Half the fun of the Wellington Botanic Garden is getting there. We arrived into town late in the day, checked into our apartment, and headed to Lambton Quay. It’s the centre of Wellington and the location of the Cable Car entrance. At the top is the Wellington Botanic Garden.
I am generally not a huge fan of this type of place, but there is something really special about the Wellington Botanic Garden that draws me here on each visit to New Zealand’s capital city. I think it’s the variety – from flowers to trees, from common to exotic, it seems to change rapidly. Or, maybe it’s simply that it goes downhill. We start at the top and follow the mosaic tile path down through the gardens to the city.
I will keep this short, as our daughter Sarah is leaving for a year-long cultural exchange to Argentina in two days and my time is limited. I present the Wellington Botanic Garden to you in photographs as we walked downhill:
We came around a corner and were suddenly enveloped in a rainbow of colourful hydrangeas.
We came to the succulents and cacti just before the endangered species.
A wall of striking colours and fragrant flowers in the begonia house.
This hand of bananas growing inside the begonia house seemed almost out of place but isn’t it lovely with that big flower.
One of many vivid roses in the award-wining Lady Norwood Rose Garden.
Jewish section of the Bolton Street Cemetery (Wellington’s oldest cemetery), which is located at the extension of the Wellington Botanic Garden.
Follow these tiles through the Wellington Botanic Garden to get from the Cable Car to city.
Practical Information:
- The Wellington Botanic Garden is classified as a Garden of National Significance by the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture and is a Historic Places Trust Heritage Area.
- The Botanic Gardens are open from dawn to dusk. The Begonia House hours are 9 am to 5 pm in Summer, with earlier closing in the winter.
- There are 26 hectares to explore and include sections of exotic, rare, native, and colourful flora.
- The Cable Car operates until 10 pm Monday to Saturday, and until 9 pm on Sunday.
- The Space Place at the Carter Observatory is located inside the Wellington Botanic Garden.
- Be sure to stop at the Tree House visitor centre, at a minimum to enjoy the views from the extensive decks.
Have you been to the Wellington Botanic Garden?
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What a feast for the eyes, I love that deep, deep blue of the Hydrangea but everything is so beautiful! I’m very glad I stopped to look!
Coming around that corner to see the hydrangea was magical.
What beautiful flora and foliage. I imagine it’s very peaceful here. I do love a botanical garden, it transports you away from the city somewhere colourful and quiet. 26 Hectares is some area to explore! Thanks for sharing on #MondayEscapes
It is peaceful, although I was with teens 🙂
I can get lost for hours in a botanical garden. I just told my family that they should be happy it will be a little cold yet for the garden in Denver, otherwise we’d be visiting on our upcoming trip. Lovely photos.
Lisa @ LTTL
PS sorry I am late in visiting this week, I was caught up in celebrating my birthday.
Happy Birthday!
Beautiful shots and great angles! 😀 Thank you so much for sharing this for #ExpatTuesday! 😀
Is Sarah going to be writing about her cultural exchange in Argentina? I’d love to read about it! 😀
Thanks. and yes, Sarah will be writing about Argentina after she settles in a bit. She will continue her Sunday Snapshot features.
How lovely to have so much colour at this time of the year. I’ve only been to a botanical garden once but I loved it. So inspiring for a gardening geek as myself. 🙂
Actually, it’s summer in New Zealand.
the garden is definitely beautiful, i am not really a fan of flowers too but in overall, the surroundings become alive because of their beautiful colors.
I agree, the colours were beautiful.