsical interactive and kinetic pieces as well as large scale private and public sculpture. Walking around the sculpture garden there is such a huge range and scale of sculptures – the “Gentle Giant” a large scale steel horse with very strong form next to  a piece entitled “Two Worlds”, a large detailed kinetic piece with many intricate pieces and then there is the little fantail fashioned from recycled cutlery. One of my favourite pieces was “Trout” – two stainless steel trout swimming up a ribbon of corten steel. The top trout was reaching for a stainless steel dragonfly and the lower a beetle. Although this was not a kinetic sculpture, Raymond had captured so much movement in the forms, the trout looked ready to disappear back into the water with a flick of their tails.

What an amazing setting. Raymond bought the quarry twenty odd years ago and has spent the intervening years creating an impressive sculpture park.  Swapping limestone for endless loads of topsoil and plants he has developed the perfect backdrop for his pieces. Raymond greets us warmly when we arrive and we start chatting about his work, his creative journey and the struggles that he has been through to get where he is today. It has not been easy. The global financial crisis brought a low point and just when Raymond had decided to give it just another two years before shutting the doors – lockdown arrived. Like many New Zealanders lockdown was a double edged sword. Although it was tight on the financial side it allowed time for creativity.

Post lockdown it was gratifying to hear that things have picked up. Now the worry is having enough pieces to exhibit. If anyone deserves success it is Raymond Herber. His creativity is endless and his skill in bringing his creations to life is magical.

At the moment the Iron Ridge Quarry Sculpture Garden is open 7 days a week 10am to 5pm. However as this does not leave much time for bringing his creative visions to life it may pay to check first.

www.IronRidgeSculpturePark

Follow Raymond on FaceBook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you know that the wallaby was introduced to Waimate in 1874 for the fur trade? These cousins from Australia, like many introduced species, now threaten our native environment and instead of being transformed into coats and hats are now popular game for hunters.  Happy to report we didn’t see a single skippy whilst in Waimate. I find it very hard to feel ill will to something so cute and furry.

We stayed at the campground in Knottingley Park. What a great asset it is. At this time of  year the exotic trees were fully autumnal and the ground below the trees resembled your Granny’s axminster with full on swirls of red and gold. It is a haven for dog walkers and nature lovers alike. The locals, Harry and Jenny, gave us a rundown of the facilities and were most welcoming. The lady from the Council, Alison, was very obliging, arriving with her EFTpos machine so that we didn’t have to raid the various stashes of loose change to find the right money for the camp fees that works on an honesty system.

Town was not far from the park so we unpacked the e-bikes from the back of the moho and peddled into town. Waimate in its prime would have been impressive. A service centre for the surrounding rural community and home to a flour mill it would have been a bustling community. It is still a pretty town but many of the historical buildings are in various states of repair. The Waimate bakery and hotel stand out as recent renos. What a great job the renovators have done. We can attest that the bakery is not just a pretty face. The food and coffee were great and the croissants and sourdough that we bought to take home, worthy of any Auckland artisan baker.

Nearby is the Arcadia Theatre. What a magnificent looking building that would have been in its heyday. It’s still possible to see many of its unusual original features beneath the layers of dust and grime. It started life as Quinn’s Arcade, built from nearly 300,000 bricks and ran from High Street to the adjacent street with a dozen small shops on either side. Potentially one of the earliest versions of a shopping mall in NZ. It later became a theatre but now sadly is home to pigeons and the ghosts of days gone by. We were delighted to hear that one of the locals, Mr George Rooney, of earthmoving fame and the force behind the bakery and hotel transformations has bought the Theatre and is about to work his magic again.  Every small town needs a Mr Rooney to breathe new life into the community. We look forward to visiting Waimate and hopefully a reborn Arcadia Theatre again soon.

