eastwoodhill arboretum

Well worth a visit. Well signposted walks of differing levels of difficulty and length. Rere rock slide also must be visited - and experienced if you are 8-65! Take a boogie board or similar to slide down this amazing rock slide.

We wanted something low key to do around Gisborne and this was the perfect thing. There is tons to see and do, and a lot of different, beautiful walks. There are 1000's of different trees and it is really worth the visit. You can spend hours here or only a few hours. The staff is extremely friendly and knows what they are talking about. It is worth investing some time into picking their brain about the Arboretum because there is really some fascinating stories behind it.

Visited with friends while holidaying in Gisborne. Is about half an hour's drive from Gisborne. Has about 25 Km's. of tracks - many accessible with a mobility scooter which is available on site for less able people. Wonderful, mature trees from all over the world. Rere Falls and rockslide a few Km's. Further up the road and also worth visiting.We were there for 5 hrs. and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Fascinating if you're interested in botany and plants, but a really pleasant piece of woodland even if you're not. You can easily spend a couple of hours here walking the many tracks and taking in the atmosphere and the views.

Thank goodness there are wonderful, inspired people who dedicate their lives to planting trees for our enjoyment. The age and sheer variety of trees in this beautiful arboretum make it well worth visiting. It is well set out and easy to access for those who are not so fit. The Rere Falls are close by so a visit to both is time well spent.

If you're passing through gisborne this is a must. A stunning, massive garden of numerous species of trees n other Flora and fauna. At times the colors, scents and views dreamlike. Lots of walkways, if you have time do the one up the hills to view Mt hikurangi and amazing vista of mountainous land. We visited early spring but any season would see wondrous sights. So peaceful, bird song, and such friendly welcome at ticket office. Very reasonable charge. If you love gardening or being amongst superb gardens website you come here.

Visited in autumn and the trees were in full colour, very pleasant. The walk to the top of the valley to the lookout involved wet and slippery sections on part of the track coming down and would not be recommended for the elderly unless it had not rained for many days. The rest of the park had extensive trails had gentle easy slopes. Nice cake and coffee.

We had our second autumn visit to Eastwoodhill and loved it just as much .... the colours are fantastic. We invited friends to join us for the day and encouraged them to take advantage of the guided tour and they found the overview really informative. AnzacDay their grandchildren had been to the Teddy Bears picnic and loved their day out. The drive out from Gisborne is also picturesque and am really looking forward to a spring visit to see the bulbs in flower and the lovely fresh spring growth. Must mention the spicy tomato soup we had for lunch and the apricot slice to follow well done cafe ladies.

A number of other people have posted glowing reports of the Eastwoodhill Arboretum, but viewers may not realize that you can stay overnight. There are two bunkrooms that sleep 8 people each - bunks are very comfortable with good head-space, individual bed lights, mirror and power points,. There are well appointed showers (plenty of hot water), basins and toilet facilities, a full kitchen incl. fridge-freezer, and comfortable chairs,couches and dining table in the main room. Staff also use the kitchen/dining but are very hospitable and helpful. All this for a very reasonable price. You need to bring your own food, of course. The experience of waking up to birdsong and looking out on the gorgeous trees is definitely a one-off, special experience.

I went to Eastwoodhill Arboretum in mid-January 2013 and it provided a very pleasant couple of hours of walking which could have been longer. The great variety of plants provided a feast for the eyes and ample opportunities for photographs. There are hilly areas, flatter areas, a swamp-like pond, and a variety of different types of habitat such as different types of woods. The woman at the desk at the office where you walk in and pay was very helpful and there are nice drinks there too, which is handy when you are out of town. It would be great to bring a picnic to share here.

We visited the arboretum in Late February and chose an easy walk taking about an hour, but there were many of varying length and ability. I loved the views and variety of trees and beautiful trails so relaxing. unfortunately the. Cafe is now closed so bringing a picnic is advised though you can buy drinks and get coffee from a machine from the reception. Well worth a visit it cost $15 each but I would need all the support entry fees provide to maintain such a wonderful attraction

over 330km of scenic walking with a vast array of trees, shrubs and flowers. If you like walking then you can not ignore this place. The only thing that stopped us giving it 5 out of 5 was the fact we had some coffee vouchers from our local tourist magazine that we couldn't use because their coffee machine was broken and they also dont have a cafe which would have been the icing on the cake.

Wonderful to visit. We went in spring but I'm planning to go back in autumn to see the wonderful leaf colours. The marked trails are easy to follow, and the ability to book the free mobility scooter made this trip possible for us. The scooter trail is not on the map but was easy to follow with marked posts at every junction. The trees are amazing, and children can easily use up their energy on the wonderful pathways. Don't miss the Fibonnaci Spiral and a chance to spin the quartz sphere on its bed of water. Bring your sandwiches if you plan a full day, there is a very small collection of snacks available (chocolate bars) but no cafe. It is a bit out of town, but for lovers of real peace and serenity this is an absolute "must see".

I visited the Arboretum this week with my son and we thoroughly enjoyed our walk around the site. There are several routes to choose from, each giving different views. Autumn is the best time, with the changing colours.The only disappointment was the lack of a cafe,though there were cold drinks available and a coffee machine. It's about 30 mins drive from Gisborne.

This place is truely amazing and the work that has been put into the plantings are really from dedicated gardeners. A beautiful place to make a day visit to.