Timaru Botanic Gardens — Attraction in South Island

The Timaru Botanic Gardens is a nice spot for a relaxing visit. While it’s not particularly extraordinary, it has a charming and peaceful vibe that makes it worth a quick stop.

One of the highlights is the bird aviary, which features a variety of birds and is fun to check out. There’s also a small lake with ducks, which adds to the tranquil atmosphere and is a pleasant spot for a walk. Additionally, there’s a greenhouse filled with cacti and exotic plants, which is quite interesting for plant lovers.

For families, there’s a small playground that provides some entertainment for kids, though it’s nothing too elaborate. The gardens overall are well-kept, and the variety of features makes it a pleasant place to spend an hour or two.

That said, it’s not a destination you’d go out of your way for, but if you’re already in Timaru or passing through, it’s a nice spot to stretch your legs and enjoy a bit of nature. Simple but enjoyable, it’s worth a visit if you’re looking for something low-key to do...

The rose garden was beautiful, and I was very impressed by the greenhouses. But, as we walked around, I felt more and more that these botanical gardens are very 'white'. The focus was on plants brought to NZ by Europeans (in the 'Heritage' beds) and international species. There was no mention of the Maori or any info on traditional uses of native plants. And then there is the aviary - a small group of birds kept in tiny spaces where they can't fly around properly. Most of the birds are Australian, so why are they even being kept there? It's cruel to keep birds in such a small space, and unforgivable when it's not even for conservation. I've reported it to the SPCA and I won't be going back here until the...

Very pretty gardens that we could not fully explore of which resulted in all of us being quite upset that the local council had closed " for maintenance " ( they were perfectly clean and looked like they were in running order) both the public BBQ at the gardens and also the only other ones that are placed at Caroline Bay Park. We traveled in our cars for 2-3 hours with food that was prepared for a special lunch with family and friends. We all had to leave early so we could return to our homes to cook the food before it was spoiled. Our "special day out" was pretty much totally ruined. Thanks for that...