Although Mr Rooney is my new favourite son of Waimate, another famous New Zealander was also born here. One of our most popular leaders, Norman Kirk, the 29th Prime Minister of NZ from 1972 until his sudden death in 1974 is buried in the Waimate lawn cemetery, his wife Ruth just next door. Across the road, is the older town cemetery with a fascinating array of monuments to loved ones. They don’t make headstones like they used to.

10 minutes from the town of Waimate, lies Willowbridge. Willowbridge’s claim to fame is that in 1875 it was  the site of New Zealand’s first Grand National Steeplechase. Not too many signs of horse racing there today. It is now home to the Chicken Wire Creations Sculpture Garden. We spotted this garden on Trip Advisor and contacted the resident artist, Michelle Aplin. Although Michelle has officially shut the garden for the Winter season, she obligingly agreed to let us visit. Michelle and her husband Jason have converted part of their rural idyl into a sculpture garden to display Michelle’s chicken wire sculptures. Michelle, a trained nurse, made her first sculpture (a goat) a few years ago for her own amusement and it has grown from there. When we called in she was working on one of her new pieces, a large rabbit commissioned for Winetopia.  This will be accompanied by a life size woman, her backless dress elegantly draped, a wine glass in hand;  Bacchus the wine god, an imposing form snacking on a bunch of grapes and what Michelle described as her goofy dog – a large hound about to water a wine barrel.   If you are planning to go to Winetopia you are bound to be blown away by Michelle’s work.

Chicken wire doesn’t strike you as the easiest medium to create forms especially capturing such a fluidity of movement.  However this is exactly what Michelle does and what’s more she does it with her bare hands.  No gloves here.  They just get in the way.  Her people and animals are ghostly versions of themselves.  Not in a creepy way, more ethereal and captivating, capturing the essence of the creature.  From the horse leaping a fence, the piglet taking a bath, the man with suitcase waiting for a train that never comes, all of Michelle’s sculptures look like they could come to life.  It would seem impossible to believe you could create feathers with chicken wire,  but that is exactly what Michelle does.  She is very clever.

Michelle’s Chicken Wire Sculpture Garden will reopen in the Spring. You can follow her on  FaceBook  or visit her website

We have been to the West Coast several times and have always turned left at Westport . This time we went right. What a revelation. It has been a highlight and we plan to return.

We did stay a couple of nights in Westport at the camping ground. Unfortunately they still use coal fired boilers at the campground. I’m not sure this is a case of supporting local trumps global warming. I’d forgotten how fierce coal fumes can be. However there are some good bike trails in Westport around the coastline and it is a good place to stock up.

After leaving Westport we travelled through a few villages, Granity, Hector and then  stopped for a few nights at the mouth of the Mohikinui River at a campground called Gentle Annie – voted 3rd best camping ground in NZ. Would love to see the first two placegetters. They would have to be pretty special. We had been told about Gentle Annie by a couple we meant at Puponga in Golden Bay.  “Make sure you take some pizza bases” they advised.  “It takes 3 hours to fire up the outdoor pizza oven and about two minutes to cook the pizza, but it’s worth it. Take wine.” . We didn’t test the  pizza oven but we did sample the game pies and wonderful home baking they sell in the café. Delicious! It was lucky we left when we were both still fitting through the habitation door of the motorhome .

I also went for the one swim of the tour in the River. More a dip than a swim. The river water was beautiful and very refreshing. There is no swimming at the beaches.  As the locals will tell you   “You won’t be needing a towel if you swim at the beach” . Their cryptic way of telling you the beaches are dangerous and if you venture in, you won’t be returning to shore.

We reluctantly left Gentle Annie and its resident flock of wekas and went further North to Karamea.  Why have we not been here before?? Camping in the domain on the banks of the River  was so picturesque. You could walk the dog along the stop banks of the River to the estuary where the white sand and the wading birds were in abundance .

We booked a tour in Karamea of the nearby Oparara caves in the Kahurangi National Park, another recommendation from a fellow traveler.  The Oparara caves can only be accessed on a guided tour but there are other caves in the Oparara Basin that can be seen independently.

