If you need an escape from New Zealand city life without going too far, head to the city’s oldest park, and it’s crown jewel the Auckland Domain Wintergardens. Like so many of the city’s green hills, the Auckland Domain is built around the cone of the extinct Pukekawa volcano. The 75-hectare park is Auckland’s oldest park. In addition, to the winter garden, Auckland’s park is home to forested bush trails, duck ponds, interesting sculptures, formal gardens, soccer fields, the Auckland War Memorial Museum, Wintergarden Cafe, a band rotunda, and plenty of open spots for picnic or sport.
Domain Wintergardens
Originally built in the early 1900s to provide winter garden viewing, the Auckland Domain Wintergardens are registered on the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (now Heritage Trust). Today you will find a fernery, an ornate courtyard, and two Victorian-style greenhouses. Each greenhouse is distinctly different from the other – one is heated, creating a tropical environment, while the other is temperate. Both contain a variety of colourful, fragrant, vibrant flowers and plants. Amongst the most unusual is the tropical Titan Arum, an infrequent bloomer, with a massive and stinky flower, often referred to as a corpse flower.
⇓ Domain Wintergardnes are one of the ⇓
75 Free (or nearly free) Things to Do in Auckland New Zealand
Practical Information on Wintergardens
- Domain Wintergardens sits next to the Auckland Museum on the cone of an extinct volcano that is now the Auckland Domain. It’s the oldest park in New Zealand’s largest city.
- Wintergardens is stop number 11 on the blue tour of the Auckland Hop-on Hop-off bus.
→ Get your ticket for the Auckland Hop-on Hop-off bus
- Entry to Wintergardens is free.
- The Wintergardens opens every day at 9 am, closing at 4.30 in winter and 5.30 in summer with Sunday being late night open until 7.30 (summer only). For more information or to check times, visit their official website.
- Take your time enjoying the flora, relax on a courtyard bench overlooking the sunken fishpond, or return to the Domain.
- Bring a picnic and find a spot under one of the large mature canopy-like trees. Or, cross the road to the Wintergarden Café. Enjoy a delicious lunch, snack, or coffee while overlooking the duck pond that was the first source of piped water for Auckland (1866).
Views from Mount Iron Summit, Wanaka New Zealand
Indah Nuria Savitri
a lovely garden indeed…love the ferns and their unique patterns..
Corinne
Rhonda, What gorgeous photos. I love the one of the statue. We don’t often go to gardens unless we have a lot of extra time. I do love them.
Happy #wkendtravelinspiration!
Rhonda Albom
Same for us gardens often fall to the bottom of our list, but we generally enjoy them when we do go. And these are small, so a quick visit, but really interesting and right next to the museum so easy to access.
Michele {Malaysian Meander}
I was wondering what a spriggan is. Beautiful costume on a beautiful girl. I like that the Wintergarden is free. It looks like a lovely way to warm up. I’d like to see but not smell a corpse flower some day. Great addition to #WkendTravelInspiration
Rhonda Albom
I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was free. As for the smell of the corpse flower, it had just stopped smelling when we saw it in Washington DC, and was way past that point in Auckland. However, I am curious what it actually smells like.
stevebethere
It looks lovely there Rhonda it reminded me of Kew Gardens here 🙂
Sorry to hear your not too good I hope you get it under control sooner rather than later, and well done for the weight loss and being caffeine free 🙂
Have a tanfastic weekend 🙂
Rhonda Albom
I have seen photos of Kew Gardens but we didn’t visit. From the photos, I imagine your Kew to be much larger than wintergardens. Auckland has its big botanical garden somewhere else in the city. And, thanks for the good wishes.
Lyn aka TheTravellingLindfields
Beautiful photos as usual. Good luck with the weight loss. I don’t think anyone who has never been overweight has any idea how terribly difficult it is to lose weight and keep it off. Best wishes. Lyn
Rhonda Albom
Thanks Lyn. And I completely agree, if you never had to lose weight, you just don’t understand. This time is a bit different for me as it is motivated by fear.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
What a beautiful place. We have a place we call Pointe Pelee. Very beautiful with many animals and fish. Pointe Pelee is the most southern tip of Canada even though it’s in Ontario, the middle province of Canada. Weird but true.
