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Adventure Awaits Beyond The Gardener’s Folly

Ruapehu, Tongariro and Ngauruhoe rise just beyond your door. A vast, elemental landscape to be explored at your own pace.

At day’s end, return to the quiet luxury of The Gardener’s Folly.

Unhurried, unspoiled, and entirely your own.
A place where time softens and stretches.

Hiking & walking

Explore Tongariro National Park, home to New Zealand’s most popular day walk: The Tongariro Alpine Crossing. This walk over a volcano offers spectacular other-worldly scenery, steaming craters, old lava flows, thermal lakes and more.

  • Cherry Grove – the meeting of the Whanganui and Ongarue Rivers.
  • River Bank Walk – along the banks of the Whanganui River from Cherry Grove to the Taumarunui Camping Ground.
  • Te Peka Lookout – a 15 minute climb through bush on a good track to the lookout (or for an easier experience you can drive to it!).
  • Sunshine Scenic Reserve – a 40 minute uphill walk offering a panoramic view of Taumarunui.
  • Ohinetonga Scenic Reserve – a highly enjoyable walk along tracks and a boardwalk across a lagoon.
  • Kakahi Glow Worms – wander down a pathway with glow worms all around.
  • Taranaki Falls – a 2-hour loop near the Chateau Tongariro and one of our favourites!
  • Silica Rapids – a 7km loop.

Water adventures

Canoe, kayak, or jet boat on the Whanganui River. For the hardy adventure seeker, there are options to spend 3-6 days canoeing the only Great Walk of New Zealand you don’t have to actually walk!  A rugged yet picturesque wilderness, accessible only by boat.

Journey to the iconic Bridge to Nowhere and uncover one of New Zealand’s most fascinating stories.  Built in 1936, the 40-metre-high bridge is all that remains of the remote Mangapurua Valley settlement, abandoned by its farming families in 1944.

Adding a personal connection to the experience, one of the canoe hire operators is based on Chris’ late father’s farm, just down the road from The Gardener’s Folly.

Cycling & mountain biking

Explore some of New Zealand’s finest cycle trails, including the Timber Trail and Ohakune Old Coach Road.

  • The Timber Trail Cycleway – An 85 km ride through the spectacular Pureora Forest, featuring suspension bridges, native bush and remnants of New Zealand’s pioneering logging history. One- and two-day options are available and are particularly popular with our guests.
  • Ohakune Old Coach Road Cycle Trail – A 15 km trail combining historic railway tunnels, old viaducts and beautiful mountain scenery between Ohakune and Horopito.

Other trails include the 42 Traverse, the Waione Tram Mountain Bike Trail, the Forgotten World Highway Cycle Trail, and the Mountains to Sea.

Skiing & snowboarding

Perfectly located for access to Mount Ruapehu’s Turoa and Whakapapa ski fields, The Gardener’s Folly is an ideal base for winter adventures.   From first-time skiers to experienced snow enthusiasts, Mount Ruapehu offers New Zealand’s largest skiable terrain, spectacular volcanic landscapes, and a range of runs to suit all abilities.

Whakapapa is also home to the Sky Waka, New Zealand’s longest gondola ride, carrying visitors high into Tongariro National Park to the Knoll Ridge Chalet, New Zealand’s highest-altitude eatery, at over 2 km above sea level.  Even outside the ski season, the gondola provides breathtaking views across the volcanic plateau and surrounding mountains.