Reviews of Whangarei Quarry Gardens. (Other) in Whangarei (Northland).

Whangarei Quarry Gardens

1283 Reviews

391 Comments

Other

Park

Cafe

Historical landmark

Tourist attraction

Volunteer organization

Wedding venue

37A Russell Road, Kensington, Whangārei 0112, New Zealand

Description

Information of Whangarei Quarry Gardens, Other in Whangarei (Northland)

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 Whangarei Quarry Gardens

Popular times

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Reviews of Whangarei Quarry Gardens

D. W.

This place is "heaven"! Gorgeous gardens all year round with a lake, shady spots, gorgeous sculptures, beautiful flowers and plants, and a wonderful cafe opened from Wednesdays through Sunday. It is the complete package! This place is not to be missed! The gardens have been a community project created and maintained by volunteers for over 30 years! Sinply delightful for all ages!

L. M.

Embarrassing to admit but I lived in Whangarei for the first 21 years of my life and never went here. Finally popped in and was suitably impressed. An old quarry had been turned into a an amazing area to walk and explore. Huge Fig trees like I've never seen before, a man made lake, walks and paths all over, and parts of the old quarry are integrated in the planting. There is a lovely cafe onsite too. Take a hat and walking shoes and lose yourself for a while!

G. “. V.

Its beautiful to visit these gardens after ten years of being away from them. Its are so Beautiful and very much a loved place of mine.

N. W.

What a magnificent place to visit. All done by enthusiastic volunteers. Well done all concerned.

M. W.

Most amazing find on our trip. Loved the arid garden and all that was there. Ran out of time to explore all the areas so need to go back. Would have liked more plant labels to identify the specimens. Can't wait to go back.

W. P.

A lovely small garden walk which takes about 30 minutes unless you choose any of the holly tracks. A stunning lake at the end with a wonderful variety of plants and flowering. Cafe very pleasant with helpful staff and good coffee. Well worth the short drive from the centre of Whangarei.

S. P.

Excellent place very near the city centre I had the chance to visit the Whangarei Quarry Gardens twice during my week-long stay at Whangarei. Both these visits were an hour long. The gardens are very near the city, have plenty of parking, have a good variety of walks and tracks. Entry is free but donations/ koha is welcome and appreciated. Highly recommended for everyone who likes nature.

P. B.

A must see if you love plants both native and tropical, what a transformation from what it was to what it is now great vision and still growing . Volunteers do a wonderful job. Also got to see lots of native skinks which were babies so a good sign of life for our native species.

K. B.

A gold coin donation to enter but they deserve more. A worth while afternoon walk around beautiful gardens. Super impressive and so tranquil. Very inspiring. Improving all the time as everything matures. Good range of plants. They even sell a few plants at the entrance!!

R. L.

Truly amazing gardens with a huge biodiversity on show. Everywhere you looked was a different species. The Arid Gardens were a treat for cactus and succulent lovers. Plenty of very well maintained trails. Could easily spend several hours here.

H. N.

Really nice staff, very welcoming. Nice atmosphere. Loved my breakfast meal, being vegan & gf, not much options. Still Highly Recommend & I would return definitely.

S. B.

What a great place. The vision to create this space from the quarry. The volunteers are great. We spent 30 mins chatting with the arid garden volunteer and she was more than happy to share her knowledge.

A. G.

Gorgeous cafe especially their famous brioche rolls which come in sweet or savory options. Get your food to go on a sunny day and eat at one of the picnic tables dotted through the gardens. Gold coin donation required for the gardens. A must for the keen botanist or anyone wanting to know more about Northland plants, there is a vast array of subtropical plants and most are labelled.

Q. S.

A must visit for anyone visiting Whangarei. Easily accessible from State Highway. The total walk is 10 minutes but worth spending an hour to see all the beauty. Abundant in natural gems. Plenty of walkways that you can explore. There are signboards and benches along the way too. There is a ruin of old factory too. Dam at the top is quite a sight too. Varieties of native plants and trees (named). Gold coin donation at the entry. A nice cafe near entry point. Plenty of car parking. A few bridges to cross over. Rocky path on walkways. Waterfall near the dam too.

J. D.

Beautiful gardens. Wish I could take my little dog. Such a lovely place for a walk on a lead with no harm done.

M. M.

Beautiful space , the gardens are tranquil and the space has been utilised to its fullfullment. The atmosphere and fragrance from blossoming flowers is pungent. So worth a visit . The Cafe is set amongst and hidden in the gardens. The staff are so helpful and the menu is diverse. Restrooms are clean and modern. This is a must and you need to alot a minimum of a couple of hours you will want to meander on and on. Amazing Amazing

A. H.

We have been to these amazing gardens a few times now. The whole planting is very impressive and well thought out with specific environments selected for the various species. Just two things that were not so good.. The Catha edulis hedge has been removed and replaced by an inferior generic replacement. It is very sad to see this. This is a medicinal plant not a drug. The plant should be appreciated for it's intrinsic value, not for what some people would/could choose to turn it into. It would stop us from visiting if you remove the cactus collection. Finally, please do not ask us for a donation. This is rude. We were going to give freely anyway.

