The magical Orokonui Ecosanctuary forest showcases rare plants, diverse forest types, 450 year old podocarps, 100 varities of flax and New Zeland's tallest tree.Nestled between the mountains of Mihiwaka and Mopanui, 20 minutes north of Dunedin, is a beautiful 307ha forest protected by a special pest exclusion fence.

Gwavas Garden was laid out in the 1880s by A.S.G. Carlyon. Phyllida Gibson, the present owner, is the 5th generation at Gwavas and she and her husband Stuart live in the homestead, built in 1890, surrounded by 9 hectares of woodland garden.

Olveston is an authentic and original historic home depicting the life of a wealthy merchant family in the early part of the twentieth century.

Lan Yuan - Dunedin Chinese Garden is an authentic example of a late Ming early Ching Dynasty scholar’s garden and celebrates the Chinese influence on Otago's history and heritage.

The garden commenced in 1990 but is maturing rapidly due to the mild, almost frost-free climate. The Higgies have specialized in exotic flora to produce a landscape like no other in New Zealand.

A young garden of 35years, Hereweka is set in a hidden valley below the prominent feature of Harbour Cone on the picturesque Otago Peninsula.

Named to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, the development of the Esplanade began in 1897 although the land was granted to the borough two decades before that time. Thus there are a significant number of registered trees in the garden. The Peter Black conservatory houses a wide range of tropical and subtropical plants where orchids feature as the single largest collection. Adjacent is a lathe house where cool climate exotics and native plants enjoy the overhead protection. A visitor Education Centre is located here also.

Omaka Lodge is a large country property featuring 3 beautiful acres of landscaped gardens. View a wide range of interesting planting, the 33-metre Rill overlooking Mount Hikurangi, and expansive countryside vistas. Onsite accommodation allows exploration at leisure.

‘Tauhara’ is a country garden of approximately 1½ hectares at the foot of Lake Taupo’s Mount Tauhara; it has been developed over the past 25 years. Older trees make a back drop to the planting on the property where from mid October flowering shrubs and bulbs are at their best; later giant scented lilies, roses and early perennials display in the semi-formal areas near the house.

One of the oldest botanic gardens in New Zealand, this central city garden was established in 1868. The major conifer species which are a feature were planted then as part of a programme to import plant species and assess their economic potential to the new colony. The very large specimens of Pinus radiata that dominate the landscape were grown from the first seed of that species to be imported from California.

Cornwall Park is home to beautiful areas for picnics and relaxation, grand specimen trees, stunning flower beds, grand avenues and sweeping vistas. The Park’s donor, Sir John Logan Campbell, is buried on the summit of a volcanic cone in the centre of the park. The Maori name for the hill is Maungakiekie – mountain of the kiekie (Freycinetia banksii) that grows as an epiphytic climber or vine.

Renowned for its beautiful trees, the Christchurch Botanic Garden, part of Hagley Park, dates back to the early 1860s when the first plantings were made. The garden is flat and easily explored with an information centre, tea kiosk and all facilities.

Situated a stone’s throw from the Wellington Central Business District, Government House was built in 1910 on the site previously occupied by the Mount View lunatic asylum and is set amongst 12 hectares of land that stretch from the hills of Mount Victoria to the Newtown flats.

One of Auckland Council’s jewels, the Wintergarden at the Auckland Domain is a treasure of great historic interest. It was designed in the early 1900s in the style of the famous English partnership of Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jeckyll and opened in 1913.

This is a ¾ acre garden set in native new Zealand bush in Silverstream, Upper Hutt. The garden is designed around a heritage Chapman Taylor Arts and Crafts style cottage. The garden design involves multiple garden rooms. Some examples of this are

Eastwoodhill is an arboretum of national and international importance. It holds the most comprehensive collection of woody plants in New Zealand and possibly the largest collection of Northern Hemisphere trees south of the equator including 170 species currently on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (I.U.C.N.) world endangered list.

Casa Rossa has been developed over 20 years around a former shingle pit. The movie “Much Ado about Nothing” inspired the Italian house and garden design.

Auckland Botanic Gardens is a young botanic garden that has been created from gently contoured farmland. The mild temperate climate allows the gardens to display a wide variety of plants. The native plant collections focus on those plants occurring naturally within the northern parts of New Zealand and there is a special garden where threatened plants may be seen.

When the town was surveyed in 1858, 34 acres were set aside as a public reserve; Oamaru Gardens opened on this site in 1876 making it one of the oldest in the country. The gardens have an air of maturity greatly enhanced by the plantings along the Oamaru Creek which meanders along its length. Colourful annuals are bedded out on the sweeping lawns and an immaculate rose garden is a centerpiece.

The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga garden is one of the oldest New Zealand European gardens south of the Bay of Islands. Originally created by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) between 1834-1844, as were The Treaty House gardens at Waitangi. Both The Elms | Te Papa Tauranga and The Treaty House Gardens retain some of the in situ, Maori and European cultivated vegetation with considerable archaeological landscape content. The landscape archaeology is now perhaps the most valuable resource to be preserved for understanding more fully the history of this place.