The Star: September 28, 2023

22 The Star Thursday September 28 2023
The Hurunui Garden Festival returns in October
for the sixth celebration of inspirational gardens,
coupled with the hospitality of their owners,
and the people of the Hurunui district.
There is a bounty of gardens on offer to admire
and inspire with some properties also hosting
events.
The festival runs from Thursday, October 26,
to Sunday, October 29, and will showcase 18
private gardens, each of which will open from
9am to 5pm each day.
It is a haven for garden enthusiasts, nature
lovers, and anyone seeking inspiration amidst
the scenic landscapes of the Hurunui district,
and garden owners are keen for visitors to
enjoy gardens from Amberley, Waipara Gorge,
Hawarden, and Waikari to Hanmer Springs,
Cheviot, Culverden and Rotherham.
They are arranged in six geographical-based
clusters making it easy to plan visits to multiple
gardens.
Each cluster has its own detailed map in the
guide which can be printed from the website
hurunuigradenfestival.com.
This shows the exact locations of the gardens,
along with other useful information, such as the
location of public toilets, fuel stations and food
outlets.
Owners have been hard at work maintaining
their gardens, despite Mother Nature sending
rain, hail, snow, and frosts to thwart their
preparation.
Corina Hazlett will be exhibiting over the
Hurunui Garden Festival at the Art in the Barn
Event, at Flaxmere Garden in Hawarden, on all
four days. The art will be for sale. Corina’s work
for the exhibition is called For Everything there
is a Season.
It is a collection of acrylics painted from
photographs and memories of places in New
Zealand, with the change in seasons in the
colour palette.
There will also be an opportunity to take part in a
workshop run by Corina Hazlett Artist Studio, in
the garden of Waihui, Rotherham, on Saturday,
October 28 10am to 4pm. Booking is essential.
Email Corina at jandchazlett@gmail.com.
Also on offer is a showcase of local artists works,
sculpture, a photography exhibition, garden
furniture, garden outdoor products, plants,
indoor and outdoor, giftware, prints, and easy
to listen to jazz.
There are tours on offer at the Tipapa Estate
Homestead, and plenty to do and see in the
district, including taking part in adventure
tourism, or enjoying the great retail shopping
in many of the settlements including Cheviot,
Hanmer Springs, and Amberley.
The event has become popular, with many
visitors making it a long weekend so they can
enjoy as many gardens as possible. There is
accommodation to suit everyone’s needs.
● It costs $10 to visit each property (cash only),
payable on the day as you enter. School aged
children accompanied by an adult, are free. The
website shop - hurunuigardenfestival.com - is
open for online ticket sales.
Some gardens may have an extra charge for
events which can be accessed in the guide which
can be ordered online free, just pay postage.