Our guide Yvonne picked us up from the camping ground in a yellow 4 wheel drive. It was an early start for us. The upside was I got photos of the sunrise. We were very pleased to be in a four wheel drive as we bounced over the rutted metal road. And even more pleased to have someone else doing the driving. The road is somewhat challenging. No wonder they have banned motor homes from making the trek.

After a walk through lush pristine  beech and podocarp forest with the cheeky South Island robins pecking at your toes, we donned miner’s helmets. It’s pretty dark in the caves and painful if you contact the walls with your noggin.  Yvonne leads us down the steps and into the gloom. She points out the various natural formations – cave coral, elephants’ feet and other stalactites that quite frankly look like props for an anatomy lesson. The cave is also a treasure trove of bones and fossils. Many have been removed and are now held at learning institutions but some remain.  Moa bones, the bones of a Haast eagle (the largest eagle known to exist now extinct like the moa) and bones from unidentified species all remain on display in the caves.  There are glowworms and even an eel and koura (freshwater crayfish) who were a little elusive on the day we visited. The caves are part of 15 kilometres of a tunnel system called Honeycomb Hills. Many of the bones were the result of the poor creature falling through a hole in the surface and never making it out.

We fortunately did make it out and after lunch, it was on to the largest limestone arch in the Southern Hemisphere. We had a choice of the prettiest arch (Moira’s Gate) or the biggest (Oparara) arch. Big won out. It was truly impressive at 200 metres long and nearly 50 metres high and wide.  Back through the bush and safely back to the campground. What a fascinating day and well worth the tour fee.

One of the many highlights in Karamea was the local museum. Only open from 1-4pm in the afternoon it gave us an insight into the lives of the first European settlers in this area, described as “The Promised Land”. The hardships they endured were immense. One young would-be farmer exulted in the promise of 50 acres at 28 shillings an acre to be paid for in fourteen years. However it was thick unrelenting west coast bush and the conditions were tough. His wife wasn’t so happy “After travelling some distance in canoes, and then over a pack track through virgin bush, wet and swampy underfoot to a tiny clearing where tents were pitched… the scene was so desolate that I simply sat down on a stump and wept.” The exhibits were beautifully curated with many personal items donated by the families in the district bringing their stories to life.

“Have you been to Kohaihai?” asked our fellow whitebait sandwich diners in the Little Wanganui tavern. “It’s the start of the Heaphy Track on this side. Amazing . Book your campsite online at DOC”. So we did. 

Kohaihai, about 20 minutes north of Karamea, is magic and worth the dust from the last 5 k’s of gravel road. Campsites right on the beach await. An estuary runs up the valley. I have never seen so many Nikau palms in one place. It has a truly tropical feel. DOC has provided flushing loos and bbq areas but you need to be self-contained to camp there. Lily the schnauzer was allowed in the camping/parking area but not on the tracks. That was a sensible solution compared to the blanket “No Dogs”  handbrake we can strike on the road. We all loved it. We did the 2 hour return  walk to Scott’s Beach and the shorter Nikau walk. This taste of the Heaphy track left us both wanting more. However be warned, make sure you have plenty of insect repellant. The sandflies are fierce.

We travel in search of garden art, gardens to visit and garden inspiration. We struck out on the first two north of Westport but the garden inspiration was huge. Everywhere you turn, native plants that for many urban dwellers reside only in the local garden centre. To walk through our beautiful native forest is a privilege and joy and there is no better example than North of Westport.

 

We drove past the Hidden Sculpture Garden  about 12 months ago on the way to visit a hop garden in Tapawera. My father was behind the wheel. I immediately had a flashback to childhood family holidays where unless the diversion was on the right side of the road on the way to our destination, there was no stopping. That day was no exception. We sailed on by. What a shame. My parents would have loved it as much as we did twelve months later.

