ParksandGardens, Hiva-oa

Tahiti is home to some of the most beautiful hiking trails in Polynesia. Stops can include spectacular waterfalls and natural pools, panoramic views, grottos, archeological sites and lava tubes. A favorite hike is to the three Faarumai waterfalls. From the car park it is a quick scramble through a forest of chestnut trees to the first waterfall, Vaimahutu. Continue on for another 20 minutes or so to reach the other to falls Haamarere Iti and Haamarere Rahi, which are almost side-by-side. With hundreds of varieties of tropical trees, plants and flowers, Tahiti also has some of the world's most beautiful gardens. Visit the water gardens of Vaipahi to experience the abundant flora and waterfalls that flow directly into Lake Vaihiria. https://www.afar.com/places/faarumai-waterfalls-haapupuni?category=do&guide=93

Bougainville Park is a tranquil, tropical oasis in the middle of the Papeete's concrete jungle. Stretching from Boulevard Pomare to Rue du General de Gaulle, it makes for a lush and cool picnic (or roulettes take-away) spot. If you're traveling with the kids there's a playground here, and there are often floral, cultural and artistic displays on the grounds. https://www.afar.com/places/bougainville-park-papeete

A must visit place is the colorful Pā’ōfa’i Garden. https://rdougwicker.com/2017/04/17/port-9-papeete-sailing-out-of-nanuu-bay/

The Honolulu Zoo is 42 lush tropical acres of mammals, reptiles, birds and more! A children's zoo, African Savannah exhibit, playground and snack bar complete the visit. The Zoo is 42 acres and home to almost 1000 different animals from the tropics. Komodo Dragons, orangutans, elephants, primates, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and a variety of African animals can be seen daily. Be sure to see the wildest place in Waikiki! https://www.gohawaii.com/listing/honolulu-zoological-society/442

Waimea Falls, also known as Waihi Falls, is one of the more accessible falls on Oahu. It is located within Waimea Valley, which is a unique Hawaiian botanical garden within a significant cultural and archaeological site. There is a small fee to enter the park. This is a worthwhile contribution, as the place is dedicated to the preservation of the incredible botanical and cultural features of the area. https://www.hawaii-guide.com/oahu/hiking_trails/waimea-falls

The Garden of Sleeping Giant is a beautiful orchid garden started in 1977 by the late Raymond Burr, star of Perry Mason and Ironside TV shows. Originally designed to house Burr’s private collection of tropical orchids, the gardens have developed into a popular attraction after years of flourishing. Raymond Burr loved these orchids just as much as he loved Fiji. The garden contains a vast collection of 30 to 40 varieties of magnificent Asian orchids and Cattleya hybrids. https://www.fiji-budget-vacations.com/Garden-of-the-Sleeping-Giant-Orchids.html

The theme park was originally built as a movie set by renowned Hollywood specialist Billy Hughes, and it recreates the legends of filmmaking that have idealized the ranching lifestyle. https://www.visitmexico.com/en/main-activities/durango/have-fun-like-a-child-in-the-old-west

An urban paradise for all ages, the San Diego Zoo is a must-see in Southern California, with more than 4,000 rare & fascinating animals. See giant pandas, Komodo dragons, orangutans, koalas, flamingos, polar bears, and more. With animal encounters, interactive experiences, and a lively atmosphere, it's a great place for family fun and gathering friends. http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/

Balboa Park, originally called City Park, used to be 1,400 acres of undeveloped land. Landscaping began in 1892, followed by the construction of water systems and roads through 1910. In 1915, San Diego was to be the host of the Panama-California Exposition. Nature lovers have a lot to see in the gardens at Balboa Park in San Diego. The 1935 (Old) Cactus Garden at San Diego Balboa Park features massive cactus and succulent plants. Visitors will even find exotic African and Australian Protea plants at this area within Balboa Park San Diego. The Botanical Building and the lily pond in front of it are some of the most popular areas that are photographed in Balboa Park - and with good reason. There are over 2,100 permanent plants inside the building and a changing collection of cycads, ferns, orchids and palms. The California Native Plant Garden shows visitors thousands of plants that thrive here in their San Diego habitat. Bring your kids to the Balboa Park Carousel. This fun destination is adjacent to the San Diego Zoo and features plenty of hand-carved animals so that your kid has lots of choices. All but two of the hand-carved animals on the Balboa Park San Diego Carousel are original from 1910! While you're on the merry-go-round, you can even play the brass ring game. Balboa Park's Carousel is one of a small number around the world that still have the brass ring game for riders to play. The Balboa Park Miniature Railroad takes families on a fun journey across four acres. https://www.sandiego.com/balboa-park

The Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden is a thirty-minute stroll up Avalon Canyon from town center. The Botanic Garden is the primary gateway to access one of the Island's most popular hikes, the Garden to Sky Trail. The Wrigley Memorial honors the memory of William Wrigley Jr., who lived from 1861 to 1932. Although best known as the founder of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, largest manufacturer of chewing gum in the world, he also played an instrumental role in the history of Santa Catalina Island. https://www.catalinaconservancy.org/index.php?p=wrigley_memorial_and_botanic_garden&s=visit

