A volunteer-maintained botanical garden reserve at 115 Hyde Avenue in Richmond Heights, Taupō. The website describes an extensive network of walking tracks through the reserve, with routes suited to a leisurely stroll, and several vantage points with views over the lake. The garden changes with the seasons, with colour and texture along each route, and birdwatching is offered for native and visiting birds. It is free to visit, and the website describes it as a quiet, welcoming green space set away from the busier lakefront.
Customers say the gardens are beautiful, with colourful flower displays and plenty of walks, and that the serenity of the place is what stands out. One reviewer says it is a must-do, and that it is a peaceful place hidden in a busy township. Nearby, Waipahihi Botanical Reserve, 1.1 km away, and Taupo Community Gardens, 1.7 km away, both serve the same kind of walking and garden visit. Our pick in Taupō for a quiet, unhurried walk among the plantings.