Eastwoodhill National Arboretum of NZ — Attraction in North Island

We travelled as a couple and had booked a 3 night stay in a twin room on site. Although the room was basic (No telly) it was very clean, warm and the beds were very comfortable.||||We arrived after dark, so had phoned ahead. The manager (Monique) told us where to park and how to access the room - she also advised the fire had been lit and that there was tea and coffee facilities in the main kitchen area. This was good news, because the Arboretum is really in the middle of nowhere (35kms from Gisborne).||We had travelled down from the Coromandel Peninsula so really looked forward to a good nights rest.||||Eastwood Hills is a very calm, serene place. We were woken around 6.30am by a cacophony of bird call (something you don't hear that much anymore), so a lovely way to start the day. We skipped breakfast and went into the reception to collect a walking map and then started wandering the gardens.||||We had opted for a mid autumn visit as we thought this would give us the best experience of the changer of colours of the exotic trees. ||We may have been a couple of weeks too early (blame climate change) although there were a good number of trees in colour. (I understand the other great time to visit is Spring for the flowers and flowered trees.||||The specimens are majestic. I've travelled extensively overseas and seen some of Britain's great gardens. Eastwood Hills is equally on a par with those, however the planting did seem a little more casual and not regimented as you see in Britain.||||The range of trees was remarkable, including 2 Serbian Spruce, which are now endangered due to cross breeding with the Norwegian Spruce. The California Redwood are quite stunning, but my amazement was held by the truly massive Pear trees - in fruit too!||||The property and paths were well kept, although some would still be tough going for the frail. They do have a mobility scooter to use if required. There are 20 man made lakes on the property.||||I felt 3 days was enough - and even then we only spent 3 to 4 hours per day in the arboretum with the rest of the time visiting spots around Gisborne. Do make sure you pop along and see the lovely Rere Falls, just 10kms further up the road. Well worth a look!||||The room we booked was a twin in the main facility (they have 3 or 4 rooms). It only cost $60 per night and that included your entry fee to the park ($10 each per day) - so was remarkable value.||The internet reception was good in that room, but a couple in the room next door said there's was poor.||||My only complaint. The signage marking the trees was very poor. They need hundreds more tree signs so you can immediately know what you are looking at. Yes, the big trees are marked but there are many many others that are not which is a real shame. ||||As the arboretum is continually struggling for resources, I suggest they use it as a fundraiser. These signs would only cost $10 to make, so sell them for $20-$25 per sign. I know we would have agreed willingly.||||In all, I can not tell you what great value the Eastwood Hills Arboretum is. Every Kiwi should go see it and if you're a tourist, do add it to your Kiwi experience, you won't regret it. (although time of the year is very important!!). ||||A truly magical place for a family picnic!!||||Well done to it's creators who had the imagination and drive to produce this...

We travelled as a couple and had booked a 3 night stay in a twin room on site. Although the room was basic (No telly) it was very clean, warm and the beds were very comfortable.||||We arrived after dark, so had phoned ahead. The manager (Monique) told us where to park and how to access the room - she also advised the fire had been lit and that there was tea and coffee facilities in the main kitchen area. This was good news, because the Arboretum is really in the middle of nowhere (35kms from Gisborne).||We had travelled down from the Coromandel Peninsula so really looked forward to a good nights rest.||||Eastwood Hills is a very calm, serene place. We were woken around 6.30am by a cacophony of bird call (something you don't hear that much anymore), so a lovely way to start the day. We skipped breakfast and went into the reception to collect a walking map and then started wandering the gardens.||||We had opted for a mid autumn visit as we thought this would give us the best experience of the changer of colours of the exotic trees. ||We may have been a couple of weeks too early (blame climate change) although there were a good number of trees in colour. (I understand the other great time to visit is Spring for the flowers and flowered trees.||||The specimens are majestic. I've travelled extensively overseas and seen some of Britain's great gardens. Eastwood Hills is equally on a par with those, however the planting did seem a little more casual and not regimented as you see in Britain.||||The range of trees was remarkable, including 2 Serbian Spruce, which are now endangered due to cross breeding with the Norwegian Spruce. The California Redwood are quite stunning, but my amazement was held by the truly massive Pear trees - in fruit too!||||The property and paths were well kept, although some would still be tough going for the frail. They do have a mobility scooter to use if required. There are 20 man made lakes on the property.||||I felt 3 days was enough - and even then we only spent 3 to 4 hours per day in the arboretum with the rest of the time visiting spots around Gisborne. Do make sure you pop along and see the lovely Rere Falls, just 10kms further up the road. Well worth a look!||||The room we booked was a twin in the main facility (they have 3 or 4 rooms). It only cost $60 per night and that included your entry fee to the park ($10 each per day) - so was remarkable value.||The internet reception was good in that room, but a couple in the room next door said there's was poor.||||My only complaint. The signage marking the trees was very poor. They need hundreds more tree signs so you can immediately know what you are looking at. Yes, the big trees are marked but there are many many others that are not which is a real shame. ||||As the arboretum is continually struggling for resources, I suggest they use it as a fundraiser. These signs would only cost $10 to make, so sell them for $20-$25 per sign. I know we would have agreed willingly.||||In all, I can not tell you what great value the Eastwood Hills Arboretum is. Every Kiwi should go see it and if you're a tourist, do add it to your Kiwi experience, you won't regret it. (although time of the year is very important!!). ||||A truly magical place for a family picnic!!||||Well done to it's creators who had the imagination and drive to produce this...

We were planning a trip around the East Cape when we came across Eastwoodhill’s website and decided we would visit and stay a couple of nights. We were fortunate when we arrived, not only was the weather perfect for walking some of the many tracks, but it turned out that we were the only guests staying. So at 4.30pm the park closes to visitors and we had the place to our selves! We stayed in the comfortable studio which has an en-suite. The shared kitchen and living area was well equipped and cosy. The Arboretum itself was fascinating; the range of trees, shrubs and flowers from around the world are a credit both to the original owners and the current people who care for it. An added bonus if you do the extended purple walk are the recently donated binoculars that give a fantastic view of the surrounding countryside. Spring time was definitely a good time to visit. There were quite a few families during the day, as there is plenty of fun child friendly activities too. Just one point, don’t forget to take all your food with you as you can’t...