Self Drive Superior Hutt Valley Gardens

Hutt City Council Gardens

Percy Reserve

Just off State Highway 2, north of Korokoro

These native gardens play an important role in the conservation of many rare and endangered New Zealand species.  Highlights include Chatham Islands and New Zealand alpine collections.  Woodland areas offer rich green flora typical of the New Zealand landscape.  There is a picnic area and a number of easy walking tracks.

Riddiford Gardens

Queens Drive & Laings Road, Lower Hutt

Hutt City was New Zealand’s first garden city and the pride continues in the city’s floral displays.  The long border and flower beds in front of the civic buildings are planted for year round displays.  Two glass houses provide environments for rotating exhibitions and more exotic displays.  The gardens also include an aviary and play area.

Jubilee Park

Normandale Road, Normandale

The first settlers of the New Zealand Company arrived in the Petone area in 1840.  These gardens opened in 1940 to commemorate 100 years of the Wellington province.

There is a mix of Japanese and English styles with woodland and perennial gardens as the main features.  A small plantation of cherry trees commemorates Mayor Hashimoto of Minoh who generously funded the restoration of Norbury House to become Hutt Minoh Friendship House, an Historic Places Trust category 1 building.  The house was built by the first Mayor (Fitzherbert) of Lower Hutt in 1904.  Today the house is dedicated to the promotion of Japanese culture and Hutt City’s link with sister city Minoh.

The park also has an open lawn, picnic areas, bush walks and heritage plantings throughout the park.

Hutt City Private Gardens

Wainuiomata, Hutt City

Explore four contrasting gardens in the serene Moores Valley with the local owners that created them.  Finish your visit with the best possible views of Wellington, the harbour and Hutt Valley. 

The visit includes two domestic gardens worthy of the awards and features in New Zealand Gardener Magazine, an open rural garden with fairytale garden sheds that have a life of their own and a four acre display of streams, ponds, sculpture and hidden alcoves at every turn.

All gardens have flat easy access for full exploration or grab a seat and take it all in.  There is a personal introduction from the gardeners themselves and there is an optional morning or afternoon tea with fresh baked treats.  Toilets are available at each garden

Bookings are essential:

i-SITE Visitor Centres – T. +64 4 560 4715 or +64 4 527 2141

Direct – T. +64 4 564 7355 or +64 4 564 7863

Open: 10am-4.30pm daily from October - March

Upper Hutt Private Gardens

Efil Doog – garden of art

Akatarawa Valley, Upper Hutt

Designed with imagination and humour, this is a highly regarded garden of international renown. The garden is situated on 11 acres of bush clad hills and includes 50 contemporary sculptures, a bonsai house, 2,000 rhododendrons and a gallery of important early New Zealand original paintings.

Efil Doog has been independently assessed as a "Garden of Regional Significance" by the New Zealand Garden Trust which aims to foster and promote only the best New Zealand gardens and horticulture.  The trust is part of The Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture.

Bookings are essential:

i-SITE Visitor Centres – T. +64 4 560 4715 or +64 4 527 2141

Direct – T. +64 4 526 7924

Open: 10am-4.30pm Wed-Sun October - March

Kaitoke Country Gardens

State Highway 2, Upper Hutt

The gardens on this 14 acre property have been planted as little rooms, each with its own theme.

From the café you step down to a maze garden then follow the paths through the brilliant collection of gardens.  The spring blossoms of 100 cherry trees are a must to see!  Rest-stops and look-outs, ponds and the river, a stone bridge and a waterfall all add to this experience and make the walk well worth while.

Direct – T. +64 4 526 6639

Open: 10am-4pm Tue-Sun all year

Closed for public holidays

For a complete list of the Superior Gardens of Hutt Valley brochure click here to download

For more information on garedens visit www.gardens.co.nz

For bookings and maps contact:

Upper Hutt i-SITE Visitor Centre

CBD Towers
84-90 Main Street
Upper Hutt
T: +64 4 527 2141
upperhutt@i-SITE.org