N. D.

Me and my husband visited the gardens it was a wonderful experience. We both love nature and it feels amazing connecting to such gardens and beautiful scenic.

L. D.

This is a beautiful place. I really liked the cartus garden and cammelia garden as well

K. J. v. D.

Beautiful place to have a coffee and lunch with friends and family. Beautiful garden and flowers to enjoy. Friendly staff members who are willing to provide you with information about the history of the park. You have the opportunity to visit? Do it.

G. H.

These gardens are the best. So beautiful! There are many interesting plants growing, and the way the gardens are cared for captures the essence of the wilderness perfectly. Amazing 👌

R. K.

Had a walk in the gardens after breakfast a beautiful day. Gold coin entry the walk to the lake is easy for those with any physical issues there are more advanced walks to explore if that is what you want. Really enjoyed it.

R. R.

It was a very lovely small garden. It is not much but well kept and it is only a gold coin donation. It is a lovely place for a picnic break with the family. I wouldn't spend more than a couple of hours personally.

D. W.

Brilliant garden area, still some ruins of the quarry buildings dotted about. Well worth the visit. Take your time to absorb the detail.

C. W.

Beautiful gardens stunning scenery - Cafe was lovely a pretty place to take my parents for coffee

R. T.

Beautiful walk and a nice place to relax!, we went there when it was raining and luckily they provide a nice umbrella!, the staff were very lovely and i would definitely love to come back. LOOK AT THE MAP as theres a lot to see, turn that has things etc.

P. O.

Superb. Tranquil, relaxing and engaging. A host of different plant varieties - natives and exotics - lovingly planted and nurtured by volunteers, whose dedication and effort is obvious. Recommended.

J. T.

A great place for all ages to visit. You can meander around the paths and look at amazing plants, along with sculptures or be adventurous and climb up a winding Bush trail and view the lake and waterfall from above. Plenty of camera shots available as are resting places if you need it. There is a cafe on site but only open Wednesday to Sunday. Highly recommend a visit if you're in town.

S. F.

Great food at their cafe and a beautiful garden to meander through to walk off my lunch!

C. S.

Had another lovely visit as always. Went hiding rocks for the kids. Only set back was the cafe was closed when I got back, was so looking forward to a coffee. But amazing gardens as always.

L. D.

It's free to visit, the cafe is amazing and the gardens are beautiful. Especially good with kids I would think but made a lovely afternoon stroll

D. F.

Gold coin donation to walk about the gardens. Nice food at the Cafe. Good walks with a few different tracks ranging in distance and altitude.

C. E.

Had some friends up from Blenheim so took them thru. They loved it

M. M.

Can’t believe I hadn’t been here before. So peaceful and beautiful. Loved walking around with the fresh air and seeing all the different plants and flowers from around the world. This place is magical with small waterfalls too and a lake. So much to see. We walked around twice because we didn’t want to leave. Donation entry or $20 membership for the year. Delicious Quail Cafe on site and ample parking.

S.

Beautiful well kept Gardens, love how enthusiastic all the volunteers are. Definitely worth checking this out! 🏞🏜

C. E.

Veru unique place with lovely gardens some hill's to walk up on steps, other area's have flat paths.

M.

A testament to the amazing dedication of so many keen gardeners creating a beautiful jewel in the crown of Whangarei !!💛💙💚❤💜

W. B.

What an asset Whangarei has in these gardens. Just a credit to all involved in creating such a peaceful place to vista knowing it was once a rock quarry.

C. J.

So many different plants to look at The volunteers have done an amazing job keeping it looking beautiful while adding new plants and signs to let people know what they're looking at.

G. S.

As a recent migrants to the Whangarei area, we had seen the Whangarei Quarry Gardens on the SH1 bypass road and on the occasion of my wife's birthday we decided to visit. Very glad we did. Started with lunch at the on-site Quail Cafe which was well presented and tasted as good as it looked. Coffee, good. On to the gardens, and these were much more than we were expecting. A lot of thought and effort has been put into converting this disused quarry into a spectacular venue. Huge variety of cacti, camellias, bromeliads and many others. Great views of waterfalls and big man-made lake used for irrigation. Entry by donation. You won't be disappointed!

B. H.

Beautiful scenery, well set out. Nice food and coffee.

S. C.

Beautifully landscaped garden with quite a large variety of exotic plants. Easy to walk through, interesting nook and corners for great photos. Lovely reception lady there who is also a volunteer!

L.

Great cafe with nice outlook of bush. Will have to do the golf cart tour at some stage.

W. T.

Amazing! Went there 20yrs ago when it was just starting and the transformation is stunning!! Well done!

L. B.

Great place to visit even for less mobile people There is a cart to show people around Great gardening still in progress

A. M.

Snazzy botanical gardens in the quarry, i loved the cactus gardens!

F. B.

Went on a sunny day and there is no shade :( definitely take an umbrella or go on a cloudy day. But pretty gardens!

A. M.

Just amazing. So many beautiful plants, trees and natives. Well worth a visit. History of the setting up, is interesting. Lots of shrubs, trees etc from other countries too. Well set out pathways to walk around. Awesome!!

S. C.

This is the best place in Whangarei.

