Hel’s guidebook
Sightseeing
This is a sample of local points of interest near our farm.
Our neighbours at Bushy Park are mostly birds including; bellbirds, kereru, north island robin, saddlebacks, hihi, moreporks as well as the falcon, fantail, grey warbler, mallard, pukeko, silvereye, kingfishers, and white-faced heron. The sanctuary is home to some kiwi too.
The park has walking tracks through the forest providing easy all-weather access. It’s also home to Ratanui (the Big Rata), this tree is over 500 years old and is 43 metres in height. We have our own old Rata on the farm and it’s a joy to see it and its big brother flower around Christmas time.
Visiting the forest is free, donations to help protect this special place are welcomed. There is also a café in the Historic Homestead open for Devonshire teas, a number of our guests have also booked in for meals at the homestead.
www.bushyparksanctuary.org.nz
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Bushy Park Sanctuary
791 Rangitatau E RdOur neighbours at Bushy Park are mostly birds including; bellbirds, kereru, north island robin, saddlebacks, hihi, moreporks as well as the falcon, fantail, grey warbler, mallard, pukeko, silvereye, kingfishers, and white-faced heron. The sanctuary is home to some kiwi too.
The park has walking tracks through the forest providing easy all-weather access. It’s also home to Ratanui (the Big Rata), this tree is over 500 years old and is 43 metres in height. We have our own old Rata on the farm and it’s a joy to see it and its big brother flower around Christmas time.
Visiting the forest is free, donations to help protect this special place are welcomed. There is also a café in the Historic Homestead open for Devonshire teas, a number of our guests have also booked in for meals at the homestead.
www.bushyparksanctuary.org.nz
Recognised by the NZ Gardens Trust as a 'Garden of Significance', the Bason Botanic Gardens is set in 25 hectares of landscaped countryside and includes one of the most extensive public garden orchid collections in New Zealand.
There are a mix of gardens from Stanley and Blanche’s old homestead garden to the Arboretum, Woodlands, Exotic and Native areas. The Lakeside Flats are used to host events such as Shakespeare In the Park. Large open areas and the free gas barbeques have made Bason Botanic Gardens a very popular place.
www.basonbotanicgardens.org.nz
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Bason Botanic Gardens
552 Rapanui RdRecognised by the NZ Gardens Trust as a 'Garden of Significance', the Bason Botanic Gardens is set in 25 hectares of landscaped countryside and includes one of the most extensive public garden orchid collections in New Zealand.
There are a mix of gardens from Stanley and Blanche’s old homestead garden to the Arboretum, Woodlands, Exotic and Native areas. The Lakeside Flats are used to host events such as Shakespeare In the Park. Large open areas and the free gas barbeques have made Bason Botanic Gardens a very popular place.
www.basonbotanicgardens.org.nz
If you are looking for a great place for a weeding or family celebration then our neighbours at Pukatea Estate is an amazing venue. The have a chapel for more formal events and a large country garden, great for farm bbqs. Great hosts too.
http://www.pukateaestate.co.nz
Hunters whare @pukatea estate
121 Somerset RoadIf you are looking for a great place for a weeding or family celebration then our neighbours at Pukatea Estate is an amazing venue. The have a chapel for more formal events and a large country garden, great for farm bbqs. Great hosts too.
http://www.pukateaestate.co.nz
Kai Iwi Beach
It’s about a 20min drive to the beach from the farm, this is a wild west coast black sand beach. As well as the windswept coast line there is a protected inlet for swimming and a kids playground. It’s a great place for a walk or a bracing swim.
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Kai Iwi Beach
Kai Iwi Beach
It’s about a 20min drive to the beach from the farm, this is a wild west coast black sand beach. As well as the windswept coast line there is a protected inlet for swimming and a kids playground. It’s a great place for a walk or a bracing swim.
Up the road from our farm you will find the Waitahinga Trails, set in 700ha of regenerating bush, the area includes native bush and enormous old rimu trees, along with a cleared area planted in pruned pines. Trails are a collection of walks catering for various fitness levels . Combined the trails, about six hours' walking in all, they are clearly marked and signposted, and their brochure is available at Wanganui's information centre in Taupo Quay. They trails start at the car park 1km up on Junction Rd which turns off Rangitatau East Rd 13km up from Nuts ‘n May.
Quarry Car Park - Waitahinga trails
Up the road from our farm you will find the Waitahinga Trails, set in 700ha of regenerating bush, the area includes native bush and enormous old rimu trees, along with a cleared area planted in pruned pines. Trails are a collection of walks catering for various fitness levels . Combined the trails, about six hours' walking in all, they are clearly marked and signposted, and their brochure is available at Wanganui's information centre in Taupo Quay. They trails start at the car park 1km up on Junction Rd which turns off Rangitatau East Rd 13km up from Nuts ‘n May.
