National guide
Parks and Gardens in New Zealand: One Near Each of Our 20 Cities
From the Quarry Gardens in Whangārei to Queens Park in Invercargill, here’s one park or garden in every Explore city, picked from each city’s own parks guide. Almost all are free, and several are among the best-loved gardens in the country.
At a glance
| City | Park | Known for | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whangārei | Whangārei Quarry Gardens | Subtropical garden in an old quarry | By donation |
| Auckland | Auckland Domain | City's oldest park, Wintergardens | Free |
| Pukekohe | Rosa Birch Park | Sports park with playground | Free |
| Hamilton | Hamilton Gardens | 19 themed gardens | Paid for visitors, parkland free |
| Tauranga | McLaren Falls Park | Lakeside park, falls, glow-worms | Free (camping extra) |
| Rotorua | Kuirau Park | Free geothermal park | Free |
| Taupō | Spa Thermal Park | Free hot stream, river walks | Free |
| Gisborne | Eastwoodhill Arboretum | National Arboretum | Paid entry |
| Napier | Napier Botanical Gardens | Historic hillside gardens | Free |
| Hastings | Cornwall Park | Heritage park, gardens, playground | Free |
| New Plymouth | Pukekura Park | 52 ha botanic park, lakes | Free |
| Whanganui | Virginia Lake Reserve | Lake walk, Winter Gardens, aviary | Free |
| Palmerston North | Victoria Esplanade | Riverside park, roses, railway | Free (railway extra) |
| Wellington | Wellington Botanic Garden | Hillside garden, roses, native bush | Free |
| Nelson | Miyazu Japanese Gardens | Japanese garden | Free |
| Blenheim | Seymour Square | Town square, memorial gardens | Free |
| Christchurch | Christchurch Botanic Gardens | Botanic gardens by the Avon | Free |
| Timaru | Timaru Botanic Gardens | Historic gardens, conservatory | Free |
| Dunedin | Dunedin Botanic Garden | NZ's first botanic garden | Free |
| Invercargill | Queens Park | Gardens, animal reserve, golf | Free |
North Island
Russell Road, Kensington, Whangārei
Whangārei Quarry Gardens
- Entry by donation
- Café
- No dogs
Volunteers turned a former stone quarry into around 60 acres of subtropical garden, with a lake, waterfalls, old ruins, sculptures and tracks into the native bush of Pukenui Forest. It's open daily, with a café and visitor centre; a $10 donation per adult is suggested.
Parnell and Grafton, 2 km from the CBD
Auckland Domain
- Free
- Wintergardens
- Dogs on lead
Auckland's oldest park, 75 hectares on the volcanic cone of Pukekawa with lawns, bush, formal gardens and harbour views. The Wintergardens' two glasshouses date from 1928, and Auckland Museum stands at the top of the hill.
Puni Road, southern Pukekohe
Rosa Birch Park
- Free
- Playground
- Sports
A large local reserve with paths, a playground with spiderweb climbing towers and a covered slide, picnic tables, and courts and fields for hockey, tennis, football and cricket. Dogs are welcome on a lead.
Cobham Drive, beside the Waikato River
Hamilton Gardens
- 19 themed gardens
- Parkland free
- Tours
One of New Zealand's most visited attractions, with 19 enclosed gardens showing garden styles from around the world, from Italian Renaissance to Māori kitchen gardens, in 54 hectares by the river. The wider parkland is free; the enclosed gardens charge visitors aged 16 and over, and Hamilton residents get in free with a pass.
SH29, 10 min from Tauranga
McLaren Falls Park
- Free
- Glow-worms
- No dogs
190 hectares of parkland around Lake McLaren, with picnic spots, walking tracks, a waterfall, disc golf and kayaking, and glow-worms after dark. It's famous for its autumn colours. Entry is free; camping needs booking and has a fee.
Ranolf Street, central Rotorua
Kuirau Park
- Free
- Mud pools
- Thermal foot pools
New Zealand's only inner-city geothermal park, with boiling mud, steaming vents, a crater lake and thermal foot pools you can soak in, free. Gifted to the town by Ngāti Whakaue, it also has gardens, barbecues and a playground. Stay behind the fences: the ground is unstable.
Spa Road, northern Taupō
Spa Thermal Park
- Free
- Hot stream
- Huka Falls walk
A riverside reserve where the hot Otumuheke Stream runs into the Waikato River, making warm, shallow pools to soak in for free. There are changing rooms, a playground and a coffee kiosk, and the walk to Huka Falls starts here.
Ngatapa, 35 km north-west of Gisborne
Eastwoodhill Arboretum
- National Arboretum
- 25 km of trails
- Café
New Zealand's National Arboretum, founded in 1910, with one of the Southern Hemisphere's largest collections of Northern Hemisphere trees across about 130 hectares. Colour-coded trails cover 25 km; autumn colour is the highlight. It's open daily and charges entry.
Napier Hill, near the city centre
Napier Botanical Gardens
- Free
- Open 24 hours
- Aviary
An 18-acre reserve on Napier Hill set aside in 1855, with century-old trees, rose beds, a duck pond, an aviary, a waterfall and a restored terracotta fountain. It's free, open around the clock, and a quiet escape just above the city.