A. D.

This once-quarry-turned-garden is a gem. Beautifully laid out. Entry is a gold coin donation. Prepare to spend half to an hour here if you're not a plants enthusiast. If you are, allow half a day 🤗

V. Q.

Lovely place to spend an afternoon!! Wonderful and inspiring work by generous hearted volunteers has created a beautiful oasis. We had eaten before arriving but next visit want to try the cafe its in a gorgeous setting with glass walls to let the light and views in. Highly recommend this destination!!

r.

Make sure you go here!!!!! The Quail cafe is magnificent!!!!!!!! World class. Delicious, thoughtful well portioned food. Outstanding. The walk through the gardens is beautiful. It's beautiful and is kept in immaculate condition. The work and love that has gone into these gardens is seen everywhere. Wonderful experience. Highly recommend and would do it again.

A. K.

Beautiful place for walk or hike. Loop track is quite steep

J. C.

Beautiful gardens. Had a lot of information in a great chat with the lady on reception. We had lunch at the café. Very lovely place, very mid century décor, but a little too fancy for most families with children, I would think. Lovely serving staff. I'm so glad we went.

J. B.

Great food and coffee in the cafe, and lovely gardens to wander around, even in the rain!

G. E.

Great cafe. Awesome gardens. A must visit.

M.

The gardens mature more every year. Maintenance is looking great.

E.

Such a beautiful place, I cannot praise the gardens enough. I would definitely recommend going.

P.

Inspiring, beautiful garden achieved by visionary and dedicated volunteers.

H. W.

Amazing place. Love how they have made this into an amazing place with so much to see

h. r.

Stunning gardens for a stroll with kids. Thoroughly enjoyed despite the weather not being the greatest. Cafe looks nice to so will be definitely back when back in Whangarei.

G. T.

Well worth a visit but allow time to sit and enjoy, if you can. We were on a tight schedule but the Manager showed us round as a group and was very enlightening as to how the place came about and ofcourse about the plants we saw on our quick tour. Cafe was overwhelmed by too many people at once.

A. B.

Gold coin donation and all that great flora. The lake was full and the overflow made for a good view from the bridge. Flooding had affected some areas but they're quickly being restored. Even so there were notable improvements to paths since my last visit. Great cafe to finish off.

M. M.

Nice walks , few sculptures.

S.

Beautiful gardens and delicious food in the cafe. Definitely would recommend visiting the quarry gardens if visiting Whangarei.

K. C.

Very busy spot, we had to wait a bit for coffee's then a bit longer for the food, luckily we had great company to ease the pain of hunger.... The French toast is amazing and the eggs bene... Little disappointed with the salmon hash... But will definitely give it another go😁

S. U.

Beautifully presented gardens with a good walking tracks..

T. W.

Gotta try the sandwich place at the parking lot. Sandwich shop closed at 3 but the gardens close at 5

T.

Jan 2022 loads of earthworks and equipment all over the place. Apart from that quite nice!

k.

We had a lovely time at the Gardens. We did the loop walk. Quite steep in parts. Food was good and nice outlook. Would recommend people visit other quarry down the road for well priced NZ handmade goods of a high standard.

F. C.

We phoned and booked the guided buggy tour just $10 per person for 1 hour. So glad we did as Nancy explained to us some of the history and what the different plant varieties were. Highlights were the many rare plants, the views and the waterfall as well as discovering the different pathways. Would recommend to everyone with a pair of comfortable sneakers.

A. V.

I usually do my walks here in the evenings. It’s natural beauty is mesmerising.

L. G.

Unusual. Pretty, nice plants. We liked the little wellington boots by the trees going up the path to the top.

A.

Nice walks with awesome scenery located on the higher tracks

C. B.

Beautiful walk, recommended for all ages

J. N.

Absolutely beautiful gardens with a huge variety of plants, flowers, and succulents. The cafe is great as well, and they have a lot of great sculptures.

R. P.

Amazing the change from quarry to gardens. Photo albums available to browse and understand the transformation that has occurred. Worthwhile for a lazy stroll one afternoon.

N.

Favourite cafe for sure. I just wish quarry would open earlier 😩😩😩

D.

Stunning gardens, peaceful picnic site

E. B.

The gardens are beautiful. The cafe is quirky with old style coffee cups and plates. The food was very good. We booked the table one day before we went for lunch. It was busy and we waited around 20-30 minutes for our food. It was all worth the effort. Lovely staff also.

L. A.

The incredible amount of work that has gone into this stunning landscape is phenomenal.

T.

So cool! Well worth the gold coin donation and the cafe was lovely as well.

A. C.

Very nice meal.and nice view, great gardens to walk around.

N. B.

We couldn't imagine what a quarry garden would look like. What we found was way more than we imagined. The volunteers did an amazing job transforming the old quarry into a beautiful garden with a lake, waterfalls and many exotic plants. Definitely worth a visit.

D. M.

Beautiful setting, great food and coffee. The staff are very friendly and helpful. Will definitely be going again.

k. c.

A beautiful sub tropical gardens with a popular restaurant.

S. W.

Always a blast heading here to explore nature for both young and old. Rock hunting is an added bonus people do here. Gold coin donation is appreciated which is well worth the visit!!! If you like nature and walking then this is the place for you. If not then the beautiful cafe with yummy food is available.

