Eastwoodhill Arboretum

Green Walk

The Green Walk encompasses much of the arboretum and takes the visitor through both, the open and forested areas of the arboretum and rising from the lowest part of the arboretum to its highest. A walk for the true tree connoisseur an adventurer with half a day to spare.

What you'll see on the Green Walk:

Corner Park

Corner Park was planted from 1928 onwards, containing some of the earliest plantings of Douglas Cook, mostly using plant material bought from within New Zealand. This was W. Douglas Cook's first major effort at the development of his ‘Park'. He envisaged he might create this after he saw the great gardens in Britain during his invalid recuperation time in the period of the First World War.

Pear Park

Pear Park was originally part of the early plantings of Douglas Cook and included an orchard extending down alongside Cabbage Tree Avenue and was further planted in the 1950s. It is a quiet part of the park with some wonderful specimens including one of the tallest Fraxinus angustifolia in the world at just over 30m and a large Quercus x ludoviciana.

The Circus

The origin of this name of the arboretum goes back to before the mid 1920s. About 1927 the roads were metalled for the first time and winter access was available. Prior to this in the deep mud of winter, the only way to transport goods up to Rere and beyond to Wharekopae was with bullock teams. Douglas Cook let them camp in this area and his description of the noise, singing, grog, cooking, animals etc was to call the whole thing a CIRCUS. Earlier shelter belt pines were felled in 1949 and seedling regrowth followed so that in 1956 when Douglas Cook planted the Circus in imported plant material, the Circus Ridge was a dark background. At that time also the Kahurangi stream was dammed and four ponds were formed.

Homestead Garden

The Homestead Garden is 1.5ha and extends from the Visitor Centre to the Homestead and across to the Black Gates. Planting in the garden was piece meal at first, but in 1926, the garden expansion began with an area close to the house being reworked and "Thousands of Tulips, Hyacinths and Peonies were imported from Holland and broad herbaceous borders were made and planted, the slopes at the sides being planted in shrubs". The bulbs never survived the East Coast environment and today the garden is filled with large mass plantings of herbaceous material and annual displays.

Orchard Hill

At only 5ha Orchard Hill is a small but important part of the arboretum. The coolness and part shade of the site influenced Douglas Cook to plant cool loving species there e.g. Picea, Ilex, and Abies. Planting in Orchard Hill began in the late 1950s. The Homestead Garden overlooks the lower basin which was the original site of Cook's orchard and cherry plantings. Later plantings of Magnolia and other spring flowering trees herald the start of spring each year.

Glen Douglas

Douglas Cook originally put aside land in what is now called Glen Douglas to give to Rob Bayly then curator of Pukeiti to start a nursery venture which due to lack of money, never eventuated. Most of Glen Douglas was planted in 1960-1961 and as with Douglas Park it has a strong theme of oaks alders and a Sorbus collection set amongst a series of ponds running down the valley.

Canaan

In August 1985, a severe overnight rainstorm hit the Ngatapa area. Over 10 inches of rain fell. A major slip from the skyline ridge in Canaan descended and flowed right into Basinhead. Much plant material was lost in this area including a large lilac collection. At the top of Canaan is a poplar planting as a trial of a Populus.deltoides x P. nigra 'Italica' [Lombardy poplar] hybrid. To the left is of a planting of Cupressus lusitanica, both these have been planted to secure the soil on this hill and more specimen trees planted on the lower slopes. The view from the top of Canaan, the highest point in the arboretum, extends up the East Coast to Mt Hikarangi and across to Te Urawera National Park to the west.

Mexico Way

Mexico Way was planted in the late 1980s and 1990s and along with China Corner, is one of our few geographical collections with trees from Central and Southern America. Many of these trees have been introduced by Bob Berry of Hackfalls Arboretum.

Springfield

Springfield was planted during the late 1980s early 1990s and has been planted with a mixture of deciduous and evergreen material. The Green Walk winds its way around the Lagoon and up into Glen Douglas.

Three Kings

Three Kings was planted by Douglas Cook as viewed from the homestead and contains both evergreen and deciduous plantings. The area has three little hills and are named after the three companions of Daniel from the Old Testament, Abendigo, Shadrach and Meshach.

Millenial Wood

The Millennial Wood was established for the year 2000 celebrations and is a way for people to contribute to the running of the arboretum and leave a permanent reminder. This 10ha area has been planted out in over 1,000 trees that have historically done well at Eastwoodhill and provide good autumn colour. Trees can be dedicated for family members, the passing of a loved or to signify an event or occasion.