New Plymouth and its Gardens.

 I picked up Christine at New Plymouth airport having checked out the Gardens before on a previous trip but hadn’t visited Tupare, which is very close to the town itself.

We did check with the authority’s and yes, you are able to park up with self contained vehicles at all the Taranaki Gardens sites.

Sir Russell Matthews first started developing this property which was bare land in 1932.

Much of his influences for this property came from his honeymoon visit to the Cotswalds area of the UK

He was a well known and established roading contractor in the Taranaki area.

Today it is run by the Taranaki Regional Council

And very well it is too!

It’s open every day and has tours through the Chapman-Taylor designed Arts and Crafts style house

It takes years to train the moss to grow on brick walls like this!

One of the Sheds

 

This was in another shed down by the River.

The hand adzing is easily seen in this photo!

The Gargoyle is a bit tired from it all!

Peter the tour guide/volunteer, knew a lot about the property

Even to the material on the curtains, which he also had in his own house

And not showing any wear after 20 years! 

He was though!

All of the timbers were reclaimed bridge timbers, mostly Jarrah and was all hand adzed in the tradition of that period, with a very dark stain

He also used railway sleepers and the iron railway tracks as his foundations

 to pour a concrete floor and build up from there.

Which is maybe why they have no issues 

with the recent earthquake building bylaws

The linen fold panel carvings were imported from England

Sir Russell had local craftsmen working for years

while he and his family lived in the house

 till it was completed room by room

I thought the carving on these drawer fronts was outstanding

Could be totally contemporary even today!

Back outside with the green stuff!

Now we have driven around the mountain towards the south

 but still on the north side of Egmont National Park

 and have come to Pukeiti Gardens.

Very much out in the Country

And quite a bit higher too 

Yes they have Old Mans Beard

The weather was cracking up so we headed towards the coast and Opunaki

I seem to find murals where ever I go

That’s all for this blog folks

Next we head for Wellington

And homeward across the Cook Straight

Which is not too straight at all!

Keep cool

Till after school

Jimu & Christine

Ps...Be creative...right!