M.

Absolutely stunning...the plant varieties care and effort gone into this beautiful garden is plain to see...well worth exploring

C. L.

Such nice coffee and delicious savoury brioche. Its a peaceful spot and not far from the town centre. Great place to take my mother

A.

Amazing gardens. Koha entry. Must see if in whangarei. Fabulous cafe there too

A. S.

Great variety of plants 👌🤟

G.

Very organized, nice, quiet and picturesque place. Lovely place to chill.

A. C.

We took the golf cart tour as we couldnt walk up hills and also had a tiny baby. Three of us went. Had lunch at the cafe first. Food was ok but service a bit disorganised. The volunteer lady who drove the golf cart was very cheerful, friendly and helpful. It cost $10 pp.but very worthwhile for people of reduced mobility to see all the beautiful garden. Lots of camelias so will go back when they are flowering. It looks beautiful all year round though.

M. B.

Beautiful place with a great variety of plants. You can also enjoy of the hike around the gardens. And the staff is so lovely, we had a great time !

W.

Great food and coffee. Safe covid 19 practices in place and working.

R.

Beautiful gardens too walk through would like some more places for the kids to play but they did like the echo tunnel

D. P.

A good place to visit when you're in Whangarei area, it's gold coin donation only, you will see all kind of plants and unique flowers you never see anywhere. The coffee shop is the best way to end your trip. They also have picnic area if you want to spend time with family. Good place for family photos too

L. R.

We love these gardens any time of the year and visit them from Auckland. Today we were pleasantly surprised with the decorated rocks hidden around the gardens for kids to hunt - very cool idea. First time ever we visited the new caffee and like it very much - good food, friendly service and pretty decor. Wonderful experience for the whole family.

H. D.

Love visiting the gardens. Was surprised when we got here we ventured up the kauri track which lead us all the way along the very top. What an amazing view. Can't wait to coms back and check out the rest of the walks and check out the gardens. Will continue to donate upon entry as every little vit helps keep this wonderful treasure ws have in Whangarei.

M. G.

This garden park has been developed over the years in an old quarry and now has a new modern designed building with cafe and information section. A good variety of plants some even tropicals. The cafe has lovely views and the food and coffee good served on vintage plates.

S.

Beautiful even on an overcast day. Gold coin to get into gardens. Definitely a must see

R.

So beautiful and a lovely place for a picnic, such good fun for kids getting to see all the different plants, the walks are gentle, easy and well taken care of

A.

Very nice place, great Cafe food and coffee too! 😁

I. T.

What a stunning place to visit, plants of all types adorn the pathways and cliffs of this disused quarry. There is also an excellent cafe for lunches or a drink.

A. M.

Beautiful gardens and a great place to relax and enjoy New Zealand beauty. It was fun for the kids and the steep hiking trails are a good way to burn out some of their energy. The tunnels were fun also. They do a good job of turning the quary into such a nice place. And it's only on donation! The place is a hidden jem.

a.

Great place to walk at leisure very safe and an excellent cafe for treats at the end of your walk. We were lucky enough to stumble across a sculpture exhibition which was like hunting for treasure. I voted for The Three Kings by Shame Gregory. Sadly my suitcase isn't big enough. Even without the exhibition we have enjoyed walks in the garden. Benches to sit for a while and absorb the beauty of the place. Gold coin entry fee to help support the volunteers who maintain this beautiful place so be generous!

M. Ż.

Really nice garden. You can take a bunch of short walks there and see all kinds of plants and sometimes animals as well. There is also a cafe near the entrance if you're hungry/thirsty afterwards. Entry is by donation.

E.

Enjoyed the food and good service.

A. F.

Beautiful! Can’t begin to imagine the hours it’s taken to create an amazing garden space. We love just wandering and finishing with a cup of coffee at the cafe.

J. G.

This place is just so beautiful. So much fun exploring it with the kids. So much hard work goes into these gardens. Thank you

C.

Marvelous garden, gold coin donation only - can't believe they don't charge! The money that's gone into making this unique setting so beautiful has been well spent!

S. M.

Lovely peaceful place to visit. It's a previous quarry that has been turned into a lake and garden. On certain days there is an excellent cafe open on site. Highly recommend a visit to the Whangarei Quarry Gardens

C.

It is a Garden of Eden. Beautiful plants with Spring colours in abundance right now. Every year I pay a visit I find it enhanced. Well done gardeners.

E. L.

Nice spot. Excellent for a walk then lunch or the other way around. Service good. Menu sounds delicious but on this occasion did not quite hit the mark, but it was almost closing on a Sunday. Coffee good. Will come again.

S.

Absolutely fantastic, excellent meal n service, beautiful work going on in the gardens. Will look stunning when it's in flower

V. W.

These gardens so close to Whangarei City are very beautiful with a huge variety of plantings. There are lovely bush walks on the perimeter for those wishing to take a walk. The gardens can also be accessed close to the city via one of these bush tracks.The adjoining cafe serves some lovely food and has lovely garden views.

K. H.

Was a great place to visit for the cost of a good coin. Very relaxing and enjoyable

D.

First visit really good place

D.

