Reviews of Rapaura Watergardens. (Coffee Shop) in Thames (Waikato).

Rapaura Watergardens

249 Reviews

186 Comments

Coffee shop

586 Tapu Coroglen Road, Thames 3575, New Zealand

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Description

Information of Rapaura Watergardens, Coffee shop in Thames (Waikato)

Here you can see the location, open hours, popular times, contact, photos and real reviews done by the users.

This place has good reviews, this means that they treat their customers well and you’ll feel great with their services, recommended 100%!

Map

Open hours of Rapaura Watergardens

Popular times

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Reviews of Rapaura Watergardens

A lovely walk. Well worth the 10 minute drive off the main road to get there. Beautiful water fall where you can let the kids swim. Take some food as there aren't any shops close by.

This is a great place to come and spend a few days and detox from the background noise of the city life or demanding profession… Last year I spent a few days there in a cottage with a fireplace and no tv nor phone reception available… I only needed time off/ an opportunity to relax and recharge… The gardens are beautiful and well maintained… We cooked some meals in as the cafe was closed during winter months. I found beautiful smoked fish at the Coromandel village!!! Try oysters at the oyster farm… they are incredibly fresh just out of the water, must bring your own dressing if you need more than just lemon juice… I put together and amazing Ponzu Japanese Sauce with coriander!!! The few days escape there was just perfect for what I needed!!! Thank you Sasha for being such a great and genuine host… look forward to coming back once the borders open again!!!

Well-maintained gardens, beautiful walk and what a surprise to find a waterfall at the end!! Adults and kids alike would enjoy this walk.

Beautiful bush walk on wide maintained tracks. Grounds and ponds are well established. Easy drive on tarseal from Thames.

Lovely place to wander around. Perfectly maintained. Nice and cool in the shade. Make sure you walk up to the waterfall.

Sasha was a wonderful host and this place is a hidden gem. Absolutely loved our stay. Can’t wait to come back and stay.

Beautiful gardens and thoroughly enjoyed my stroll around and up to the waterfall.

So beautiful. Loved the lily ponds and the walk to the waterfall. A great addition on a roadie to Coromandel

Absolutely amazing place! Beautiful gardens, well maintained even during winter. Must see! Naughty ducks are very cute. Fully enjoyed our time in there.

Excellent host. Very good garden track and waterfall

Wonderful garden. So peaceful

Beautiful place to visit ,this is the second time & it was sad that the restaurant had to close because of covid

Absolutely stunning a must visit when in Coromandel

What a beautiful place and such a lovely cafe. After our walk we enjoyed freshly made scones served with jam and cream - absolutely delicious. Highly recommend.

Beautifully kept natural beauty, peaceful and calm place. Good job guys.

Awesome spot, great people.

Was ok. Good walk. Thought a bit overpriced for what it was. $10 per person would be reasonable. Cafe was excellent though. As were the staff.

Wow we loved this place, Can't wait to go back when the weather settles.

Nice garden and waterfall

Gorgeous garden! Varies rare species of flowers. Wonderful environment, plenty oxygen. Very ideal place to visit or live. Very cute ducks and ducklings also very friendly stuff 🥰

Place was so beautiful and peaceful great start to the day a must to visit in the am before noon just lovely

We had the flounder and it was incredible. Thanks for a fun experience and awesome lunch - still talking about it two days later 🙂

A Garden of Distinction indeed. Seasonal displays of native and exotic flowers. Irises and Bog plants in spring, Azaleas and Rhododendrons followed by Orchids, Begonias, Hydrangeas and Water Lilies from November to April. All interspersed with garden art. Rapaura is the realisation of the vision and creativity of two very dedicated people. When Fritz and Josephine Loennig purchased 64 acres of regenerating bush and grazing land in the Tapu Valley in the early 1960's, little did they realise that Rapaura would one day attract international visitors. Today, 50 years further on, ovisitors come from all around the world and many return again and again. The present owner, Sally Sank, is dedicated to the ongoing creation and nurturing of Rapaura in line with Fritz and Josephine's vision, believing that 'The best Garden is a well-kept wilderness'. Don't miss it. While you are at it, pop up the road to the Square Kauri.

