Waitakaruru Arboretum


Waitakaruru Arboretum and Sculpture Park is an arboretum in New Zealand. Situated in a disused quarry near the small village of Tauwhare in the Waikato region, the project to rehabilitate the site was initiated in 1991 by the owners, John and Dorothy Wakeling.
The 17.5 ha area contains more than 20,000 trees and shrubs and also houses an outdoor sculpture park, of more than 100 sculptures and installations. The area closer to the quarry cliffs and the enclosed lake has also been used as a site for musical performances.

Geography

The sculpture park and arboretum is set into a hillside that was once used as a quarry. In parts, the lack of a good topsoil layer made the rehabilitation difficult. The sculpture park overlooks the gentle rolling pasture land east of Hamilton. The Waitakaruru Stream runs through the lower part of the arboretum, and a small lake is also part of the grounds.

Footnotes