Beauty from a most unlikely place. Lovely place to walk and admire the beauty of such diverse plants.

A. M.

Great walks wonderful plants and good food

J. C.

The garden is fantastic. It is such a lovely space. The cafe was disappointing, however. A menu heavily featuring breakfasts and eggs😪

S. D.

The quarry gardens are looking wonderful with the layering of different vegetation. It's been 10 years since I've walked through the gardens. What a difference!

R.

The gardens lots of hard work gone into it ,and cafe both amazing

E. C.

Amazing walks for all types of people. Such beautiful gardens

N. S.

Great gardens, you call tell its a labor of love for the volunteers. Wide variety of flora, and a lovely feel with the pond. No entry fee, donation requested to enter

A. E.

A great place for young and old. Find painted rocks. Make a bingo board for kids I. E duck feather brown leaf red leaf etc . Enjoy the 5 senses garden . This place is lovely

M. G.

Surrounded with trees, relaxing scenery. Plenty of room inside and outside.Staff friendly food good not far from city area.Just off Western bypass Kensington. Good parking if early. Very popular.

K. T.

Made for a nice walk, lots of sick plants and trees and the like that I'd probably never otherwise see so that's cool. The cafe was tasty too, can be crowded at times though.

M.

Absolutely beautiful!

T.

What a beautiful tropical Cafe...the surroundings make you believe you're in another world ...will definitely be back to see Lilly and her team.🤗

B.

A stunning collection of a range of different plant groups, nicely labelled. Shows off plants that perform well in northland

V. H.

The garden's are accessible. Beautiful. And peaceful. Always enjoy visits n so do my friends n visitors.

C. C.

This was a really great and interesting place to visit, the volunteers who made this amazing garden out of a dissused quarry have done an amazing job. Well worth a look if you are in the area.

C. P.

Beautiful place to go. Love the lake at the top

B. W.

This was cool to check out if you’re in Whangerei. It’s all thanks to volunteers that this was made possible and their work here shows. An old mine turned into a oddly colored brownish lake that highlights the various microclimates right in that one region. A nice walking trail that takes you to the top of the waterfall is cool too.

A. H.

A must see. Beautiful setting, easy terrain, cleverly landscaped. Very inspiring. Cafe v good selection and great service

V.

It was nice to see different plants that we don't necessarily see everyday and labelled too. Well maintained place.

L. H.

Interesting walks, from near-flat to very steep. Unusual plants and landscaping. There is a good cafe on site and easy access from the carpark

G. R.

Awesome and well set out gardens. Love the Arid area all the cacti and other plants up there. Even saw a family of Quails there, they were real cute

R. P.

A beautiful use of the space and lots of interesting plant displays. A beautiful walk. It is koha entry so take some coins with you. There is a nice cafe at the visitors centre

B.

Nice atmosphere and gardens. Excellent variety on menu

L.

It's great what they've done to the place!

A. F.

Beautiful garden created out of an old quarry.

L.

Beautiful place!

D. D.

Lovely place to visit.

l.

Worth every penny. Awesome friendly service that go out of there way to make you feel important. ☺️

P.

Great walk. Nice in the shade. The cafe is great for a coffee after the walk too.

A.

Great place to visit, perfect for young and old! Has a great cafe on premises too.

N. d.

Beautiful and relaxing Worth spending 2 hours

M.

Very slow service and noisy. No ready savoury , just cakes.

E. S.

Lovely staff Beautifully maintained gardens Maps and markings can be a little confusing thoi

R. Y.

Beautiful Garden Center ☺😚🤗😗 great place to just relax have coffee lunch or dinner and stroll around the garden..you can also buy plants on sale as well. Great to take friends and family members juhst for somewhere different and enjoy your day out..So people if you are in Whangarei Northland New Zealand do call in to this place it's really beautiful. 🤗😙 Rangi Young

T.

Wow Oh Wow... Ka Pai... the entrance is a donation but well expected. The water falls, the random suprises example (random stone created by visitor) you find you hide. Look for random stones like a treasure hunt but you randomly hide it again for the next. Random gumboots with random sayings. Bloody marvelous. The trees from all over the world, history at its best. Amazing. A must visit when in whangarei

I. B.

Free admission (for gold coin donation), very tidy place, good walking tracks, a lot of different flowers/trees/etc. Not Hamilton Gardens (even close) but must see if you are visiting Whangarei.

y. h.

Lovely tropical gardens and popular cafe too

H.

Very pleased with the service and the atmosphere was superb. Enjoyed our outing, thank you very much.😀🍰🍮🌲🌴🌵🌹🌳🌺🥀🌻🌷❤️

L.

Great coffee, friendly staff, lovely food, beautiful place :)

B. F.

lovely place right in the heart of the city. gold coin donation. cafe, toilets. some steep and uneven paths so wheelchairs and the unfirm of foot take care. relaxing and tranquil

T. M.

Magnificent place to see the tropical environment in new zealand. There is no entrance charge but a gold coin may help them to keep that place nice for the future..

V.

This place has such a well laid out tropical garden. Loads of fascinating plants and trees.

R. H.

Inspiration for gardeners. Things to wonder at for all ages. Great food, atmosphere and staff at the Quail Cafe.

s.

