A hidden gem where art and nature collide, we explore why The Sculpture Park at Waitakaruru Arboretum deserves a spot on every Waikato itinerary.
We arrive at The Sculpture Park at Waitakaruru Arboretum early, my 14-year-old daughter firmly in teenager mode, earbuds in and convinced that any suggestion involving art and nature is just code for a very long walk that’s cost her a sleep-in.
But her mood shifts the minute we find ourselves at the entrance to 17.5 hectares of living, breathing magic.
A place so off the radar that even my sister, who lives in Hamilton, had no idea it existed, Waitakaruru Arboretum was created from a derelict greywacke quarry near Tauwhare in the Waikato. The stunning park is the three-decade labour of love by John and Dorothy Wakeling, who saw potential where others saw abandonment. The towering rock faces and raw landscape spoke to them, and what they coaxed from that conversation is nothing short of extraordinary.
Within minutes of starting the two-kilometre trail, my daughter’s earbuds migrate to her pocket. Native birds, including tūī, bellbirds, kererū, and the park’s emblem, the ruru (a small native owl), provide the soundtrack to our wandering, and the sculptures demand attention. There are more than 100 pieces, both permanent and temporary, each positioned with such thoughtful intention that you can’t help but slow down, lean in, and study the details.
At Waitakaruru, which translates to “place where the owl drinks,” the art-in-nature concept isn’t just marketing speak. The sculptures don’t sit in the landscape; they engage with it. A metal figure emerges from native bush. A ceramic piece nestles beside a pond. The park’s collection of more than 20,000 trees and shrubs from around the world creates distinct geographic zones, and the sculptures shift personality as you move between them, like actors adapting to different stages. The ponds throughout the park, including the quarry pond with its perfect reflections, add another layer of beauty to an already extraordinary walk.
Standout sculptures at Waitakaruru Arboretum
The artworks themselves are extraordinary, and the conversations they spark between my teen and me shift constantly… sometimes silly, sometimes serious. There’s contemporary steel beside whimsical wood carvings, monumental stone works that seem to grow from the earth itself, and pieces so unexpected they make us laugh out loud or stop us dead in our tracks. Often both.
Rebecca Rose’s “Swimmingly” captivates us both. The figures in vintage bathing suits, cast in concrete mixed with greywacke from the quarry itself, sit contemplatively by the ponds as if deciding whether to take a dip. There’s something remarkable about seeing sculptures born from the very land they inhabit, like the earth itself lends them form and voice.
Marcus Tatton and Sharlene Broughton’s Portal Project, crafted from trees felled by Cyclone Gabrielle, speaks of renewal and transformation. But it’s Bernie Harfleet’s 14 Caskets that lingers longest in my mind… the haunting installation of caskets symbolising deaths from domestic violence is a stark, necessary reminder that art can comfort and confront in equal measure.
Kid-friendly activities at Waitakaruru Arboretum
The Ruru Scavenger Hunt sends families searching for the 15 hidden owl sculptures scattered throughout the park, and my daughter becomes obsessed with tracking down all of them. It turns into a full-blown quest… until she gets distracted by a neighbouring paddock full of cows and decides instead to test their taste in jazz. Kiwi cows lean towards Miles Davis and think Kenny G is best left for elevators.
We continue ambling through the park, pointing out plants and hidden figures tucked between the leaves. If you’re visiting in the school holidays, the park also runs special programs, with the standout activity being raft making. Kids build their own rafts and test them on the park’s ponds. There’s something brilliantly old-school about watching children figure out buoyancy and engineering principles while getting their hands dirty in such a beautiful setting.
Other workshops and creative activities run throughout the holiday periods and are typically included with regular park admission, making them an affordable day out.
Eat and retreat at the Waitakaruru Arboretum
After wandering up and down through fields of cone-shaped purple flowers, we stumble across the adorable Ruru Retreat, a cosy family-friendly cottage tucked alongside the lily pond that you can book for overnight stays. It’s a tempting thought.
At the end of the route, we linger at the Roosting Ruru Café, where we demolish Duck Island ice cream, a gorgeous artisan brand created by three Waikato chefs. The flavour combinations, like white chocolate with macadamia and pomegranate, are basically edible genius, and we savour every mouthful. In the gift shop, my daughter finds a rustic handmade bracelet that she absolutely has to have. But as it’s the kind of locally made treasure that supports actual artists, I acquiesce and buy it for her as a memento of this special place.
Sometimes the best family moments happen when you stop trying so hard and just let beauty do its job. And Waitakaruru Arboretum is very, very good at its job.
The Sculpture Park at Waitakaruru Arboretum
207 Scotsman Valley Road
Tauwhare, Waikato, New Zealand
Tel +64 7 824 0733
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An award-winning travel writer and photographer, Aleney de Winter was fresh from school when she first set off to explore the far reaches of Australia with a two-man tent and a beaten-up Kingswood for company. Three decades, and two kids later, and she's still on the go, with her itchy-footed offspring in tow. 