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🗺️ Farm Day Trips guide
Things to Do Near the Lavender Farms of the Auckland Countryside, New Zealand
Lavender Hill's fields near Riverhead bloom to mid-January, and CCT Lavender at Karaka flowers December to February, near Muriwai and Āwhitu.
8 places · updated October 17, 2026
🌱 What’s happening now
Updated October 17
🪻 In season now
Good Planet (home of ZaberriWorld) · The Riverhead
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Auckland's lavender sits on two edges of the city. Lavender Hill is a small lavender, olive and gin farm on Beacon Road outside Riverhead, in the northwest, close to the Kumeū wineries, berry gardens along State Highway 16 and the black-sand surf coast at Muriwai. CCT Lavender is a certified organic farm with a café on Urquhart Road in Karaka, south of the Manukau Harbour, the gateway to Franklin and the long, quiet Āwhitu Peninsula.
The two farms are roughly an hour apart by motorway, so most visitors pick one side for the day. Lavender season here falls in the Southern Hemisphere summer: CCT says December and January are the best months to see the flowers, and Lavender Hill's fields are in full bloom up to mid-January. Summer is also when the strawberry and berry gardens, sunflower fields and beaches are busiest, so a December or January weekday is the easiest time to combine them.
The lavender farms
- CCT Lavender FarmLavender farm · Karaka
- Lavender HillLavender farm · Riverhead
Full bloom up to about mid-January
Guided farm and distillery tours booked online, busiest December through January; group tours and formal tastings by appointment; click-and-collect from the shop anytime.
- Leafy Hollow BotanicalsLavender farm · Waiuku
Best time to visit
Seasons here are reversed from the Northern Hemisphere. CCT Lavender's flowers start in early November, bloom from late November, look best in December and January, and are harvested before the end of February; entry passes are needed December to February. Lavender Hill's fields are in full bloom up to mid-January, and its farm and distillery tours are busiest December through January, then shift focus to the distillery. Outdoor strawberry patches near Ardmore open from about October, Phil Greig's pick-your-own in Kumeū runs from Boxing Day (December 26) into late January, and Franklin Farm's sunflowers and butterfly house open for a short run in summer. The gannets at Muriwai are present from August to March. Auckland Botanic Gardens is free and open every day of the year.
Places to see nearby parks, trails, beaches and landmarks
- Auckland Botanic Gardens🌷 Garden · Manurewa · about 9 mi, 15 min drive
Sixty-four hectares of themed gardens and native forest on Hill Road, including a rose garden, palm and rock gardens, Spring Blossom Valley and the Potter Children's Garden. About 15 minutes from CCT Lavender.
Open daily; gardens 8 a.m.–8 p.m. in summer, visitor center 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (closed Christmas Day)
free
- Waiuku🏘️ Town · Waiuku · about 16 mi, 25 min drive
An estuary town at the head of the Waiuku River and the last town before the Āwhitu Peninsula, home to the Kentish Hotel, billed as New Zealand's oldest continuously licensed hotel. Fill up on fuel and snacks here before heading up the peninsula.
- Karioitahi Beach🏖️ Beach · Waiuku · about 22 mi, 35 min drive
A cliff-backed, black-sand west coast beach west of Waiuku, popular for sunsets, surfing, fishing and paragliding. Vehicles drive on the beach, so keep children close.
- Hamiltons Gap🏖️ Beach · Āwhitu Peninsula · about 28 mi, 45 min drive
A gap in the western dunes of the Āwhitu Peninsula with tall sand hills and long views along the black-sand Tasman coast.
- Āwhitu Regional Park🏞️ Park · Āwhitu · about 32 mi, 50 min drive
A harbor-side park on land the Brook family farmed from 1875, with a sheltered tidal beach for swimming, two campgrounds and the 45-minute Brook Homestead Loop through bush and wetland (1.5 hours with the Kauri Walk). The park marked 50 years in 2025.
- Manukau Heads Lighthouse🗼 Lighthouse · Manukau Heads · about 40 mi, 65 min drive
A replica of the 1874 lighthouse at the tip of the Āwhitu Peninsula, reopened in 2006 by a local trust, with a close look at its 1929 drum lens and views over the harbor entrance and Tasman Sea. The trust welcomes donations.
Daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturdays to 9 p.m.
- Muriwai Beach🏖️ Beach · Muriwai · about 13 mi, 30 min drive
A rugged west coast surf beach with about 60 km of black sand, reached from SH16 via Muriwai Road about 30 minutes from Lavender Hill. Gannets nest on the clifftops from August to March, but access to the gannet colony was listed as temporarily closed after cyclone damage, so check before you go.