The Hidden Sculpture Garden and Gallery is a delight. Established by David Carson, the resident artist, and his lovely wife Rachel back in 2008 on the family farm, the Garden is well worth stopping for. In fact it deserves to be a destination in its own right. It is situated 45 mins from Nelson and Motueka along the Motueka Valley Highway and is also now part of the Great Taste Cycle Trail if you want to ride there.

David and Rachel have stylishly converted some farm buildings into two galleries that not only exhibit David’s work but also the work of a number of other accomplished NZ artists. The works on display were interesting, vibrant and often witty. It is times like these I wish our motorhome HQ was more like Dr Who’s Tardis and could accommodate my lust for art. However the good news – Rachel is happy to arrange packing and postage for any pieces you can’t be without.

Through one of the galleries you enter a  sheltered walled courtyard overlooking a pond and mature trees. It is not a manicured garden. It has more of a wild loose feel. If you follow the mown path  around the pond and between the trees you ramble past works by David as well as other artists.

David’s work is more organic. Many of the pieces are crafted from wood. Some are colourful, others blend into the environment. One piece Sleep Walker  made me think of Gulliver’s Travels – a large log was held aloft by many thin black wooden supports. It was as if the supports were transporting a sleeping giant. You could almost see the log moving through the forest.

Most of the works are on a large scale. For example, Faux Topiaries, large upright logs crowned with a giant nest of red pick up sticks. One “topiary” would look great as a statement piece in an urban garden. They looked striking as a group of three on display in the Hidden Garden.

There are also some of David’s earlier pieces that were made from recycled saw blades. A large urn crafted from blades looked amazing nestled into the grasses.  As does a smaller piece titled Bean, but there are no prizes for guessing what shape that piece was.

On a jetty protruding into the pond is a white life size figure of a man wearing pink togs. Not budgie smugglers. Think more the blue speedos sported by Daniel Craig in one of his earlier Bond movies. It is a work by Sam Duckor-Jones titled Strong Men Point Their Toes. Like many of the pieces on display you can’t help but smile.

A couple of pieces by Grant Scott contrast David’s more organic pieces. Grant’s works are large metallic tapestry forms. One called Mother hangs from a tree branch slowly turning in the breeze. It is mesmerising.

All of the art is displayed thoughtfully and with care. Around every corner there is a surprise. Some pieces are whimsical, some are brutish. They all make you stop and appreciate the talent of the artist.

The day we visited was beautiful. The sun was streaming through the trees. The cicadas were almost deafening. We were in no hurry to leave. In fact Rachel invited us, as she does all of their visitors, to picnic in the garden. Lily, the schnauzer, was welcome too. What a great spot to spend the afternoon.

If an afternoon is not enough, you can stay the night. There is a cottage on the farm, available for rent on Airbnb . I could think of nothing nicer.

www.davidcarson.co.nz

Hidden Sculpture Garden and Gallery  4854 Motueka Valley Highway, Tapawera, Tasman, South Island

 

One of the first things we do when we arrive in a new place is scout out what’s happening at the Visitors’ Centre. Takaka was no different. We received a very warm welcome from the woman behind the counter.

“What do you like?” she asked

“Gardens, art, garden art and of course some nice walks for our dog” I replied.

“You are going to love Lollokiki” she said. “It’s a sculpture garden.”

Lollokiki is the collective name of  two Takaka artists Toy Murchie and Kas Muller who have been making art professionally together since 1997. Lollokiki are the resident artists of Sculpture705. Sculpture705 situated in Pohara,  Golden Bay is an art complex comprised of a Courtyard, Studio Shop, Archway, Sculpture Garden and Workshop. Sculpture 705 also hosts the art gallery, Loft Gallery.

Before we made it to Sculpture705 we were browsing through ART Vault, a gallery in Takaka. Lots of the art on display appealed, including “tree jewellery”- interesting stones, metal shapes and other objects wound decoratively together with metal, designed to adorn a tree. Had to have one of those. As the company treasurer was paying for the latest acquisition, the woman behind the counter enthusiastically talked about the artists – Lollokiki! “Their sculpture  garden – it’s amazing. They have made all of the art. They work so hard.”   