A visit to the Getty Villa offers an experience of ancient Greek and Roman art in a setting that recreates a first-century Roman villa. Home to the J. Paul Getty Museum antiquities collection, the two-floor museum displays art that spans the 7,000 years from the end of the Stone Age to the fall of the Roman empire. The presentation of the collection focuses on the development of art among the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean. Visitors are invited to explore how and why the styles, subjects, and ways of making art resemble each other and differ across cultures and times. The Getty Villa has four gardens that blend Roman architecture with open air spaces and Mediterranean plants. In ancient times, gardens served both practical and aesthetic purposes at Roman country homes. They let fresh air and light enter the home, and also acted as gathering places to have conversations or to escape the heat. https://www.getty.edu/visit/villa/

The Floral Park neighborhood is a community of more than 600 vintage homes, most of which were built from the 1920s through the 1950s. http://www.floralpark.com/

Includes a 7.5-acre rose garden, with 15,793 rose bushes. The garden was an attraction for the 1932 Olympics. It is currently among the three major public-display rose gardens in Southern California and one of the most important in the state. http://expositionpark.ca.gov/

Authentic 6.5-acre Japanese Garden created by Dr. Koichi Kawana to provide beauty, relaxation, inspiration and a better understanding of Japanese culture using reclaimed water. https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/what-to-do/activities/japanese-garden

Pasadena's only dedicated free public garden, Arlington Garden was built in 2005 on the former site of the historic Durand Mansion. The garden includes thousands of California-native plants such as poppies, sunflowers, cactus and succulents, orchards of orange and olive trees, and many more species. Arlington Garden also features a variety of benches and tables, birdbaths and statuary. A classical, seven-circuit Labyrinth was built at the garden in October 2010. In November 2008, 21 crepe myrtle trees were donated and permanently installed at Arlington as part of Yoko Ono's Wish Tree series. This garden is not only friendly to people and pets, but also exists as a refuge for Pasadena’s native fauna. Birds, bees and butterflies are particularly abundant and can be seen throughout the year. http://www.arlingtongardenpasadena.com/

Located in La Cañada Flintridge, the 160-acre Descanso Gardens was originally developed in 1936 by newspaper magnate Elias Manchester Boddy, whose numerous interests included horticulture and politics. Descanso Gardens offers numerous areas for exploring, including a bird sanctuary, five-acre rosarium, Japanese tea garden, water-wise garden, Oak Woodland, California garden, and the world’s largest collection of camellia flowers. https://www.descansogardens.org/

Mexico City’s Chapultepec Park is the oldest and largest urban park in Latin America, and one of the oldest urban parks in the world. Originally sited on the outskirts of the city, today this large forested area is completely surrounded by the urban center. Containing nine museums, a zoo, an amusement park, and a variety of green recreational spaces located near popular commercial districts, Chapultepec Park is an invaluable ecological oasis, and a cultural, social, and civic space for the city residents and its visitors. Up to 15 million people visit the urban park each year, often keeping to a few of the more popular areas. https://www.wmf.org/project/chapultepec-park

While staying at Mount Tutu Eco-Sanctuary, a 16-acre nature park, feed the unique Mount Tutu Sheep which are a closed flock of Heritage Sheep. The preservation of heritage flocks is considered to be very important. Mount Tutu Sheep, unique to Mount Tutu Eco-Sanctuary, are characterised by their majestic horns and piebald markings. They have been selectively bred over 18 years. The lambs look like little panda bears, and are equally as cuddly! Get up close and personal with these special sheep! https://www.newzealand.com/au/plan/business/mount-tutu-eco-sanctuary-3123383/

Bring your family, swimsuits, barbecue supplies or picnic and make a day of it with one of our two adventure park pass options, or if you’re short on time, come down and rent a kayak by the hour. Our adventure park pass system is designed so once you have purchased a pass for the park you won’t need any more money for the rest of the day. You can enjoy, get wet, relax and most importantly have fun, without needing to reach for your wallet. Enter the park knowing that the day is yours to enjoy with our supreme pass. The Blob, The UFO, rock climbing and unlimited kayak hire; the fun is just starting. Slide down NZ’s only kayak slide. Beach volleyball is a hit while others enjoy the challenge on Waimarino’s new low ropes course. https://www.newzealand.com/au/plan/business/adventure-park/