Wonderful place for a break from driving and a pleasant short scenic walks also lovely food

Great little spot for a relaxed walk through beautiful gardens and a bush walk to explore the river and waterfalls. If you are a bit more adventurous you can get off the track and explore the river, some climbing and bush bashing required 😉

Bush walk to the seven steps to heaven waterfalls is well worth the price of entry. Both walks took about an hour. Really nice trees and friendly ducks.

Excellent place to visit, very tranquil, great use of waterways and landscaping. Waterfall is gorgeous

Didn’t go to the cafe because it was closed for winter. The gardens are spectacular however - well worth the visit. The owners definitely put a lot of time and effort into maintaining them. Winter special is $10/adult for entry rather than $15.

Amazing place and the host was so helpful.we will definitely come back.we almost gave it a miss glad we didn't.The garden is so thoughtfully built and the waterfall and the ducks especially the one legged duck plucky which my son loved.

Loved the overall experience. Easy walk to waterfallls, ponds and forest. So many great spot to take photos. Ducks following you when you buy their food at the counter are entertaining as well. More importantly, the food at the coffee shop is outstanding and unexpected. Overall, I recommend to stop by this place as it is definetely worth a stop for lunch.

Lovely place to spend a couple of hours... the walk around the gardens is beautiful and the arrow signs and very tame ducks kept the kids entertained! Great onsite cafe too. Beautiful.

What a great place to visit. Such beautiful gardens and ponds to help you unwind and relax. The short walk to the waterfall was well worth it as the falls are beautiful and tranquil

We had a beautiful lunch today celebrating our wedding anniversary. Peaceful quiet surroundings. Excellent service and food superb. Very good wine selection . Great coffee. Totally recommend it.

Was ok. Good walk. Thought a bit overpriced for what it was. $10 per person would be reasonable. Cafe was excellent though. As were the staff.

Beautiful gardens with paths meandering through the Bush, lovely lily ponds with sculptures here and there. There is a nice walk up to the waterfall which takes around 15 to 30 minutes.

A beautifully planned garden, not much flowering in February but still showing great bones. We so enjoyed the shady walks and the greeness on such a hot day. The walk up to the waterfall is well worth the time. The meal at the restaurant was the best meal of our trip. Seeing this garden in spring would be ideal, when all the magnolias, rhodos, camellias etc will be flowering.

Wonderful garden. So peaceful

Fabulous experience from start to finish, a jewel in the Crown, don't miss it

Worthwhile drive from the main road, of a couple of kilometers to visit. Good dining available, along with good walks.

Lovely gardens and waterfall. Friendly staff made us feel welcome. Gardens well maintained

Awesome, awesome place. Well worth the entry fee. Lovely, peaceful forest walk up to the waterfalls and the gardens were fantastic. Lots to look at. AND the cafe / restaurant was fabulous. Best scone I've had in a long time, great coffee and tea! And the owner is lovely, friendly and helpful. Highly recommend a visit here, it is well worth the trip and we will definitely be back!!!

There are few places like this in the world. It is my favorite visit in NZ. The gardens are immaculate. The waterfalls stupendous. The chef is Swiss trained and lunch was amazing. The service impeccable. You won't want to miss it!

Lovely stroll around beautiful bush gardens and Lilly ponds to stunning waterfalls, loved it

These are such peaceful tranquil gardens. Beautifully designed and maintained. The Lily ponds are amazing with the flowers in full bloom., cute ducks and ducklings and a few gold fish. The host is just gorgeous.

This place is such a beautiful piece of nature. The short walk, all those quotes, the walk to the waterfall, it's all very nice, quiet. It takes usually 30 to 45 mins, unless you're like me, just wondering around.. If I didn't have to be somewhere else, I would probably stayed more than just hour. This place is suitable for families with kids too.

Very beautiful. Relaxing friendly staff. Waterfalls too.