Your daughter is very beautiful. She must take after her mother. What is with the marks on her face & what is the word spriggan mean?
Have a beautiful Saturday Rhonda. See ya.
Cruisin Paul
Rhonda Albom
Hubby had work in Ottawa about 13 years ago, and the girls (then age 2 and 4) and I did a bit of touring from Montreal to Niagara Falls. I was surprised then to look at the map and see how far south parts of Ontario sit. I don’t believe we got to Point Pelee. Next time.
According to Google, “A spriggan is a legendary creature known from Cornish faery lore. Spriggans are particular to West Penwith in Cornwall.” As for the markings on her face, I face painted on what she told me she wanted. And thanks for the compliment.
Amy Bovaird
Hi Rhonda,
Loved the photos! My two favorites were the fern and corpse plant, which I had never heard of until now. Smells like rotting flesh when it’s blooming? Reminded me of how much I hate Durian (a fruit).
Loved the picture of your daughter! I take it “spriggan” is a Harry Potter term?
Great that you are working with a nutritionist. My sister had us all very healthy. She was very much into nutrition and it helped her so much. Kale, brussel sprouts, and anything dark and green are good for your eyes.
Great job with the weight loss and walking all those steps! I try to walk about 10,000 steps per day.
Thanks for posting the article about your Intracranial Hypertension. So sorry to hear about it. But you are doing great with everything you are accomplishing. Keep it up!! xx
Amy
Rhonda Albom
I hadn’t heard of the corpse plant before our visit to Washington DC when one bloomed there.
I eat lots of dark greens, although she didn’t mention they were specifically for my eyes, they are in the plan.
Spriggan is older than Harry Potter. They are legendary creatures, often thought of as tree like, although in the LARP she plays in Spriggans have wings. According to Google, “A spriggan is a legendary creature known from Cornish faery lore. Spriggans are particular to West Penwith in Cornwall.” As for the markings on her face, I face painted on what she told me she wanted.
Sally@Toddlers on Tour
How rare to find a beautiful place like this free to enter and explore.
Rhonda Albom
Actually, here in New Zealand beautiful places are often free. I was mostly surprised that hadn’t been before. This is the third LARP my daughter has done in the Domain, plus I visit the museum several times each year.
Lexa Cain
I didn’t realize you were ill, and I’m so sorry for you. But I’m proud that you’re working hard to lose that weight and lessen your symptoms. If being outside is causing your asthma, maybe you need an inside treadmill. Your daughter is absolutely adorable in her spriggan LARPing costume and makeup!
Rhonda Albom
I haven’t really talked about publicly too much. It all started in November, which is when I cut back on blogging and on-line time. Actually, I had kept it to myself until I was tossed out of a FB group for inactivity.
Interesting that you mention a tread mill on the day hubby picked up one for us. The odd thing is that being outside and walking doesn’t seem to make it worse. It almost makes it better. It makes no sense to me.
And, I love that photo of my daughter too. I did her make up, so thanks.
Hilary
Hi Rhonda – thanks for the mention … glad they help as they occasionally flow out from our summer England! Good for you re the health and weightloss … but the asthma and splints on top – how very difficult and irritating – still keep your spirits up, and your family is being supportive – the main thing.
Isn’t the Botanical garden gorgeous … we have ‘lots’ here in the UK .. and I do get to visit them when I can … Kew – it’s just been revamped and I must get up and see it at some stage. I went to the Oxford Botanical Gardens for an art-seed-Arctic project .. that I haven’t ever written about – a complicated one to explain: perhaps I should have another go.
