Wallingford

Wallingford is best known to travelers for Wallingford Homestead and its historic garden. The garden includes 19th-century trees and a productive truffle plantation; nearby, there are also destinations along the coast and rivers. This offers a choice of different interests: gardens and landscapes, seasonal cuisine, or road trips. The stated drive times can help you assess these options for your own trip.

Historic garden at Wallingford Homestead

The garden is home to scarlet oaks, English oaks and Parrotia persica. A plane-tree avenue leads to a productive truffle plantation of holm oaks. The garden thus combines 19th-century trees with a plantation devoted to truffle cultivation. Anyone interested in gardens will find both botanical details and a clear connection between the plane-tree avenue and the truffle plantation.

Coastal walks, towns and rivers nearby

Porangahau Beach is a ten-minute drive from Wallingford. Long sandy beaches, quiet coastal landscapes and impressive sunsets shape the coastal scenery there. The Little Taikura Beach Walk is a 20-minute drive away. This family-friendly coastal walk ends at a shipwreck, a seal colony and a lighthouse. For both destinations, check local access conditions before setting out.

Drive times to nearby towns also vary: Porangahau is about 15 minutes from Wallingford, Waipukurau about 25 minutes and Havelock North about 60 minutes. Golf courses in Porangahau are about a ten-minute drive away; confirm in advance which course suits your plans. For fly-fishing, consider the Tukituki River, about a 25-minute drive away, and the Waipawa River, about a 30-minute drive away. The difference in travel time is modest; check current access conditions and regulations for both rivers.

Getting there and scenic flights

All roads to Wallingford are sealed; access to Wallingford Homestead is via a gravel road. Take road conditions into account when planning your journey. Waipukurau Airfield is the nearest airport for light aircraft; arrangements for aircraft access must be confirmed separately. Scenic flights can depart from and return to the grounds of Wallingford Homestead, and flights can be booked. Confirm current availability before your trip.

Seasonal cuisine and group options

Wallingford Kitchen offers cooking demonstrations on Sundays. Lunch for groups of at least twelve people is available by arrangement. The menu focuses on seasonal produce and foraged ingredients from local, dedicated and ethically minded artisans, including hunters, fishers and cheesemakers. Ingredients from the garden that guests may sample include truffles, herbs, fruit, vegetables and Angus beef. As individual ingredients may vary seasonally, it is advisable to confirm specific arrangements before your trip.

More destinations in the Central Hawke's Bay District

In the wider Central Hawke's Bay District, A’Deanes Bush Scenic Reserve is a 38.5-hectare remnant of the original forest of the Ruataniwha Plains, characterized by mataī and kahikatea trees. Te Angiangi Marine Reserve protects 446 hectares of coastline between Aramoana and Blackhead and was established in 1997. On its tidal platform, visitors can explore rock pools and may spot octopuses, crayfish, sea anemones and migratory wading birds.

Also in the Central Hawke's Bay District, the Tukituki Trail is a network of routes for walkers, cyclists, mountain bikers and horse riders. Limestone paths on river stopbanks alternate with road connections between Waipukurau and Waipawa; motor vehicles are not allowed on the trails. Trail conditions may change after flooding or maintenance work, so check the latest information before setting out.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Havelock North, Puketapu, Elsthorpe, Fernhill, Eskdale, Raukawa, Waipukurau, Urewera National Park

For the main travel overview: Hawkes Bay.