We were there during mid September and although the waterlilies haven't quite bloomed yet, everything about the place more than made up for it. The huge, well-designed garden with its interesting sculptures was lovely to take a stroll in. There was also a section of bush walk with a waterfall at the end of the track. The friendly owners happen to be working in the garden and welcomed us warmly. If you just walk around quickly, you can finish in around 1 hour but we ended up spending 2 hours. It was a lovely spot to chill and have a relaxing walk. We'll be keen to return again in summer and perhaps try the accommodation options.

Beautiful gardens, walk to water fall and a wonderful cafe with the best cheese cake I have ever eaten.

A hidden gem, wonderful little garden with some statues in it. There were lots of tiny things to discover all around and the fresh Coro-Mussels were delicious! We highly recommend to those who enjoy nature and bring time to discover the area.

We had the flounder and it was incredible. Thanks for a fun experience and awesome lunch - still talking about it two days later 🙂

This is a beautiful, thought-provoking place. The quotations scattered around add a real resonance to the lovely gardens, and it's nice to buy food and feed the birds as you go, too. We came here to scatter some of my mum's ashes in the big waterfall, as Rapaura was one of her favourite places. She said she felt spiritually at home here, and I can see why. It's run by lovely people (we didn't tell them we were scattering ashes, actually, perhaps we should have), and is clearly a labour of love. The cafe even has vegan cake (yay!) and lovely books on upcycling, crafts, spirituality and such. Well worth a trip if you are in the area.

Another great day out 😀, can recommend this to everyone. Beautiful gardens well laid out. A little tricky in places for disabled people. Superb cafe with excellent food and fine coffee. Pictures to follow

Excellent place to visit, very tranquil, great use of waterways and landscaping. Waterfall is gorgeous

Amazing gardens come for a walk and enjoy the harmony that is Rapaura Watergardens...the crew are really nice and were more than accommodating when I lost my keys along the walk. Really appreciated the details...everything was perfect!

The mussels cooked in a French style white wine and cream (Just a little) was out of this world! The rest of the food was just as great . The gardens is a must see and credit to those who make this garden a heavenly exeprience

Lovely gardens and waterfall. Friendly staff made us feel welcome. Gardens well maintained

Amazing place. Beautiful gardens and the food was absolutely delicious. I had the seared salmon salad and it was so good. Great service too.

Place was so beautiful and peaceful great start to the day a must to visit in the am before noon just lovely

Gardens well maintained. Good place for a family outing. Suits all ages. Food at cafe is fabulous. But be patient it's not a fast food outlet.

Loved it here. So peaceful, the gardens were great. Staff were very polite, friendly, and helpful. Highly recommended.

If you want a peaceful retreat from the everyday this is the place to go. Accommodation and food is top class and the staff just can't do enough for you. We will definitely be back again.

Absolutely stunning a must visit when in Coromandel

A stunning place, absolutely beautiful. The restaurant serves beautifully food. Well worth the trip.

This is a very pleasant place for a short walk. Sculpture gardens have amazing attention to detail. Cafe /restaurant food is delicious. Good for any age group.

Very pleasant surroundings after a dusty drive to the Square Kauri. Nice coffee and cake. However their eftpos machine is a little out of date and did not accept our touch and go mastercard - no problem though with a Visa loaded with NZ currency.

I’m so glad that I found this place! Luckily we have our super nice people Sasha and Saly here for help :)) I’ll come back soon to see you guys again! highly recommend this place.

Before arriving here I was honestly worried about how to kill our time without internet as there was no WiFi or mobile network in the villa. I was happily proved wrong. My wife and I walked along the tracks to touch the real nature here, and had a peaceful night by listening to the music and talking to each other. This place is unbelievably marvelous and reminded us of one of the simple but often overlooked principles of our life - to live, to talk, to laugh and to share with the people who are really important to us.

Helpful staff. Great veiws walks and just so tidy highly recommend too check it out

Lovely stroll around beautiful bush gardens and Lilly ponds to stunning waterfalls, loved it

Wonderful place for a break from driving and a pleasant short scenic walks also lovely food

Breathtaking views. The garden is well maintained. And the falls was amazing. It felt like walking in paradise. It was beautiful.