She also recommended the lovely walk to Wainui Falls. So the next day on our way to the Falls we called in to Sculpture705. The first thing that strikes you is the scale of the creativity of the resident artists – Toy and Kas. All of the work on display has been created by them.

The artwork ranges from jewellery to large outdoor sculptures. Such an eclectic range of materials. Kas was telling me they have had to cut out the odd tree when developing their garden. It hasn’t gone to waste. Instead it is recreated as a beautiful piece of artwork and several new trees are planted in their place.

The versatility of the creative works is an eye opener. In many examples the link to eco sustainability and the fragility of the planet is on display. One of the first works in the courtyard is a large metallic figure striding  forward –  “Modernity striding through the wilderness, nature crawling back on her wake. Leaving behind nothing but relics, reminiscent of ancient civilisations”. Art with a message.

The Artists’ sense of humour is also very prevalent. Multicoloured ancient jelly babies, fecund pottery figures, you can’t help but smile wandering around their haven of creativity.

Toy was saying they have had an excellent season with lots of visitors and it’s not hard to see why. Sculpture705 is open to visitors at weekends during Winter and 7 days a week during Summer. Call in and be amazed.

Sculpture705

705 Abel Tasman Drive, Pohara, Golden Bay

027 3838 001

Lollokiwi705@gmail.com

www.lollokiki.co.nz

#GardenArt #GoldenBay #NewZealand

 

 

This is the third time we have tried to make it to Takaka and the Golden Bay area. The first time the weather was not good and the locals told us not to bother – “you won’t see a thing driving over the hill”. Second time, COVID, not the locals sent us home.  As they say, third time a charm. Here we are, in Golden Bay at last. Happy days.

The drizzle that had arrived when we left Motueka soon turned to rain. Negotiating the Takaka Hill turned into a white knuckle drive through the clouds.  Derek had certainly earnt his glass of wine that evening!

We found Takaka to be a lot like the Waiheke Island of 20 years ago where we had lived. More shops, less vineyards but more dreads, crystals and baggy hemp clothing made in Nepal. Takaka is delightful and a great resting place after the drive over the hill. Good food and lovely people. And for those gin drinkers amongst you, the home of Dancing Sands distillery. Well worth a visit.

Golden Bay is not famed for its gardens. It is famed for its natural beauty. The landscape is captivating and provides exceptional inspiration for the home gardener.

The vast swathes of oioi populating the wetlands are stunning. How many different shades of green and gold can there be? Add in the multitude, in numbers and variety of wading birds, you are guaranteed many opportunities to practise mindfulness, watching the ebb and flow of the tide over the sandy banks.

A short distance from Takaka, are the Te Waikoropupu springs, New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs and the largest cold water springs in the Southern hemisphere. A very pleasant easy bush walk to get there and the clearest water I have ever seen. The colours in the spring are stunning – all different shades of blue imaginable.

Onwards through Collingwood with a side trip to Bainham. The Langsford General Store  in Bainham is a great place to visit. The local general store and post office, opened in 1928, does a great cuppa and scone with jam and cream served in lovely old bone china. The store is part museum, part antiques and collectibles shop and for those with a bent for the more contemporary,  art gallery. It’s a crowd pleaser but beware, it is not open Fridays.

The lovely man running the store that day (who also turned out to be the scone baker) suggested a drive on to the Salisbury Falls and swing bridge. The swing bridge had been swept away a number of years ago, not that any of the signage along the way alluded to this fact. However the remaining more modern bridge is interesting, as are the falls. Apparently some punters try their luck at gold panning in the river or catching a fish.

