Lyn Potter - New Zealand House and Garden Tours 2012

 Read more from Lyn here

Fritz Eisenhofer, a Kapiti Coast architect is one of those unstoppable 85 year olds who are still remarkable achievers. Instead of unwinding in his retirement he has just completed another new home. His calloused hands are proof of all the plastering, painting, sanding, grouting and sawing with which he happily fills his days.

To visit his latest creation, a curvaceous white eco dwelling atop the sand dunes (as well as his previous iconic dome house next door) is an opportunity not to be missed.

It will be part of the NZ House and Garden Tours 2012 in March when 50 beautiful homes and gardens throughout New Zealand will be generously opened to the public. The aim: To raise $200,000 for the Cancer Society of New Zealand and Look Great and Feel Better (an organisation which runs free make-over workshops for cancer patients).

Each tour has its own unique character and each sounds fascinating. Here are some of the highlights:

Canterbury: March 2

It’s great to see that the tour is up and running again after being cancelled last year due to the earthquake. The tour will be staying clear of the city itself and go country. One of the homes not to be missed:

• A slick retirement pad that belongs to a couple of Rakaia Dairy Farmers , near the 14th fairway of Clearwater Resort and Golf Course  with spectacular views of the Southern Alps.

Auckland: March 9

• A turn of the century masonry villa in Mt Eden

• A 145 year old working man’s cottage in Parnell

• An arty bungalow in Epsom

• The contemporary home and lush gardens belonging to Graham Cleary of Natural Garden’s Design in the Eastern Bays

Kapiti Coast: March 16

This will be the first House and Garden Tour to be held in this district.

• Fritz Eisenhofer’s two iconic houses.

• Frank Boffa’s subtropical garden paradise in Waikenae (part Claude Monet part primeval West Coast)

• A delicious brown-bag lunch in Ruth Pretty’s Garden at Te Horo.

Queenstown Lakes:  March 24

Another region in which the tour will be held for the first time. I’d love to visit some of these homes and gardens set amidst stunning lake and alpine landscapes.

• The Jenkins’ lovingly restored 1870’s cottage and former convent in Arrowtown.

• The home of Millbrook’s Japanese owner Eiichi Lishi which was inspired by former President Eisenhower’s home at the Augusta Golf Course.

• Janet Blair’s magnificent park near Lake Hayes which has been described as “a garden of national significance.”

If you have ever been rushed from place to place by a tour guide, as I have, you’ll be especially pleased that these tours are self-guided which means you can drive to each home at your own pace and linger at your favourite places.

The tickets are $58. I think this is really reasonable considering the many hours volunteers have spent arranging each tour and the owners of each property have worked to get it looking its best. It’s a whole day out and a rare chance to see many unique homes and gardens which are not open to the public at any other time and the profits will be well used for a very good cause.

This will be the first time I will be going, and I am so looking forward to it.

Tickets can be bought from www.ticketmaster.co.nz 0800 111 999
 

Published 2nd Feb 2012

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