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Middle Rock High Country Garden and Perennial Nursery
| Address | 1160 Coleridge Rd, Lake Coleridge. Between Windwhistle and Rakaia Gorge on Highway 72 take Coleridge Rd. Travel 12kms, staying on Coleridge Rd. Middle Rock is on the right 5kms past Terrace Downs golf course. Visits by prior appointment only. |
| Region | Canterbury |
| Privately owned or public | Private |
| Email | |
| Phone | +64 03 318 6889. |
| Fax | +64 03 318 6806 |
| Contact Person | Lyn Nell |
| Website | www.middlerock.co.nz |
| Hours | Daytime |
| Garden Size | 1.5 acres |
| Price | $5.00. No charge for nursery visitors but please contact us first. |
| Brochure Available? | Yes |
| Parking | Ample parking for coaches and cars |
| Toilets | Yes, several |
| Food Available | Yes lunches and morning/afternoon teas available by prior arrangement. |
| Cafe/Restaurant available? | No |
| Seating | Yes large groups catered for with a large indoor area available in the event of bad weather. |
| Picnics | Yes |
| Wheelchair Access | Yes |
| Dogs Allowed | No dogs please |
| Children Allowed | Yes |
| Accommodation | No |
| Weddings | No |
| Plant/Other Sales | A small nursery specialising in hardy, high country perennials grown from plants in the homestead garden. Many of the plants are no longer found in traditional retail outlets. Also West of Windwhistle an oral history of intergenerational life in the Lake Coleridge area. |
| Guided Tours | Guests welcomed with an historical overview and a photographic display also available for viewing. |
| Function center? | No |
| Winery? | No |
| Other Facilities | Check www.ruralattractions.co.nz for details of the other side of our business.
A visit to Middle Rock is usually combined with a visit to other gardens in the area, historical tours of the area or a Middle Rock farm tour.
Middle Rock and Peak Hill Station also host the High Country Tour, a day tour of the Coleridge Basin. The tour begins with a morning visit to Middle Rock, lunch at Coleridge Village and an afternoon visit to remote Peak Hill Station at the head of the Rakaia Gorge. Optional extras include a farm tour at Middle Rock and a dog trailing display at Peak Hill. The High Country tour is suitable for community groups, conference guests and international visitors and has been consistently popular with tour groups for many years.
Only 1 hour's drive from Christchurch, Middle Rock is frequently visited by groups who want a midday visit after arriving at, or prior to leaving from, Christchurch International Airport.
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Map
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The GardenThe garden at Middle Rock is sited at 1600ft (500m) and features rhododendrons, roses, stone walls and a pond. It is dominated by panoramic views of the Mt Hutt range. The attached perennial nursery specialises in plants exposed to climatic extremes and contains a collection of bearded irises. Most tour groups arrive mid morning and are welcomed with a brief talk on the history of Middle Rock. Morning tea follows in the homestead kitchen and then guests are free to wander the garden and visit the perennial nursery.
Check the website for further details and directions to Middle Rock. |
The GardenerA visit to Middle Rock is not so much about the garden but rather the story behind it. A story of soldier settlement on a bare block of land after World War II and the struggles that went with it, the modifying of a wild high country climate so that a farm and a garden could evolve and the people that have initiated the developments.
Today, life revolves around running a 1,000 hectare sheep farming property and hosting a large number of visitors who come as garden visitors or to gain a greater understanding of life on a high country sheep farm. Lyn is the current gardener and over 30 years has built on the basic shelter established by Bruce’s parents to create microclimates around which the current garden is designed. Lyn and Bruce have been hosting visitors for many years.
Ballance Farm Environment Award winners 2008
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