It would be real nice wen all the flowers are blossoms would look real nice but in off season wen there are no flowers its a bit too pricey u dnt get ur moneys worth

Great place to visit with the kids, I am not a gardening person but what they have done there is amazing. Great food at the restaurant too....would be a great place for any occasion.

Worthwhile drive from the main road, of a couple of kilometers to visit. Good dining available, along with good walks.

Heaven on earth. Cannot recommend enough if you want some quality time away from the crowd (no network, no wifi...) !!!

We just came to visit the gardens. Beautifull. Just don't be afraid of ducks because they will follow you around.

Well kept and beautiful garden currently own and run by a very hospitable mother and son team. Must try the Steak Sandwich if you plan to dine in.

Absolutely loved the gardens and the waterfall. Great place to relax and rejuvenate.

Beautiful private gardens. Must Visit if you going to coromandale. Nice relaxing atmosphere, cafe and gardens with nice waterfall, lots of water lilies.

Very good easy walk in beautiful surroundings, I just thought it was a bit expensive. But still glad I visited.

Beautiful. Yhe owners are nice. They left a note to tell us the toilet where we can find it after hours.

A little gem in a Bush hideaway. The restaurant has a nice menu to select from but you must remember it is isolated so don't expect a la carte. Service very professional and friendly.

Beautifully kept natural beauty, peaceful and calm place. Good job guys.

Wow we loved this place, Can't wait to go back when the weather settles.

Price to the gardens is a little bit too high (15 $), but the guys from the Restaurant are very friendly and the food was great.

Nice garden and waterfall

Such a relaxing and calming place! A must for anyone seeking mindfulness. Try having a coffee or tea at their outdoor tables. Wort every minute!

Beautiful gardens, easy to follow paths. A well organised experience

Lovely lily ponds, very nice gardens, cake and coffee bonus

This place was kind of a surprise package, this has good Bush walk then a cascade fall's and nice Cafe with good stay as well with good gardens all across.

Peaceful short walk through the water garden. And lovely coffee and cake. Staff were also friendly.

Nice food. Beautiful place to visit. Very peaceful and friendly atmosphere. Certainly will come again.

Stunning, beautiful, peaceful. I really enjoyed walking around the gardens and to the falls.

Stunning hidden treasure in our own backyard. Well worth a visit.

The gardens are nice to visit. Even cooler if you do it with a meal from the cafe as its yummy

I love visiting here. Lovely staff & great food & coffee. So tranquil & relaxing. Definitely recommend

Great place, very nice gardens and the waterfall is a big plus.

$10 entrance for each adult. Nice garden. Really nice waterfall

Awesome spot, great people.

Lovely morning out. Great place to visit as a family. Would love to visit again in the summer!

Very beautiful and peaceful gardens. A must visit if you are heading to Coromandel or Thames.

Beautiful place beautifull lodge, excellent BBQ service with fish and steaks, very clean, we loved it very much.

Beautiful retreat, great shot walks to a stepped waterfall, beware the is no mobile signal/WiFi/TV

what is a wonderful place !beautiful garden and very warmly hospitality! The host was very friendly and polite!

The waterfalls are there the most interesting, you can also swim there, adults 15 children 5

The garden was lovely, great walk. Shame about staff not friendly

Very beautiful. Relaxing friendly staff. Waterfalls too.

a very nice place, has 2 round walks. costs 15 for an adult

Alway recommend the cafe and gardens to our visitors. Best coffee around!

Absolutely amazing gardens. Awesome place to visit.

Excellent place to visit The walk to the falls is worth while Beautiful falls an a good spot for a swim

Very nice garden but a bit over priced at $15 an adult, would be better at $10

Fabulous hidden gem, well worth the little detour off the main road.

