Of course the top highlights of the three-week visit to New Zealand was the wedding of my son and his lovely partner and meeting a new extended family of in-laws. Also spending time with my daughter in Tauranga.
Between visiting and socializing I did find time to see some interesting places to explore and, naturally, a garden was top of the list.
Wrights Water Gardens has been created in a disused quarry covering 7 acres. The gardens are rustic, rambling and wild. tracks meander around the ponds and waterways and through the different levels leading to the 30 foot Mauku waterfall. I fell in love with this garden and spent nearly 3 hours wandering around and, of course, the photo opportunities were endless. The light was perfect and I took almost 200 shots. Hard to pick my favourites.
I hope you enjoy this walk around with me and my camera…
It is mid spring and I was amazed at the colour and diversity of the leaf colours and the way the light shone through them highlighting the veins and making them glow.
The tracks wind through the abundant drifts of perennials and shrubs opening up to ever more delights.
The flowers are in full bloom, the very best time to be in a garden.
Wisteria flowers create a carpet of purple. Can you see that strange figure? (no not Jack!!!) This one is sitting down.
What an imaginative way to use old phones…
I think it is time to take a seat and just enjoy the surroundings. This bench is for you Jude. They had put lots of benches around.
There were also lots of sculptures, but this was my favourite, she looks so relaxed.
Around another corner and I find an oriental garden.
A water wheel trickles water over the bank into the waterlily ponds below.
The water lilies are just starting to come out and the lotus flowers, that this garden is famous for, are still waiting to burst into bloom.
Tracks follow the stream trickling over rocks and swirling into ponds. Everywhere the plants jostle together creating drifts of colour and the weeping willow branches droop daintily down to the streams surface.
The rocks were covered in fascinating forms of lichen and I thought of Meg who shares all the delightful flora and fauna from her part of Australia on her blog, enjoy it here, “snippets and snaps“.
After seeing tantalising glimpses of the waterfall as I slowly savoured this magnificent garden I now stood and enjoyed the full force of its beauty.
***********************
Restless Jo takes us on fascinating walks every week and she has a happy band of followers, so I would like to join you again this week Jo with a New Zealand garden walk.
gypsy life 