Garden Name:  Waimamaku Community Garden

Address:  Taitā Road, Waimamaku

Property Description: Waimamaku Community Garden has been operating for 4 years. It was set up by the community for the community.

Providing food support for the local community is a high priority of this project. This community is located an hour away from any supermarkets and has high unemployment and food security.

They hope to make a step towards a food secure and kai resilient future by providing locally grown vegetables and fruit on a regular basis to the local schools, Marae, Kōhanga Reo, Pātaka Kai and community events.

They offer regular workshops, seeds and seedlings, a compost hub, and share knowledge on low cost, long lasting solutions to gardening.

Working bees each Monday, 9am to 12 noon: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063850487772

Opening Days and Times: Saturday 21st February, 9am - 4pm 

Garden Name:  Okopako Wilderness Farm

Address:  140 Mountain Road, Whirinaki

Property Description: Okopako Wilderness Farm has been in the King family since 1910. As well as a large organic vegetable garden and lots of fruit trees, they have Wiltshire sheep and Guernsey cattle. 90 hectares of the property is still in mature native forest.

Nils and Lois have been into organic gardening for 50 years and grow as much of their own food as they can. They mulch the gardens heavily in the spring and summer with animal manure and lawn clippings to retain soil moisture and prevent weeds from growing. They have worm farms in large containers where they layer food scraps, animal manure, cardboard, dolomite and some of the "bokashi bucket" compost for the worms to turn into rich worm castings and "worm tea" liquid fertiliser. They also make liquid fertilisers using seaweed, sheep manure and comfrey leaves.

Accommodation: Okopako Lodge, which is now managed by Charlie and Kristina, has rooms with shared bathrooms, a large, fully equipped kitchen/dining area, and a cosy lounge with spectacular views out over the farm and the valley below. Camping and self-contained vehicle sites are also available: https://www.okopako.co.nz/  

Opening Days and Times: Saturday 21st February, 9am - 4pm

Garden Name:  Ara Rongoā

Address:  Honey Street Car Park to the hospital grounds at Rāwene.

Property Description: Over the past 5 years, traditional Māori wellbeing practices have literally paved the way for health and wellbeing at Hauora Hokianga. 

The hospital is reframed from a place of illness to a place of healing through the Taumata Rongoā (traditional healing services) and the Ara Rongoā Hīkoi Whakaora - Wellness Walkway project. Māra Kai (community food garden) growing organic produce to feed patients and whānau in need; and providing a place to share knowledge and connect with others and the whenua (land). The food forest and orchards have been established using permaculture design principles and aspects of syntropic agriculture systems. Native reforestation and plantings encircle the hospital grounds.

Tomokanga and Pou - our powerful tradition Māori entranceway and carvings - were created by local participants in the Te Kāpehu i te Kāinga recovery programme. Overall, the Ara Rongoā is a place that facilitates healing, learning, understanding and connection through growing kai, regenerating forests and interacting with nature and each other.

Opening Days and Times: Saturday 21st February, 9am - 2pm

Garden Name:  Oasis Retreat

Address:  3571 Hōreke Road, Tāheke

Property Description: 10 acres of magical, wild, edible landscape.

Lovingly established over 35 years on volcanic rock, the gardens, orchards and food forests contain many varieties of edible plants and trees, such as walnut, almond, blackboy peach, apricot, mulberry, white tropical guava, banana, tropical apricot, Davidson plum and Japanese wineberry. Some of these are heritage Hokianga varieties.

There are also ponds, pyramids, a delightful off grid house and an outdoor music theatre where local musicians will be playing peaceful, live music.

Opening Days and Times: Saturday 21st February, 9am - 4pm (also open with the Kaikohe Gardens on Sunday 22nd February, 9am - 4pm)