A Canopy and Carpet of Pink in The Waikato

In celebration of Spring, the Waikato Cherry Tree Festival will welcome thousands of visitors to experience the beauty of the cherry trees in full bloom, creating a spectacular backdrop.

Stilt walkers, human statues, Japanese Wai-Taiko drummers, Kapa Haka, Kung Fu displays and a Chinese dragon are some of the performers that will add to an entertaining family day out.

The talented artists and performers at the festival will represent the many cultures of New Zealand, and local artisan food producers will provide a variety of refreshments throughout the day.

The Hamilton Mayor Andrew King, Member of Parliament Jamie Ross Strange, and Consulate-General of Japan in Auckland Mr. Kikuchi, Hamilton & Waikato Tourism Chief Executive Jason Dawson will officially open the festival at 11am on Saturday the 22nd, with the symbolic planting of a cherry tree to mark the occasion. Also attending the festival opening ceremony will be people from Waikato University charmer of commerce and leaders from Chinese community. Organised by NZ PURE TOUR, the Cherry Tree Festival is in its second consecutive year, and will be held over three days. It was an overwhelming success last year, with around 2,000 people attending, and many more expected this year.

The hours are being extended this year to allow a quieter day on the Friday for those wanting to take photos and enjoy the garden, as well as night lighting under the cherry trees over the three days.

The festival is held at English Cherry Tree Manor, 125 Matangi Road, in Tamahere, which is the private residence of NZ PURE TOUR Managing Directors, Paul Oulton and Anne Cao.

The festival came about by accident. The main feature of the festival is the 125-metre drive, which used to be planted in Paulownia trees. Paulownia tree wood is brittle and, in storms, large branches would break off and block the drive. So, we decided to remove the trees and replace them with flowering cherries, which are more ornamental.

Rather than immediately lose the canopied avenue, we planted the cherry trees in between the Paulownia. The photo below shows the young trees in flower.

When the trees got a bit bigger, we felled the Paulownias. The photo below shows the medium size trees, though the canopy has not yet formed. You can see that the trees are quite tall and slim. The tree is a NZ-bred hybrid called Awanui, which is often short and wide. However, having them grow among taller existing trees caused them to shoot up to reach the light, hence the tall, slim nature of these ones.

Four years later the canopy had formed as you see above.

As the trees grew, each year more and more people came to look and take photos. They would not just stand at the top of the drive, but would come down the drive. All sort of groups gathered to have their photos taken. On one occasion, we encountered a bride in wedding dress. When we drove out and our car appeared at the top of the drive, the people on the drive would suddenly flee. It was great fun to see them leg it!

So, to give people the opportunity to see not only the great spectacle of the drive, but also the rest of the garden that has many other flowering cherry trees and plants, including a weeping cherry tree over a pond, we decided to open to the public for a weekend at peak flowering. Hence, the festival.

English Cherry Tree Manor is one of several idyllic estates around Hamilton marketed by NZ PURE TOUR. Each is a real home that guests can stay at and experience the best in Kiwi lifestyle; it is quite a different experience from staying in a motel or hotel. There are beautiful gardens, orchards, wildlife, farm animals and hosts to interact with; it’s a rich and memorable experience.

For many people, not only from New Zealand but also from around the world, it is a dream to live in such places. Being close to a town that has shops, restaurants, entertainment and culture that are only a short drive away is the ideal. Hence, the Waikato close to Hamilton has the best in Kiwi lifestyle. And, as the Waikato is the lifestyle block capital of New Zealand, there are many wonderful estates here.

Each of these estates are also dream locations for weddings, which NZ PURE TOUR also offers.

 

 

As part of experiencing the best of Kiwi lifestyle, NZ PURE TOUR provide tours that indulge in local culture such as the Waikato Artisan Foodie Tour and the Waikato River-Hamilton Timewarp Easy Cycle Tour, which is as much a history tour as a cycle tour.

Event: Waikato Cherry Tree Festival

Venue: English Cherry Tree Manor

125 Matangi Road, Tamahere, RD4

Dates: 21 – 23 September 2018

Times: 8am – 8pm

Contact: Anne Cao, Managing Director

Mobile: 021 134 8194

Phone: 07 854 9277 Email: dongcao@nzpuretour.com

Website: https://en.nzpuretour.com

Hamilton Waikato – NZ – Cherry Blossoms