A bit of a hidden gem, from the car park you can do a circular route around the lake, its a 30 minutes walk in total with fabulous views across the lake which is a wildlife reserve.
Lake Westmere
A bit of a hidden gem, from the car park you can do a circular route around the lake, its a 30 minutes walk in total with fabulous views across the lake which is a wildlife reserve.
Food scene
Every Saturday Morning, rain or shine you will find he appropriately named marked down by the riverside – on Mouta Quay in the heritage precinct, on the banks of the Whanganui River between the riverboat Waimarie and the Tram-shed. The site was a busy riverside trading site for local Maori, and know as Market Place in settler tomes. Enterprising people from our region are proud to be continuing this tradition as they set up in the first light of Saturday mornings, with the misty Whanganui River as their backdrop.
www.therivertraders.co.nz
www.facebook.com/WhanganuiRiverMarkets
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Whanganui River Traders Market
7 Taupo QuayEvery Saturday Morning, rain or shine you will find he appropriately named marked down by the riverside – on Mouta Quay in the heritage precinct, on the banks of the Whanganui River between the riverboat Waimarie and the Tram-shed. The site was a busy riverside trading site for local Maori, and know as Market Place in settler tomes. Enterprising people from our region are proud to be continuing this tradition as they set up in the first light of Saturday mornings, with the misty Whanganui River as their backdrop.
www.therivertraders.co.nz
www.facebook.com/WhanganuiRiverMarkets
Before these guys came to town it was hard finding good locally baked bread. These artisan sourdough bakers make amazing bread (their fig and walnut bread uses our nuts) and their café does a fine coffee too. You can find them just off the main drag on Ingestre St at the Saturday morning market.
www.facebook.com/sourbrosbakery
SourBros Bakery & Coffee Bar
40 Ingestre StBefore these guys came to town it was hard finding good locally baked bread. These artisan sourdough bakers make amazing bread (their fig and walnut bread uses our nuts) and their café does a fine coffee too. You can find them just off the main drag on Ingestre St at the Saturday morning market.
www.facebook.com/sourbrosbakery
You will pass Roots Brewery on your drive from Whanganui to our farm. It’s a small craft brewery using local hops and malt from nearby Marton to make great beer. They make different styles of dependent depending on the season an have celler door sales on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings, just in time for you to stock up on your way to the farm.
One of the features of the brewery are its returnable bottles, you can chose to have a refund or make a donation to their tree planing scheme.
www.facebook.com/RootsBrewingCo
Roots Brewing Co.
43 State Hwy 3You will pass Roots Brewery on your drive from Whanganui to our farm. It’s a small craft brewery using local hops and malt from nearby Marton to make great beer. They make different styles of dependent depending on the season an have celler door sales on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings, just in time for you to stock up on your way to the farm.
One of the features of the brewery are its returnable bottles, you can chose to have a refund or make a donation to their tree planing scheme.
www.facebook.com/RootsBrewingCo
While the walnuts are wind pollinated, we need bees for our mixed fruit orchard and out hives are run by Kai Iwi Honey. This family business is based in the old cheese factory at the Kai Iwi township and you can also buy their honey from the nearby local school.
www.kaiiwihoney.co.nz
Kai Iwi Honey
963 State Hwy 3While the walnuts are wind pollinated, we need bees for our mixed fruit orchard and out hives are run by Kai Iwi Honey. This family business is based in the old cheese factory at the Kai Iwi township and you can also buy their honey from the nearby local school.
www.kaiiwihoney.co.nz
This little gem of a café is in the seaside suburb of Castlecliff, it’s a great place for a great burger. Its also at the centre of the regenration of this are and you can enjoy their eating in their protected courtyard area or on one of the street side tables that have a fine view of the new landscaping around this street and the nearby Vostinar Gallery.
www.facebook.com/thecitadel.castlecliff
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The Citadel Cafe
14 Rangiora StThis little gem of a café is in the seaside suburb of Castlecliff, it’s a great place for a great burger. Its also at the centre of the regenration of this are and you can enjoy their eating in their protected courtyard area or on one of the street side tables that have a fine view of the new landscaping around this street and the nearby Vostinar Gallery.
www.facebook.com/thecitadel.castlecliff
This long established berry farm has been supplying locals with fresh and frozen strawberries and raspberries for years. You will drive past it as you come out from Wanganui to our farm at Nuts ‘n May. During summer you can stop off for an icecream or pick your own berries. Open from Labour Weekend in October to early May.
www.windermerefarms.co.nz
Windermere Berry Farms
313 State Hwy 3This long established berry farm has been supplying locals with fresh and frozen strawberries and raspberries for years. You will drive past it as you come out from Wanganui to our farm at Nuts ‘n May. During summer you can stop off for an icecream or pick your own berries. Open from Labour Weekend in October to early May.
www.windermerefarms.co.nz