I just went for coffee and I can confidently say that was a dam fine coffee. And the whole cafe smelled like fresh cut wood ahhh

Beautiful gardens and really helpful staff. Highly recommend

Fabulous experience from start to finish, a jewel in the Crown, don't miss it

Amazing place to spend your afternoon!! Try the cheese cake from their cafe it is awesome!

Welcoming and friendly, this retreat place is a more than a good stop. Definitely recommend it.

Lovely place. We’ll definitely be back in summer

Really beautiful place, good food too. Quite pricy.

nice mini garden，but need $15 ticket

Lovely gardens native bush and waterfalls

Really nice gardens with an excellent waterfall.

Absolutely love the watergarden fabulous place.

Love this place only had the soup & homemade bread. DELISH

Wonderful gardens and lovely staff.

Stunning gardens and waterfall. Lovely people.

Nice but over priced Walk to the waterfall was worth it.

Great bush walk, fabulous steak sandwich.

Tranquil and beautiful and fantastic host and service.

Very Serene and beautiful spot. Will be back for lunch!

Beautiful gardens and good coffee!

If you happen to be passing and are into gardens...this is the place for you

What a beautiful place to visit. Highly recommended.

Very pretty and gentle walk

Loved the place boys had a blast

Beautiful.

Very beatifull garden.

Nice little gem in summer

Lovely place to stroll.

Good restaurant and good coffee

Ok place

Beautiful

Fantastic

Beautiful garden

Lovely. ..

Always great

Awesome

Beautiful garden

waterfall good

Lovely place

Oh the food. ...wow

Great place to visit

Wonderful!

Special place

Amazing place really well accomplished project of love 60 years in the making, has lodges to stay at allso worth every penny

(Translated) Beautiful garden with a restaurant serving the best steak in the world :) the staff can not do enough. They know more about their area and will serve as tourism if you ask nicely. They're doing umbrellas - just good reasons to go for a ride (Original) Jardin magnifique avec un restaurant qui sert le meilleur steak du monde :) le personnel est aux petits soins. Ils connaissent de plus tres bien leur region et feront office de tourisme si vous le demandez gentiment. Ils pretent des parapluies 😊 rien que de bonnes raisons d'aller y faire un tour

(Translated) A little hidden gem! It is worth taking a detour here. A lovingly laid out and well-kept garden with many small details awaits you. The service is great and the food delicious. The prices are reasonable. (Original) Ein kleines, verstecktes Juwel! Es lohnt sich hier einen Abstecher zu unternehmen. Es erwartet einen ein liebevoll angelegter und gepflegter Garten mit vielen kleinen Details. Der Service ist super und das Essen sehr lecker. Die Preise sind angemessen.

(Translated) Magic Garden and exceptional beauty, we were received with great kindness and we enjoyed a fabulous meal with flavors of great finesse, I highly recommend this wonderful place (Original) Jardin magique et d'une beauté exceptionnelle, nous avons été reçu avec une grande gentillesse et nous avons dégusté un repas fabuleux avec des saveurs d'une grandes finesses, je recommande vivement cet endroit merveilleux

(Translated) A beautiful place to unwind. The visit of the garden is highly recommended. Very nice hosts. (Original) Ein wunderschöner Ort, um die Seele baumeln zu lassen. Der Besuch des Gartens ist sehr zu empfehlen. Sehr nette Gastgeber.

(Translated) A pair of industrious and friendly mother and child, they can see that they are very careful in maintaining every detail of the house here. The items prepared for the guests are very detailed. The scenery of the house does not need to be said any more. This place will have a kind of soul for your soul. sublimation. (Original) 一对勤劳亲切的母子，看得出来他们很用心在维护这里房子的每一处细节，为客人准备的物品非常细致，房子的景致就不用再多说了，这个地方让你的灵魂都会有一种升华。

(Translated) Very nice facility. You can take enough time to let them work on you (Original) Sehr schöne Anlage. Man kann sich genügend Zeit lassen, diese auf sich wirken zu lassen

(Translated) Lovely garden, nice people, and perfect food> great variety (Original) Herrlicher Garten, nette Leute, und perfektes Essen >super Abwechslung <