Kaitāia Riding for the Disabled’s safari fundraiser has 11 gardens to explore

One of the gardens displayed in the Kaitāia Riding for the Disabled’s annual garden safari weekend on November 9-10 with 11 wonderful gardens to explore

Kaitāia Riding for the Disabled is gearing up for a major fundraising event that promises to deliver some colour into the lives of those taking part.

Most gardeners enjoy nothing more than the chance to see what others have done with their little, and not so little, patches in paradise, and for the genuinely nosy there is no better chance to do that than over the Kaitāia Riding for the Disabled garden safari weekend.

This year’s safari offers 11 properties from just south of Kaitāia to Takahue and Victoria Valley over the weekend of November 9-10, each of them offering something different, from a food forest to a garden complete with the added attraction of expertly placed sculptures.

What they all share is meticulous maintenance, a broad range of plants, from established trees to those whose major contribution is colour, and imagination.

The one thing most gardeners will admit to seeking is inspiration, and these properties offer that in spades, (no pun intended), however much room might be available. For those who are only just embarking on their gardening journey, there will be ample opportunity to see what thrives in the Far North’s climate and soils, and how huge varieties of species and cultivars can be combined to create a stunning effect.

Lunch will be available on the Saturday, at the Takahue Hall, along with a variety of stalls, and raffles will be sold with prizes ranging from possum traps to a luxury foot spa pack. And a bus will provide transport on the Saturday for those who would rather let someone else do the driving, leaving from Te Ahu at 8.45am, $10 per passenger.

Jackie Simkins, who has succeeded Irene Knowler as the chief organiser, has drawn together a strong team of enthusiastic people, and is also grateful for the support of the Victoria Valley Garden Club ladies.

“The real heroes though, are the garden owners; they might well maintain their properties in spectacular fashion year-round, but taking part in a garden safari calls for a special effort, one that they unfailingly make willingly, not only as a treat for fellow gardeners but in support of a worthy cause.”

The safari has been the major annual fundraiser for Kaitāia Riding for the Disabled since 1992, and without that income the organisation would struggle to make the enormous contribution it has in the lives of many young children who benefit from the opportunity to enjoy the company of horses and learn all that these remarkable animals have to teach them.

‘’That makes the safari weekend a triple blessing,’’ Simkins said.

Tickets are $25 and available in Kaitāia from McCarthny Mitre 10, CBEC and the iSite at Te Ahu, Pukenui 4 Square and at Bloomfields, on SH10 at Aurere (Taipa).