Eastwoodhill Arboretum: Gisborne’s Grand Day Out Among the Trees
- May 21
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Some Gisborne attractions shout for attention.
Eastwoodhill does not.
It stands quietly out at Ngatapa, about 35 kilometres from Gisborne, calmly getting on with the rather serious business of being the National Arboretum of New Zealand.
Which, when you think about it, is not a small job. Most places are happy with a few nice trees and a picnic table. Eastwoodhill has gone slightly further.
Across its 135 hectares, Eastwoodhill is home to more than 25,000 exotic and native trees, shrubs and climber plants, with specimens gathered from across continents and countries. It is part garden, part forest, part living museum, and part reminder that trees generally have better long-term planning skills than people.
Founded by William Douglas Cook, who acquired the Ngatapa land in 1910, Eastwoodhill has grown into one of Gisborne’s major attractions and one of New Zealand’s most significant botanical places. It was recognised as New Zealand’s National Arboretum in 2005, although the trees themselves seem unlikely to have become arrogant about it.
The beauty of Eastwoodhill is that it works for different kinds of visitors. You can arrive with a deep interest in rare trees, Latin plant names and global conservation. You can also arrive with children, walking shoes, a picnic and the vague hope of exhausting everyone before dinner. Both are valid.
There are walking tracks for different levels of fitness, from easy loops such as the Red and Blue Walks to longer routes like the Green Walk, which takes about three hours and rises through much of the arboretum. For the more ambitious, there are climbs and views. For the more realistic, there are flat paths, shade and the quiet dignity of not pretending you came to break a land-speed record.
Seasonally, Eastwoodhill has its own moods. Autumn and spring are especially picturesque, but this is not a one-season attraction. It is a place that changes colour, texture and atmosphere through the year. Very Gisborne, really. Unhurried, generous, and not particularly interested in performing for your schedule.
There are practical comforts too: a Visitor Centre, gift shop, playground, toilets, parking, picnic areas, covered seating, and snacks and drinks available from the Gift Store. The café is currently closed until further notice, so bringing a picnic is not just acceptable, it may be the wise and noble path.
For visitors short on time, or those who would rather not wander past a globally significant tree while saying, “nice bush,” a guided tour is the clever option. Eastwoodhill offers guided walking and vehicle tours, generally around 40 minutes, with tours designed to suit different abilities and interests. Guided tours need to be booked at least two days in advance.
And that is really the point. Eastwoodhill is not just a park. It is one of Gisborne’s great attractions, a living collection, a conservation project, a day trip, a family outing, and a surprisingly peaceful way to feel more intelligent without doing anything too strenuous.
Go for the trees.
Stay for the views.
Leave with the quiet suspicion that the plants may have understood life better than the rest of us all along.
One of Gisborne's Classic Day Trips
From the natural spectacle of Rere Falls to the remarkable collection of trees at Eastwoodhill, this is the sort of outing that reminds you why people travel in the first place. Unhurried, scenic and distinctly Gisborne.
