Time to admire people's gardens for a great cause

Gearing up for next months' Rotorua District Festival of Gardens is (clockwise from front) festival organiser Joan Pryde, St John Health Shuttle volunteer Richard Pearson, festival volunteer Christine Butler, BayTrust Rescue Helicopter pilot Todd Dunham, St John paramedic Mike France and St John intensive care paramedic Steve Brake. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

How often do we go past houses, have a sneaky look at flash gardens and admire the handiwork of those who have lovingly spent hours keeping it immaculate?

Next month, those with keen green fingers can stare all they like at magnificent gardens in the Rotorua area when the Festival of Gardens is again held in the city.

The biennial fundraiser will see 42 breathtaking gardens opened up to ticket holders who can spend up to three days meandering around the neatly clipped, trimmed and manicured gardens that have been the labour of love for locals.

Held from Friday, November 10 to Sunday, November 12, the fundraiser has been going for more than 20 years.

Festival organiser Joan Pryde said excitement was building among the property owners, many of whom went to great lengths to host their visitors including offering snacks and drinks.

She said the garden owners took getting their properties in order very seriously.

"Because of the fickle weather there's been a bit of anxiety behind the scenes ... But we couldn't be more grateful to them. They are the core of the whole event."

Gearing up for next months' Rotorua District Festival of Gardens is (clockwise from front) festival organiser Joan Pryde, St John Health Shuttle volunteer Richard Pearson, festival volunteer Christine Butler, BayTrust Rescue Helicopter pilot Todd Dunham, St John paramedic Mike France and St John intensive care paramedic Steve Brake. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

There was already plenty of interest, including from large groups out of town planning to come to Rotorua for the weekend. An Auckland-based tour company was using the festival as the cornerstone of a weekend away which also featured other tourist attractions in the city.

The aim is to match previous events where about 13,000 people went through during the three days, raising about $25,000 for different charities.

This year the charities will be the BayTrust Rescue Helicopter and St John Ambulance Health Shuttle.

Rescue helicopter chief pilot Barry Vincent said the rescue helicopter had an association with the festival for the past three events and he was "extremely pleased" for it to be a recipient again this year.

"Each time the community has really come together to support the rescue chopper and having such great local enthusiasm to support the helicopter is absolutely awesome."

Mr Vincent said demand for the chopper's services had "certainly been on the increase" this year so it was great the festival had come to the fore to help fund the vital community-based rescue asset.

St John community programmes manager Julie Taverner said she wanted to thank the festival for supporting the important work of the Rotorua St John Health Shuttle.

"This is a free community service that transports people to essential medical and health-related appointments, and then brings them home again. We want to help remove the barriers people face in receiving healthcare, and we know lack of transport is a big reason people miss out on medical appointments."

She said like its other community programmes, it relied on a group of dedicated volunteers who contributed their time to give back to the local community.

What: Rotorua District Festival of Gardens featuring 42 gardens
When: Friday, November 10 to Sunday, November 12
Cost: $30 a ticket and under 14s free
Where to get tickets: Palmers Garden Centre, McLeods Booksellers, the Living Room.
For details: www.rotoruagardens.org.nz.