Gannets present August–March
- Arataki Visitor Centre🏞️ Park · Oratia · about 19 mi, 40 min drive
The gateway to the Waitākere Ranges on Scenic Drive, with an 11 m carved kauri pou, a viewing platform over the ranges toward the Manukau Harbour, and displays on native wildlife and Māori heritage. Staff can tell you which tracks are open; clean your shoes at every hygiene station to protect kauri.
Daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
free (free parking)
Where to stop: farms, food and stays
- Good Planet (home of ZaberriWorld)Berry farm · Riverhead
A little train carries pickers out to the berry fields, and the café, inflatable adventure park and children's splash park make it an easy family stop on SH16.
- Soljans Estate WineryWinery or vineyard (21+) · Kumeū
A Kumeū winery family owned since 1937, with a cellar door and a bistro for a long vineyard lunch.
- Franklin FarmSunflower farm · Waimauku
Summer sunflower fields and a walk-through monarch butterfly house on Taha Road, with farm animals, dahlias and zinnias to pick.
- Phil Greig Strawberry GardensStrawberry farm · Kumeū
Roadside strawberry gardens on SH16 with pick-your-own in high summer and fruit ice cream from the shop.
- The RiverheadRestaurant · Riverhead
A riverside tavern with more than 160 years of history and a deck under 100-year-old oaks, a short drive from Lavender Hill.
- Pleasant Valley BlueberriesBlueberry farm · Manukau Heads
A quiet pick-your-own blueberry farm on the Āwhitu Peninsula, handy on the way to the lighthouse.
- Clevedon Strawberries (Ardmore Patch)Strawberry farm · Ardmore
An outdoor strawberry patch in Ardmore with pick-your-own, strawberry ice cream and jams, about 25 minutes from CCT Lavender.
A one-day plan
- 10:00 AMLavender Hill
Join a booked farm and distillery tour through the lavender and olives, feed the alpacas and taste the gin; allow about 1.5 hours. Fields are in bloom until about mid-January.
- 11:45 AMGood Planet · about 10 min drive
Ride the train out to the berry fields and pick for about an hour; check the farm's opening hours page first, as picking depends on the crop.
- 1:00 PMSoljans Estate Winery · about 5 min drive
Lunch at the bistro, a few minutes along SH16; book ahead and plan a designated driver if you taste.
- 2:30 PMFranklin Farm · about 15 min drive
Walk the sunflower fields and the butterfly house for about 1.5 hours (summer only; closed Tuesdays).
- 4:15 PMMuriwai Beach · about 20 min drive
Walk the black-sand beach for an hour; swim only where it is safe and check whether the gannet colony lookout has reopened.
- 6:00 PMThe Riverhead · about 30 min drive
Dinner on the riverside deck at The Landing restaurant, open daily from 11 a.m.
Tips
- Lavender Hill and CCT Lavender are about an hour apart by motorway; plan the northwest (Riverhead, Kumeū, Muriwai) and the south (Karaka, Waiuku, Āwhitu) as separate days.
- CCT Lavender asks visitors not to stop or park on the roadside; use its carpark and overflow carpark. Pets are not allowed on the farm (guide dogs only).
- The Āwhitu Peninsula is about 50 km long and largely remote: bring water, snacks and a full tank of fuel from Waiuku.
- Lavender Hill's tours run over summer and are booked online; leave a phone number in case weather changes the plan. The farm says tours may not suit toddlers.
- At Arataki and in the Waitākere Ranges, ask about open tracks and use the shoe-cleaning stations to help protect kauri.
Checked in October 2026 against official park, tourism and business websites. How we check listings
Questions
When do Auckland's lavender farms bloom?
In the Southern Hemisphere summer. CCT Lavender in Karaka is best in December and January and is harvested by the end of February; Lavender Hill near Riverhead is in full bloom up to mid-January.
Do I need a ticket for CCT Lavender?
Yes, entry passes are required in the flowering season (December to February). The farm listed $18 for adults, $14.50 for ages 11–15, free for 10 and under, and a $60 family pass (NZD, as listed October 2026).
Can I tour Lavender Hill?
Yes, farm and distillery tours are booked online over summer at $25 per adult, with children under 15 free (NZD, as listed October 2026). Gardening groups can book year-round.
Are dogs allowed at the lavender farms?
Not at CCT Lavender, which allows guide dogs only. Ask Lavender Hill before bringing a pet.
How far is Muriwai from Lavender Hill?
About 30 minutes by car, via SH16 and Muriwai Road.
🪪 Collect a stamp at every stop
The free Lavender Passport keeps a stamp for each farm and stop you visit, in real life and in the Lavender Farm Simulator. At the farm, play Field Quest to collect plant varieties as you walk, climb the leaderboards and unlock sponsor rewards.
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