It was such a surprise visit! Very well maintained and lovely to visit. Recommend!

C. T.

My grandsons cross is there due to an accident 22/5/10.whoever does the maintenance on grounds thank you so much for always spraying around this special area .it always looks so tidy and clean

L.

Nice small scenic quarry gardens, and free entry so can't complain.

D.

Even though it was crowded there was an atmosphere of peace with all the trees surrounding

h. b.

As a visitor from Australia it was lovely, the food in the cafe was value for money and Alice was very friendly and informative lovely lady. The gardens were impressive

K. S.

Rely good place to visit

M.

Beautiful and gorgeous gardens. Paths are metal and occasionally steep. If using a wheelchair, take a pusher. Worth a look.

A.

Nice gardens and cafe. Cafe is very busy, very popular place

K.

Beautiful gardens. Fantastic walk for all ages and a wonderful cafe.

F.

Great place for photos & to hang out..beautiful sub tropical gardens with stunning views, nice walking trail, extremely large area.

R.

Best in Whangarei. Had been for year or two. Good fab, coffee fab, service wondeful and friendly, position 😀🌴🌳

C. H.

Lovely place for a stroll and to admire all the voluntary work. Very good cafe...good coffee and nice inventive food. Excellent facilities.

D.

Amazing what a group of dedicated volunteers can do. Turning and old quarry into a garden well worth visiting

K.

Great place cool photo album shows gardens growth and flood damage due to storm

R.

Fantastic for children and families. Delicious food. Plenty to do for all ages. Safe to explore.

G.

This place has got to be the most wonderful walking track and gardens I had the pleasure off been to.I highly recommend any visitor to NZ to visit

R.

very beautiful place, Lot of hidden scenery

j.

Fantastic, what an amazing garden! This place is a national treasure, a place all Kiwis can be proud of. Jeff P Tauranga

J.

We really liked being there. Lovely staff, food and very good coffee. Definitely go there again.

P. K.

A very nice place to eat.A nice walk ,so many different plants to see.

M. C.

Great tropical gardens. Nice lake. Great spot for a picnic and they have a cafe for daytime hours.

D.

Good atmosphere and food

K.

Beautiful gardens with a lovely cafe and homemade treats on offer. A great spot to take gardening afficianados for an outing.

s.

Loved it here, great walks with beautiful plants and the Quail Cafe has the most delicious food.

f. l.

Beautiful nature park and example of restoration

M. B.

A great place to come as a family. Yum good and good coffee in the cafe and a bit of rock hunting in the garden afterwards.

E.

A real national treasure made by volunteers!! Can't believe it used to be a rubbish dump 20 years ago. The cafe food is divine too.

G.

Really nice gardens and waterfalls.

D.

A beautiful forest and garden experience, it would have been enhanced by more signs and maps but it was still well worth the trip.

B.

Amazing spot good food and the whole family enjoyed the gardens

M.

Great layout, need to spend a few more hours there, a definite go back to

T.

Good... But service seems to favour those in large groups 🙄

C.

Beautiful place for the whole family to walk around the gardens with great history and awsome walking track for the adventuristic with beautiful views of whangarei

J.

Great cafe. Interesting walk with the old quarry very much in evidence as it looms over well kept gardens and lake.

A.

Gr8 place to visit if you in Whangarei. Has a cafe but was close when we visited.

I.

Enjoy the beautiful garden and take your time to learn about the native plants.

M.

Food was tasty but wait time was very long. People ordering after me were served first

R. D.

So many different species all looking well loved in their favourite planting area

J.

Love this place for a great couple of hours enjoying a leisurely walk out in the gardens then finish off with lunch in the cafe.

D.

Nice place to walk around. Do need a couple of hours to get around everything. Definitely need a hat in summer and covered shoes

A. W.

Great little spot to relax and take in all the plant life with a serene lake at the end of your walk

M.

Absolutely beautiful. A wonderful walk. Very worthwhile!!

M.

Lovely gardens and great use of an old quarry

M.

great food and lovely service, friendly and quick. great views.

V.

Beautiful gardens and well maintained. Was very impressed. Will definitely be visiting again.

J. R.

Great cafe and wonderful friendly staff. Love exploring the gardens with my children

M.

Must do in Whangarei !! Beautiful short walk through the garden and an amazing cafe with vegan cakes.

N.

Nice and scienic,and clean good parking with a nice cafe

D.

Breakfast was delicious. Very friendly staff aswell

M.

Beautiful gardens. Clean. Nice to walk. Nice to sit in the shade or sun.

L.

Nice way to spend an hour or 2. All the gardens are distinct and well manicured. Admission by donation.

S.

Absolutely stunning, so many different areas to explore. Picnic amounts the flaura and fauna or eat in at the cafe.

O.

Beautiful place volunteer project. Lake, plants, walks, vistas. Lovely information centre and excellent cafe.

S.

Food is absolutely beautiful and lovely friendly staff

L.

One of the nicest places to take a walk.

E.

Amazing gardens, cant believe it was all created by volunteers

K. W.

Quarry gardens are wonderful to walk through all made by volunteers , a great variety of plants and a great New cafe with delicious food and scenery

B.