Further North, we reached Puponga, located at the base of Farewell Spit. From Puponga, at the end of 4 kilometres of gravel  road littered with potholes, is one of the most spectacular beaches in New Zealand, Wharariki. Think Coromandel’s Cathedral Cove on steroids. Either a 20 minute trek over a grassy hillock or a 40 minute walk over farmland by a lake and then through bush brings you to  a stunning white sand beach. The most spectacular feature of the beach is the Archway Islands that rise out of the sea, their steep sides assaulted by the waves and their tops crowned with a smudge of green vegetation. These islands frequently feature on tourist calendars and also were the default lock screen image for Microsoft Windows at some stage.

Back in Takaka we travelled onwards to stay the night at Port Tarakohe. On the way we passed through Pohara calling in at Lollokiki, the sculpture garden and gallery of Toy Murchison and Kas Muller www.lollokiki.co.nz . We had spotted their work in Art Vault, the art gallery in the old bank building in Takaka and couldn’t resist their quirky tree jewellery. Every large tree deserves one of these! More on these two very industrious creative people in the next instalment.

Whilst purchasing tree jewellery, the woman in Art Vault, recommended a trip to the Wainui Falls. The falls are a 20 metre waterfall in Wainui Bay. It is the largest and most accessible waterfall in the Abel Tasman National Park. In under an hour, along a well-formed track alongside the Wainui River you arrive at the falls that cascades over granite bedrock into a deep pool at its base. The more hardy amongst you may be tempted for a swim in its plunge pool. The less adventurous, will enjoy a nice warm drink back at the café at the start of the track. What a great job DOC does of maintaining these tracks, making such beautiful spots accessible to young and old, tourists and locals.

Finally the weather gods promised a cloud free day with not a hint of rain. We ventured forth back across the Takaka Hill towards Motueka. Though a few of the hairpin bends and steep drops still produced the odd squeal from the navigator, it was a much better trip with spectacular vistas on display.

Golden Bay – what a beautiful, interesting part of our country. No doubt we will return.

#goldenbay , #garden #gardenart

 

 

In March 2020 we started the Garden Artisan South Island tour. 2 weeks in, and no further than Motueka, COVID had well and truly arrived and we were heading for lockdown. We managed to scuttle home on the penultimate ferry across the strait.  Driving home was  like featuring in your very own zombie apocalypse movie with no one else on the roads. Not the most auspicious end to our trip.

So here we are again, taking another crack at seeing what the South Island delivers in the way of garden inspiration and garden art.

We toured the South Island about 10 years ago for 6 weeks by car with Miniature Schnauzer Mark 1. That time we struck some of the worst storms in years, earthquakes and all manner of natural disasters. Derek’s sister, Jeannette  from Invercargill, threatened to ban us from ever stepping foot on the Mainland again such were these occurrences timed with our arrival. We did however have a great time, inspired by much of what we saw. We have high hopes of what we will find this time around and look forward to sharing it.

This trip, first stop Wellington, to catch up with son Jules before we catch the Picton ferry and then on to Blenheim to stay with Kate and Bill on their beautiful vineyard, Winterhawk, at the foot of the Dry Hills in Blenheim.

Last year, before COVID called, we pretended to be WWOOFers and assisted with the removal of the nets from the vines at Winterhawk. This year sadly has not been kind to Kate’s grapes and the frost has put paid to most of the crop. No WWOOFers required.  Oh well, we might just have to go for lunch at a vineyard instead. It’s a tough life.

Lily, miniature schnauzer mark 2, is now four years old. She is not so keen on the driving part of our trips. Strapped into the back seat in a harness, her ears in a position that we refer to as “the flying nun”, she endures the rocking, rolling and strange noises in the back of the bus. Lily enjoys the destination more than the road trip.  She enjoys the camping, meeting new friends, walking new tracks and smelling new smells.  Every day is a great day when you are a dog. We could learn much from them.

Derek and I are feeling blessed to be living in this part of the world. So lucky to continue with the freedom to travel in our beautiful country. We will keep you updated on what we find as we go.

#Gardenart #SouthIsland #roadtrip #NewZealand