New Zealand: Hamilton Gardens

by | May 19, 2015 | International Travel, Travel

After stopping for a few waterfalls, we continued on to the famous Hamilton Gardens. We were pleasantly surprised at the free parking and free entry to the gardens. Once inside we found a garden map and started exploring. As with every day thus far on the North Island, there were several periods of intermittent rain but we stuck it out and were able to see all the sections.

Hamilton Gardens - Indian Char Bagh Garden
Indian Char Bagh Garden

Hamilton Gardens - Italian Renaissance Garden
Italian Renaissance Garden

Hamilton Gardens - Tudor Garden
Tudor Garden

Hamilton Gardens - Tropical Garden  ficus and the blue sky
Tropical garden; Ficus

ginormous rose garden!

speckled rose
rose gardens

Our favorites were the Tropical and Renaissance gardens; the rose garden was rather grand too.

Before we left town we stopped at Good George for a late lunch. The restaurant was surprisingly busy given the time of day, with quite a few large groups taking up most of the tables,  but we managed to get a small table for two on the side near a supply closet. I ordered a tart granny smith cider while Leandra tried the stout which was decent, but too light. We also ordered the sliders- they were tiny! Beef and chicken were 2/3 bun, though flavor was good. Pork was best for size and flavor.

Good George

We would definitely recommend Hamilton Gardens if you are in the area. It makes a good day-trip from Auckland (about three hours there and back), or on your way to Rotarua.

Our Itinerary

2025 Trips

Buenos Aires, Argentina (Feb)
Bariloche, Argentina (Feb)
Iguazu Falls, Argentina (Feb)
Boston, MA (Apr)
Kathmandu, Nepal (May)
Bhutan (May)

2024 Trips

San Diego, CA (Jan)
Sarasota, FL (Feb)
Madrid, Spain (Mar)
Valencia, Spain (Mar+Apr)
Palma, Mallorca (Apr)
Croatia (May)
Long Island, NY (July)
Faroe Islands (Aug)
London, UK (Sept)
Puglia, Italy (Sept)
Matera, Italy (Oct)
Rome, Italy (Oct)
Mosel Valley, Germany (Oct)
Frankfurt, Germany (Oct)
London, UK (Dec)
Manchester, UK (Dec)

2022 Trips

Florida (Feb)
NC Mountains (Apr)
Washington DC (Apr)
Valencia, Spain (May)
Hilton Head, SC (May)
Pacific NW (Jun)
Long Island (Jul)
Florida (Sept)
Chicago (Sept)
Poland (Sept)
NC Mountains (Nov)
Euro Xmas Markets (Dec)