We were driving to Tawharanui Regional Park and noticed the sculptures peeking out from inside a…read moregarden and decided we must stop in. We are so glad that we did. We found a lovely art gallery that even includes pieces from Chihuly that led to a couple of beautiful gardens adjacent to the gallery. Beyond this there is yet another larger sculpture garden with meandering paths that sometimes led to aviaries as well as other small animal areas (such as rabbits). They will be having a couple of "native" pigs join the property soon as they just arrived today. We met the owners, Anthony and Sandra Grant as she arrived on property with their new pets. Between our visit to the gallery and the larger sculpture garden, we stopped by for a wine tasting and met Tina who was generous and informative sharing about the wines grown on their estate. The Gallery Syrah and Bordeaux Blend were our favorites. Much appreciation is extended to Tina for her kindness and hospitality! After the sculpture garden, we ventured over to their restaurant, Rothko. Unfortunately for us, the restaurant was fully booked with reservations. Fortunately for us, they had seating at the picnic tables outside and they served wine and small bites. Overall, we had a very pleasant experience and will definitely be back!

Fabulous collection if (mostly) modern art sculptures set in beautifully manicured gardens and chic…read moreindoor galleries. One hour from auckland cbd... we were tourists, renting a city hop car (very reasonable and convenient)... 1 hour to get there and 3 hours in the setting, well worth the time and expense!

We stayed at a nice bed & breakfast inn next to this museum (got a discount for that)…read more This museum has dozens of displays about the local kauri trees, life during the Victorian times in this area, hundreds of pieces of kauri wood and its gum, etc. You could spend 1-4 hours depending on how much you want to learn. Tickets are good for two consecutive days. Their gift shop was excellent. Friendly employees.

Learned so much about the Kauri trees and gum that I was unaware of. Beautifully presented.read more

It's brilliant having such a wicked music venue right here on the door step. Since it opened a few…read moreyears ago there have been some top quality acts at Matakana Country Park; Highlife, America + Pat Benatar, Six60, Shihad....among many. I went to Shapeshifter and Kora and had a brilliant night. The venue itself is easily accessed; plenty of room for parking and has a good drop off zone. Security was efficient (although we did encounter one 'job smith') and it didn't take us long to get through the gates. The stage was inside a marquee and was a good size; it created a pretty intimate setting for an outdoor concert. I can't even complain about the Portaloos - I don't think we lined up for over 5mins, which is pretty good in concert terms. My only grumble would be the drink prices (but I guess you get that everywhere) we expected this though and stocked up before we came.

All the hype in Matakana is over the Farmers Market, but to be honest my favourite place to go on a…read moreSaturday morning is the Cream of Matakana. It's just down the road, still in the village, in what used to be a dairy factory. Today it's a gift store, and one of my favourites! They do unique art, jewellery, home wares, clothing and a great range of wooden toys. Its like ferreting in a treasure trove; I always end up leaving with something. On Saturdays they have a market outside; a selection of brick-a-brac, food, sunglasses and clothing. The quality of the stalls can vary, and there is a lot of junk but its fun looking through the antiques and scoring a bargain. If you haven't filled up at the farmers market, there is also DELICIOUS Hungarian style bread for sale. The hot cinnamon kind cooked on the rotisserie; scrummo.

Piece is a contemporary art gallery tucked underneath Matakana Cinema. Every time I walk passed…read morethere seem to be brilliant new creations in the window. They have amazing recycled glass light fixtures and wall hangings. The jewellery is really unique and made in different and interesting mediums. They do beautiful exhibitions in ceramics and glass from a range of NZ artists. Recently they had the vase exhibition; who would have thought vases could be so interesting, there were some real funky items. Although there's no way I can afford any of it, I would love to have one of these fun creative pieces in my home, something to aspire to I guess!

This was such a nice property to explore. The sculptures are very unique and love the opportunity…read moreto learn about each one and the inspiration behind them. The property is quite large with really nice walking paths on the trail and even optional trails included. It's really a good value for your money. The lady selling the tickets was friendly and helpful in knowing it was our first time visiting. There was even a great chance of rain and we were given complimentary large umbrellas to use on the trail.

A worthwhile adventure that requires 1-1.5 hours and able to climb small incline and some steps…read more $12 admission, but $10 for seniors, and less for kids. Lovely setting, well marked, and good sculpture.

Impressive theater in a village setting with friendly service. We went during the daytime on a week…read moreday, so it wasn't too busy. Everything was clean and orderly.

This is one of the nicest cinemas I've ever visited -- it's part of a small mini-mall that's wide…read moreopen and spacious. There's a wine bar attached to the restaurant and you can bring your wine in with you. Seats are super comfortable - screens are pretty good. Felt very comfortable and enjoyed my evening there. Everyone was super friendly.

2nd day they opened after holidays. Food was beautifully presented and tasty. Lovely settings in…read morefarmlands though interior similar in basic NZ clubhouse with a bar.