Mahora, central Hastings
Cornwall Park
- Free
- Inclusive playground
- Water play
The district's oldest established reserve, eight hectares of gardens, big trees, walking paths and a popular inclusive playground with water play. It's open all hours and has a Changing Places bathroom.
Central New Plymouth
Pukekura Park
- Free
- Festival of Lights
- Garden of National Significance
One of New Zealand's finest botanic parks, founded in 1876, with lakes, formal gardens, native bush, a tea house, the Bowl of Brooklands and Brooklands Zoo. Each summer the TSB Festival of Lights fills it with installations and night events.
Full guide on Explore New PlymouthMore parks in New Plymouth
St John's Hill, Whanganui
Virginia Lake Reserve
- Free
- Winter Gardens
- No dogs
Rotokawau, a lakeside park with a flat 25-minute loop through woodland, a fenced playground, a free aviary and the Art Deco Winter Gardens conservatory. There's a café, barbecues and plenty of picnic spots.
Manawatū River, Palmerston North
Victoria Esplanade
- Free
- Rose garden
- Miniature railway
The city's best-loved park, 26 hectares by the Manawatū River, with more than 5,000 roses, a miniature railway, big playgrounds, a paddling pool, aviaries at the Wildbase Recovery centre and free electric barbecues. It joins the river pathway.
Full guide on Explore Palmerston NorthMore parks in Palmerston North
Kelburn, above the CBD
Wellington Botanic Garden
- Free
- Cable car
- Rose garden
Wellington's oldest garden, 25 hectares on the hillside between Kelburn and Thorndon, with the Lady Norwood Rose Garden, protected native bush and big specimen trees. The best way in is the Cable Car from Lambton Quay, then a walk downhill through the garden.
South Island
Atawhai Drive, The Wood
Miyazu Japanese Gardens
- Free
- Ponds
- Dogs on lead
A peaceful garden opened in 1995 to mark Nelson's sister-city link with Miyazu in Japan, with reflecting ponds, winding paths and a mix of Japanese and native plants. It's small, free and close to the city centre.
Central Blenheim
Seymour Square
- Free
- Clock tower
- Seasonal gardens
Blenheim's central square, known for its 1928 War Memorial Clock Tower, seasonal flower beds and a WWII memorial fountain. It's the town's civic heart, used for Anzac Day services and events, and a pleasant break between shops.
Hagley Park, central Christchurch
Christchurch Botanic Gardens
- Free
- Playground
- Paddling pool
21 hectares of gardens inside Hagley Park, founded in 1863 and wrapped by the Avon River, with themed collections, glasshouses, a playground and a summer paddling pool. More than a million people visit each year.
Full guide on Explore ChristchurchMore parks in Christchurch
Queen Street, south Timaru
Timaru Botanic Gardens
- Free
- Conservatory
- Garden of National Significance
Public gardens since 1864, rated a Garden of National Significance, with ponds, rose and camellia collections, an aviary, a fernery and a conservatory that's a warm stop on a cold day. Entry is free and gates open from 8am.
North Dunedin
Dunedin Botanic Garden
- Free
- Playground
- Aviaries
New Zealand's first botanic garden, established in 1863, with 33 hectares of collections, native bush, birdlife and paths from easy to steep. It's free and open dawn to dusk; bikes aren't allowed inside.
Just north of central Invercargill
Queens Park
- Free
- Tuatara
- 81 hectares
Invercargill's 81-hectare central park, laid out in 1857, with botanic gardens, an animal reserve where you can see tuatara, sports grounds, a golf course and long walking and cycling paths. It's free and open dawn to dusk.
Full guide on Explore InvercargillMore parks in Invercargill
Before you go
- Most are free. Hamilton Gardens’ enclosed gardens and Eastwoodhill charge visitors, and the Quarry Gardens ask for a donation. Everything else here is free.
- Check gate times. Several close their gates at dusk or earlier in winter, including McLaren Falls, Spa Thermal Park and the botanic gardens in Timaru and Dunedin.
- Dogs vary. Most allow dogs on a lead; McLaren Falls, Virginia Lake and the Quarry Gardens don’t allow them at all.
- Thermal parks need care. At Kuirau Park and Spa Thermal Park, stay on paths and behind fences, and keep your head out of the water in hot pools.
Questions people ask
What are the best gardens in New Zealand?
Hamilton Gardens is the most visited, with 19 themed gardens. Pukekura Park in New Plymouth and the botanic gardens in Christchurch, Dunedin, Wellington and Timaru are all much loved, and Eastwoodhill near Gisborne is the National Arboretum.
Where can I soak in a free hot pool?
Spa Thermal Park in Taupō, where a hot stream meets the Waikato River, and the thermal foot pools at Kuirau Park in Rotorua. Both are free.
Which parks are good for kids?
Victoria Esplanade (miniature railway, paddling pool), Cornwall Park (water play), Pukekura Park (zoo and playground), Queens Park in Invercargill (animal reserve) and Christchurch Botanic Gardens (playground and summer paddling pool).
When are gardens at their best?
Spring for blossom and rhododendrons, summer for roses, and autumn for colour, especially at Eastwoodhill and McLaren Falls.
Looking for more in one city? See all 20 Explore city guides. Also see Playgrounds in New Zealand and Day walks in New Zealand.