Garden Club En Route!

coverings with a majestic driftwood moa completed by a nest of eggs and footprints cast in solidified mud. The productive vegetable gardens were built up in a koru shape in a sunny aspect.

Omaio showed us the value and beauty of New Zealand natives thoughtfully presented to suit the site. A great experience and a welcome shady spot to start our day.

At last we had a fine day to go to the Matakana area – it was the third time the Coatesville Country Garden Club had tried to go north. Off we set for Omaio, the headland garden owned by renown gardener Liz Morrow and her family.

After buying the property as a holiday home site and a log cabin being built, the family enjoyed the aspect and potential of the area. It was decided that a shift from suburbia should be permanent but this involved a rethink about the type of garden to be established too. The family felt NZ natives planted en masse would be best suited to the undulating hilltop with a coastal aspect.

Now winding mulch pathways lead you through the maturing bush with surprising glimpses of the sea (Kawau Bay): old mature trees (kauri and totara); lush forest floor

Onwards to the Omaha Golf Club where we had pre-ordered our lunch. It was lovely under umbrellas outside on the terrace and the lunch was tasty too. We then called in to Matakana Palms to view the home of the owner set among a variety of palms and tropical plants. A large apron of lawn led to a picturesque lake, fringed by palms of course, and a bridged island. The cool retreat could have been located anywhere in the world. Thank you Tony and Christine Peek for organising a memorable trip north finally achieved! In the other weeks of March, the club has had a coffee catchup, Blokes Shed visit to the Aviation Hall at Motat (where volunteers provided personal information and extensive history about the exhibits), and a very successful trip to Kawau to look after the Mansion House gardens. Now our own gardens will be attended to as autumn has arrived.

By Jenny Hunter