Beautiful place to visit and explore with the family. The kids will love the hidden tunnels and gardens.

M.

Well worth seeing. Great atmosphere. Very peaceful and well laid out. Great cafe on site

D.

Went with a cute girl

P.

Great variety of plants. ..lovely location to walk around. Nice cafe

F. W.

Warm and welcoming great food and beautiful gardens too.. Always enjoyed!!

Y.

If you're not into flowers or botany nothing great to see.

P.

Great cafe. Fantastic garden walks

c.

Amazing variety of plants in a great setting. Easy to navigate and nice to relax in

S.

Glorious thanks volunteers

R.

Fantastic. Beautiful gardens. They can be proud. Well worth a visit!

B.

This is an amazing creation from just a quarry to a gorgeous place with well maintained gardens and cool lake ♥. What an amazing effort

B.

It's just nice

R.

Beautiful gardens proudly tended by volunteers. Cafe great food and atmosphere.

S.

This place is well stunning! Very picturesque and and peaceful.... it was beautiful went back twice.

S.

Amazing what they've done to this place, lovely garden and really nice place to stop and stretch the legs.

S.

Beautiful. Redeveloped by volunteers and what a credit it is to them. The planting is gorgeous and you must eat at the café.

S.

Nice place beautiful garden created in a quarry. Good for bush walk. Hiking and relaxing.

J.

Very nice garden. Easy walk through out.

t. w.

Great variety of native and imported plants - a veritable botanical garden in an unusual setting. Well worth a visit

B.

Awesome views, very nice food. Down side was way too many fly's made me uncomfortable eating.

K.

So worth the gold coin donation. Lots of cool trees and succulents

L. C.

Lovely atmosphere, beautiful gardens with some interesting concepts between like an echo tunnel

D.

Good food coffee needs to improve hearing inside

X.

Always a great spot gardens & Cafe grest scene

S.

Lovely cafe and gardens , the 2 year loved walking around the place, cool tunnel!

G.

Beautiful gardens - certainly worth the visit.

s.

Very nice place. I had a nap here.

S.

Lovely place to have a wander around. Good food at the cafeteria.

B.

Always to walk around and having a nice coffee as well. great gardens!

S. M.

Beautiful tropical garden. Used to be old quarry now it is home for many tropical plants.

J.

Bought a beautiful handmade leather bag, very creative space a joy to visit and see artists do what they do best.

F.

Beautiful place. The work the volunteers are doing there is amazing. Thank you!

A.

Gold coin donation for entry, easy walking good for the kids

E.

Nice place to chill out

J.

Great food at Fat Quail, but go early can be very popular!

L.

Everyone should visit this gorgeous sanctuary tucked into the hills of Whangarei - great for plant lovers, walkers, tourists and people just needing a break in their journey.

D.

Really lovely place to have morning tea Good selections Could have done with a heater on Very friendly staff

K.

Just a beautiful place. Lovely to.walk around and see fauna from around the world.

M.

Awesome place well worth a visit. Amazing to see the earth recover from mining

K.

Nice and quite place to look at lots of different plants, but this will probably be just a one time thing.

D.

Always a peaceful place to visit and wander the paths, winter or summer. Is at it's best during summer naturally.

L.

Beautiful Gardens, has a Lovely Cafe or pack your lunch for a picnic

D.

Good clean restaurant, meets expectations for a BK outlet Could improve on the seating layout

m. m.

Great place for a walk & to see some cool gardens & plants

G.

Lovely place for a walk and cool plants

J.

Great gardens with a wonderful selection of plant species in a unique setting

V.

Wow. A must visit. Amazing gardens and a fabulous cafe.

R.

Good food in a great setting

I.

Lovely peaceful and relaxing, good place for picnicking with the family.

P.

Beautify plants but nothing extraordinary. Gold coin donation optional but required.

W.

Very nice food & friendly service 🙂

A.

It was great place for kids to run off that wet weather energy... they loved the tunnels and the waterfalls ..

A.

Lovely gardens and nice Cafe. Well worth a visit

H.

Beautiful, lots of hard work has gone into making these gardens.

A.

Beautiful gardens and just a lovely place.to relax

G.

Awesome place Beautiful Gardens All maintained by volunteers

J.

Great use of an old quarry site, beautifully landscaped with lots of interesting species.

J.

Nice atmosphere in cafe and pleasant walk through gardens

R.

Great way to spend two to three hours. Some interesting plants.

S.

Very good 👍 About 2-3 hrs break. Lots of flowers, trees, and water fall.

T. S.

Lovely garden with nice look outs

T.

Really excellent place to wander through. Make you realise how sub tropical it is up here.

L.

Nice place to stop for coffee. It was racing so we didn't do the walks.

B.

Nice gardens. Volunteers have done a wonderful job.

M.

Nice gardens, well maintained by volunteers. Lots to explore.

M.

Awesome place for a wander. See my last review for more info.

a.

Wonderful place to walk, learn and enjoy the great work the local community has done !

T.

Peaceful place to be... cafe does some good food and service was good.

H.

Nice walks through well tended gardens

G.

We found this place fascinating. Lots of things to see.

P.

Lovely gardens, will maintained, nice cafe

D.

