The Time Traveller's Guide to Hamilton Gardens documentary

How did a former city landfill become one of New Zealand’s most celebrated garden experiences?

 

Hamilton Gardens tells that remarkable story on screen, tracing the site’s transformation into an extraordinary collection of themed gardens that together form a museum of human history and imagination.

 

From the rituals of Ancient Egypt to visions of the future, each garden offers a window into the ideas, cultures, and values of the people who shaped them.

 

The Time Traveller’s Guide to Hamilton Gardens documentary brings this journey to life. Viewers are taken across centuries and continents — strolling through 16th‑century England, stepping into Song Dynasty China, exploring the grandeur of the Italian Renaissance, and imagining worlds yet to come, from sustainable landscapes to the surreal.

 

Conceived by designer Peter Sergel and realised through the collaboration of council, community, and sponsors, Hamilton Gardens has earned its place among the great gardens of the world.

 

These are not simply spaces to wander through, but living stories — rich with meaning, creativity, and discovery, ready to be explored by every visitor.

 

DIRECTED BY: Grant Sheehan

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