CAMPING THE KIWI WAY

I finally went to the quarry park at Te Puna in The Bay of Plenty. This is such a hidden gem with sculptures of dragons, a castle slide for kids, water wheel, art hiding in every corner, and all kinds of themed gardens.

So glad I never went in summer last year, though the flowers would be stunning. The locals said it’s really hot as it’s open to all elements and also crowded then, so when one has a bus, spring is a great time to go.

So I charged up the phone, had lunch and went for a wandering, getting lost in time and just lost, even though I had a map. I hardly took photos as I just wanted to take it all in and take it in I did. The higher you got the better the view of The Mount and surrounding sea.

As I wandered around I talked to one of the many volunteers on the track as they were in clearing the park after 100km winds swept through. The gardens and the layout of the park is a credit to them. Plan for up to 2 hours and take your time as there’s plenty to see and heaps of places to rest and eat on the way.

There is a curfew on opening hours as its closed at night. One wonders if they would stay open for a gathering of like-minded travellers, for a fee of course. Free to enter, donations are accepted to pay for these lovely gardens and sculptures and their upkeep. Toilets and picnic tables are on-site on various levels. There is venue hire for events. Dogs are allowed, on a lead.

There are two parallel parks for campers and heaps of angle parks.

If you have mobility problems there’s plenty to see on the bottom level though some of the tracks could be tricky if you had a walker or a wheelchair, especially for the hills and steps you have to climb.

• 110 Te Puna Quarry Road

• Te Puna, Tauranga

• Daylight saving time: 7am to 8pm

• Other times: 7am to 6pm.

• quarrypark.org.nz

Photos: ©2025 Maggie O'Rourke & the Internet

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