Great food and service as always, and responsible C19 measures as well.

S.

Great park to walk thru, and reasonable café.

S.

What a gem of a find - recommend taking lots of water, sunscreen and an umbrella for shade

W.

Beautiful gardens with lots of corners to explore and admire

M.

Beautiful ever changing gardens with excellent cafe

A.

Really nice worth a visit

B.

Great place for a peaceful meal. Nice views

C.

Wonderful place to visit and eat!!

G.

Absolutely awesome day in the most beautiful gardens!

C.

A very good Park. 🏞️

J.

Always amazing such a great place for kids to run around

K.

Amazing gardens built on volunteer effort

W.

Idyllic place and everything was beautiful in full bloom.

N.

On a par with Eden Gardens, in Auckland, but larger in area. Has a nice cafe, which is well patronised

W.

Kapai me te mara ataahua... the kai (mussle chowder)was not so good otherwise would've rated it a 5 star

D.

Closed on Xmas day so did not had a chance to go around...

K.

The curious mix of man made and natural . It felt like an adventure to explore every nook

P.

It is an appreciation of our botanical diversity and the lungs of our city.

E.

Lovely place for nature lovers! One of the Must See in Whangarei.

L.

Lovely gardens. Beware some of the volunteers, though.

S.

Beautiful, gorgeous plants

M.

Be nice to have something small that's savory and gluten free - muffin from the freezer maybe?

E.

Beautiful gardens - a lovely spot for a stroll!

K.

Really worth a look, easy access from State Highway 1 by Western Hills, an ongoing work

E.

Incredible Garden!

D.

Lovely gardens and great restaurant for lunch

s.

Great use of an old quarry. A beautiful sub tropical garden.

A.

Beautiful energy beautiful birds Peaseful lake very relaxing place

Q.

An amazing place for relaxing, plenty of local and exotic plants

P.

Great atmosphere, nice food

S.

Excellent walk and loved it great exhibition

V.

Absolutely love it

B.

Beautiful place to take the family for a walk.

R.

Relaxing wall in garden and good coffee and cake in restaurant.

M.

Wasn't as much this year. $10 was a little expensive for what was there.

J.

Went to the cafe. Great place to walk also

K.

Beautiful place with a beautiful story, what else do you need?!

G.

A must place to visit out standing gardens

R.

Heavenly place and beautiful #LightTheWorld #givethanks

G.

Beautiful

V.

Great, shame it's not open all week...

M.

Lovely surroundings, also has a restaurant.

J.

Very nice, three cheers to all the volunteers working to keep it so

S.

A must see attraction. Quail cafe fabulous

J.

Good food. A bit disorganized as it was busy for mothers day

J.

Great place to take the grandkids to hunt for rocks😃

D.

Lovely quiet and private cafe

R.

Great but I didn't have the time to see it all my mistake

T.

Great walks amongst huge plant variety.

A.

Superb gardens, in a wonderful setting.

M.

Beautiful gardens, lovely paths.

L.

Nice easy and wide walking tracks

C.

Just beautiful

L.

Beautiful spot, good food, lovely staff.

E.

Lovely and peaceful

R.

LOVE! Please replace the collecting rocks that you take home

K.

Wonderful place with delicious food and quality service.

i.

Beautiful gardens worth a visit

Z.

Not very big. The views there are ok but not great enough.

R.

We were surprised by how well this place had been maintained... A must visit in whangarei.

C.

Brilliant setting. Not enough seating outside.

M.

Lovely place, great food!!!

J.

Interesting. Well planned and well maintained. Good cafe.

S.

Awesome place. Great vistas awesome food

C.

Good service and good food also

J.

Great to walk through on a warm day

N.

Super pretty and the volunteer was so nice!

T.

Nice walk in nature and tasty food

S.

Neat plantings, lake and waterfalls

C.

Amazing

M.

Good food, lovely gardens.

S.

Lovely location. Great scenery.

D.

What a beautiful place and i only discovered it last week.

N.

Nice and calm place. Lake was cool.

A.

Not really a best experience but if you planning on killing some time, can visit

J.

Great cafe and gardens

C.

Beautiful amazing place with great cafe

R.

Fantastic garden. Must return

j.

Amazing landscape..

P.

Interesting setting, pleasant staff.

P.

Beautiful gardens, interesting walk

V.

Lovely cafe amongst the Bush setting

J.

Good quiet spot to relax and well maintained

l.

Beautiful day.

J.

Quail Cafe , great setting though coffee not hot , which was disappointing .

B.

A bit noisy when crowded

S.

Great commitment by those visionaries to see the potential in this old quarry.

M.

Great setting ,great food and friendly service

P.

Loved it thank you for the experience

M.

Quail café is great!

W.

Love this place 😍 the concepts made by volunteers in community

W.

A pleasant walk marred by smelly trees.

H.

Come See, worth the effort if you're passing through Whangarei

C.

Lovely place.Friendly staff.

M.

Kids love the mac n cheese

D.

Great food fantastic garden

J.

A beautiful peacefull garden!

K.

Take a walk in the beautiful gardens

T.

Amazing place to take visitors

T.

Well set out looked after well

P.

Absolutely lively and great cafe

W.

Really worth a visit!

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