Approaching the town of Taupo at the North end of Lake Taupo is like driving into any resort town in high season. Driving along the east side of lake Taupo ones eyes are drawn across the lake, formed centuries ago by a massive volcanic explosion, to three dominant peaks far in the distance. These peaks are all dormant volcanoes, not extinct though. Mt. Tongariro, Mt. Ngauruhoe and the massive Mt. Ruapehu form a loose line that rails down the south end of the lake.
On the outskirts of the town of Taupo, is the home of Annette and Gordon Collier, our host for the evening and local support team.
Gordon is the Chief Assessor for the New Zealand Gardens Trust,
He and his wife left their former garden of note, Titoki Point, a bit more south, for this lovely area along the lake.
Working with an architect, they have designed and built a delightful cottage complete with a separate guest cottage and garage all connected by a glass breezeway under which an exterior water feature passes.
Gordon told me that the design of the garden was his and not the intent of the architect; Annette assures me that half of that is correct.
She we find has the eye for color, he for form and movement. Together, in a very short time they have developed a wonderful oasis in a sometimes chaotic resort town. Scott Arboretum tour, you are in for a real treat!
We stayed just up the road from the Colliers that evening, and met Gordon early the next morning for a few quick Hort based visits before we continued south. The first stop was Taupo Natives, a wholesale/retail operation on the outskirts of Taupo. Very neatly organized and displayed, the staff responded to Gordon as royalty, and us as visiting dignitaries. Filled with plants we either can’t grow or those that suffer and shortly perish, none of which we could bring back anyway.
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