But I think my favourite is probably Kirstenbosch in Cape Town … an open botanical garden on the mountainside … it’s brilliant – lovely to walk around … and the Cape has an amazing range of plants – larger than elsewhere in the world … a small biome area: much protection needed. It sits looking out of the city and the Bay towards Robben Island … and south and east to the Cape of Good Hope: where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet.
Love seeing your daughter .. they obviously have so much fun and live life to the full …
Enjoy your future visits and good luck with all that’s going on … thanks again for the mention. Cheers and thoughts – Hilary
Rhonda Albom
Thanks for all the laughs Hilary, and the interesting tidbits too. More than the gardens, I loved the old ruins and abbeys all over the UK. We went through Oxford to quickly to see the Botanical Gardens. Our main focus was dictated by our little spriggan who is a huge Harry Potter fan. We had to visit every Oxford site used in the filming. I haven’t been to South Africa, but I have seen many lovely photos.
Both of our girls have found their own style of fun.
Paula McInerney
So pleased you explained spriggan at a LARP as I had nothing. She looks gorgeous and the gardens are lovely also
budget jan
Congratulations on your weight loss. That is an incredible effort with your shin splints and asthma to overcome. Keep it up because that is an awesome amount to lose and I’m sure you will lose more. Fingers crossed for you.
I love the light captured in the hanging plant shot and the way the background is blurred.
Rhonda Albom
Thanks Jan. The weigh loss is easier than it has been in the past, as it is driven by fear. As for the photo, I am pleased with it too. It came out exactly as I had intended.
Amy
I haven’t been to that place in literally years but like the auckland museum it’s one of my favourite places to visit, as for the weight loss, you go for it! I went down from over 85kgs 5 years ago and dropped down to 65kgs what I am now but it was done through stress, at least you are doing it through a more healthy method.
Rhonda Albom
Funny isn’t it. They are right next to each other, yet we both head to the museum every time. Twelve years I have been in NZ, and this was my first visit to Wintergardens.
Wow, that is some incredible weight loss you did. Stress isn’t a good way, but I am not sure that fear based is that much better.
Joyce
Great photos.
Travelera
The glass green houses are beautiful! I love them
And Well done in losing all that weight in a short period of time, You are doing fantastic!!
Xxx
www.travelera.es
Lydia C. Lee
I’ve not been to NZ – the cities are always different to how I imagine them in my head (I think the mountain scenery is just branded on my brain…). Lovely pics.
Lydia C. Lee
Sorry, I just missed that bit at the bottom. I hope all is saved and you are in the 75% of keeping the eyesight. How stressful for you. Take care.
Rhonda Albom
I think the mountain and coastal scenery is the best part of New Zealand. If I were here on a quick trip, I would get out of the cities as soon as possible.
eileen g
Wow, how could you not want to visit a botanic garden that is next to a museum and on top of a volcano? We have the Brooklyn BG, which is loveliest in spring when we have cherry blossoms, tulips and roses in abundance, and a lovely japanese garden.
Rhonda Albom
I don’t think we have cherry blossoms anywhere in New Zealand (but I could be wrong on this, I just have never seen them.) They are one of my favourites to see in bloom.
Comedy Plus
Oh I would love to visit there. With you.
I’m sorry you’re having a bad week. You are in my prayers. I hope you can get this in control. You sure are doing everything in your power to gain control. I’m so proud of you.
Have a fabulous day. ☺
Amila @Leisure and Me
Seems like a peaceful garden and I really like the picture of the pond.
Hope your health condition will be fine soon and your goal of reducing weight would be a success!
Stay Blessed and Have a Great Weekend!
L. Diane Wolfe
Beautiful gardens. I love all of the statues.
That’s fantastic you’ve lost so much weight.
Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor
I’ve always loved the Winter Garden. Nice peaceful spot. Was it just last year that the corpse tree flowered? I think I remember reading about it at the time.
Rhonda Albom
Can you believe I have lived here for 12 years and this is the first time I have visited. The Corpse flower bloomed in Dec 2013 and again this July (not sure if it is the same one, as they don’t bloom that often.