5 reasons to take an Audio Guide of Hamilton Gardens
Bursting with over 4000 years of history and cultural significance, Hamilton Gardens offer far more than meets the eye. While strolling through the meticulously curated landscapes may already be a feast for the senses, there's an entirely new layer of discovery waiting to be unveiled through the lens of an Audio Guide. Whether you're a first-time explorer or a seasoned visitor, here are five compelling reasons why delving into the depths of Hamilton Gardens with an audio guide promises an enriching experience like no other.
1. Discover the gardens’ secrets
You may know the names of each garden, but do you know which garden features bricks recovered from the Canterbury earthquakes in 2010 and 2011? Or which garden celebrates imperfection? How many plants are needed to create the Persian carpet effect in the Char Bagh Garden? And how does the musical equipment in the Mansfield Garden not get ruined in the weather? Which garden tells the story of Masonic initiation? You’ll discover the answers to these questions and many more interesting facts with an Audio Guide.
2. Tailored to your schedule
An Audio Guide can be hired from the Hamilton Gardens Visitor Centre. With 50 different locations around the Enclosed Gardens, you can listen to them all or simply pick and choose which gardens or areas you want to learn about. You have the Audio Guide device for two hours which is plenty of time to discover the secrets and interesting facts about each garden.
3. Easy to use
Once you’ve hired the Audio Guide device, you simply stroll around the gardens, either in the suggested guide order or in any order you like. Once you come across an Audio Guide number, for example the number 4 at the entrance to the Japanese Garden of Contemplation, you simply press the number 4 on your Audio Guide device and listen to the short commentary. Within the Japanese Garden of Contemplation, you’ll discover signs displaying Audio Guide stops 5 and 6 so again you press the corresponding number and enjoy the narration.
4. Seasonal highlights
Some gardens, such as the English Flower Garden or Mansfield Garden, are at their best in spring and early summer. You can fully appreciate what the Audio Guide commentary is talking about when you can see the drifts of colour in the English Flower Garden or the roses in the Mansfield Garden in bloom which were grown from cuttings from the Mansfield family garden in Wellington. Of course, you’ll have to come back in autumn to see the Japanese Garden of Contemplation in its autumnal beauty or the stunning crimson coloured leaves of the Virginia creeper in the Medici Court.
5. Enjoy morning or afternoon tea too
While you're here why not also enjoy a drink and a treat from the Hamilton Gardens Café? Start with morning tea in the cafe overlooking Turtle Lake before you head in, or work up an appetite as you explore the Enclosed Gardens then reward yourself with coffee and cake afterwards. Have you tried the café’s muffins, a different flavour freshly baked each day?
Hamilton Gardens Audio Guides are available in both English and Mandarin from the Hamilton Gardens Visitor Centre. Pick up an Audio Guide when you visit or book online to secure yours now.
