Gardens

The Lodge gardens were designed by Jo Saunders from Blenheim and Ron Daly from Kaikoura. The plants were chosen to reflect the native flora in and around the Kaikoura area. The native tussock mounds in the front of the Lodge are to block the view of the road while mimicking the rolling hills seen at the base of the Kaikoura Seaward Mountain Range.

The Frosted Curl Dispacia, at the top of the mound to represent the snow line of the mountains and Carex Dispacia, used to represent the green and brown flora of the mountain side, are at their best when the frequent Kaikoura winds make them dance.In front of the Lodge (toward the main road) is a grouping of green/brown spiky leafed trees called Totara. The Totara is one of the largest trees in the forest; its timber was prized by Maori as being the best for building their massive war canoes, and was also the main timber used for carving.

Ancient Maori custom demanded that when a Totara tree was felled for timber a young seedling had to he planted in its place in order to appease Tane, the god of the forest, for removing one of his 'children’. There are reports of Totaras living to be 1800 years old.The fern garden next to the entrance of the Lodge is comprised of two types of New Zealand’s famous tree ferns, Dicksonia Fibrosa (wheki-ponga in Maori) which is the shorter of the two, with a stout furry trunk and Dicksonia Squarrosa (wheki or rough tree fern), its longer, leaner cousin, that is covered with black stalk-bases of old fronds. The ground dwelling ferns in the garden are: Shiny Springwart, Hen and Chicken Fern and Crown Fern.

In front of the Lodge kitchen window is a collection of Lancewood. The Lancewood is interesting as it evolved its leaf structure to ward off the many ground dwelling birds that lived in New Zealand. The juvenile form (which you see now) does not look very appetizing with serrated edges and a hard texture. When the tree grows to a height that even the (now extinct) mighty Moa could not reach (around 13’-15’) the lancewood drops it’s juvenile leaves and fills out into beautiful lush green growth. If you look around on a mountain walk in Kaikoura or the West Coast of the South Island you can see the adult tree.

The tree located in the lawn behind the Lodge is called Pohutukawa. One of New Zealand's most spectacular trees, the Pohutukawa flowers in early-mid summer with hot red flowers covering the tree. The timing and brilliance of its bright red show has earned this tree the moniker 'New Zealand Christmas tree'. The buds are felted and silver. Naturally occurring in coastal areas it can be grown, and will flower, outside of its natural range.Around the property we have planted Kanuka and Manuka (or tea-tree) to replicate the grove of trees in which the tree houses are being constructed.

The name "tea-tree" comes from the early bushman who used manuka leaves to brew a drink similar to tea. Captain Cook was the first person to brew tea from manuka and said that “it had a very agreeable, bitter taste when made with fresh leaves, but lost some of it piquancy when made with dry leaves”. Manuka and Kanuka are noted to have many useful medicinal purposes. Manuka honey is very popular today for its antibiotic characteristics in promoting good health.There are lots of other New Zealand native plants around the property. If you have questions about any of them please don’t hesitate to ask one of the staff.