Discover Rotorua's rich culture, volatile landscape and legendary figures in this ‘must-see' museum. Explore the fascinating stories of Rotorua’s beautiful Government Gardens during the free walking tours hosted by Rotorua Museum guides who won the TrustPower Rotorua Lakes Council Community Supreme Award for their Outside the Walls walking tours. Despite Rotorua Museum being closed for earthquake strengthening until 2021, Museum guides have continued taking tours, sharing the fascinating history of the area that became known as the Government Gardens. Visitors learn about New Zealand’s most photographed building, the iconic Rotorua Bath House*, from spa to restaurant, cabaret to a night club and finally home to Rotorua Museum. Their stories include the Spanish Mission/Art Deco style Blue Baths, almost as famous as the Bath House and those of the other heritage buildings in the vicinity. https://www.rotoruanz.com/visit/see-and-do/museums-galleries/rotorua-museum

Claim your bragging rights! High excitement, stomach-churning and a great confidence builder. Test your skills by taking on an Adrenalin Forest aerial obstacle course. Located among natural surroundings in the Bay of Plenty, Adrenalin Forest courses feature over 100 fun-filled challenges across six levels. Each level is harder than the last, with obstacles starting at 1.5 metres above the ground that are suitable for a wide range of ages and fitness levels. To conquer the whole course and claim your bragging rights, you’ll be climbing, jumping and swinging up to 23 metres up in the air. But this isn’t just a test of your physical skills - each obstacle can be conquered in different ways, so you’ll be stretching your brain as well. https://www.newzealand.com/au/plan/business/adrenalin-forest-bay-of-plenty/

Skyline Rotorua is now home to New Zealand's first year-round Gondola assisted bike lift, accessing world-class downhill mountain biking. Skyline Rotorua MTB Gravity Park gives riders easy access to an 8.5-kilometre trail network featuring trails with varying terrain for all ability levels. http://www.rotoruanz.com/visit/see-and-do/cycling-mountain-biking/skyline-gravity-park

Paradise Valley Springs is Rotorua's must-see wildlife park where visitors of all ages can interact closely with a range of New Zealand’s wild animals, native birds, farm animals and trout, as well as view and get up close to a large pride of African Lions. The wildlife park is set amongst beautifully maintained New Zealand native bush, offering easy walking along flat accessible walkways in all types of weather. You can hand-feed animals that are found wild around the country such as Deer, Goats, Tahr and Wallabies. Visit the Kea, New Zealand’s infamous and comical alpine parrot in their walk-through aviary. Stroll through the waterbird wetland for great views of native and introduced waterfowl, and look out for the different native birds living wild around the park. Pat and feed the very sociable farm animals - alpacas, donkey, emus, sheep and more. Hundreds of Rainbow and Brown trout can be fed in the natural stream as well as in the spring-fed display pools, and viewed at eye level through an underwater window below their pool. Spot some of the large native long-finned eels lazing in their pools. Drink straight from the cool waters of the freshwater spring, or purchase some of their bottled ‘Paradise Pure’ to take away with you. Take the elevated treetops to walk in a secluded area, putting you up near the canopy of the trees. In a separate area of the park, there is also a pride of African Lions that can be seen all day in an enclosure that allows visitors to get very close to these wild animals. Lion pride feeding is at 2.30pm, followed by kea and possum feeding at 3pm every day. 10-15 minutes drive from central Rotorua. Open every day of the year including all public holidays. https://www.rotoruanz.com/visit/see-and-do/leisure-wildlife-parks/paradise-valley-springs-wildlife-park

Splash Planet is New Zealand’s only water theme park and is a beloved Hawke’s Bay destination where generations of families have made lifetime memories. https://www.hawkesbaynz.com/visit/us/splash-planet

The latest attraction in Taupo is the spectacular new Lava Glass Sculpture Garden set in an acre of manicured grounds with more than 500 glass sculptures. https://www.greatlaketaupo.com/things-to-do/listings/lava-glass-sculpture-garden/

At this 135-acre outdoor, living museum, you can also explore the Hummingbird Trail to seek out the rare, elusive white hummingbird, and sniff pleasing scents of lavender, jasmine, and oregano in the fun Aroma Garden. The UC Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden’s rich and diverse collection contains representatives of more than 300 plant families of Mediterranean climates. The garden maintains collections of rare and threatened plants of unusual scientific interest. Particular specialties are world conifers, primitive angiosperms, and bulb-forming plant families. Large assemblages of plants from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and California natives are displayed on the grounds. Many of the species in these collections are not otherwise available for study in American botanical gardens and arboreta. https://arboretum.ucsc.edu/

Travel over trestles, through towering redwood groves and up a winding narrow-gauge grade to the summit of Bear Mountain as conductors narrate the history of Roaring Camp, the railroad and the forest. In the 1880s, narrow-gauge steam locomotives were used to haul giant redwood logs out of the mountains. Roaring Camp's steam engines date from 1890 and are among the oldest and most authentically preserved narrow-gauge steam engines providing regularly scheduled passenger service in America. https://www.roaringcamp.com/

Mount Hermon Adventures has grown immensely since it began and has become an internationally recognized provider of adventure experiences and team development programs. They now operate the world-famous Redwood Canopy Tours, multiple aerial adventure courses, intentional Team Building programs, and provide Mount Hermon overnight guests with mountain biking, surfing, sea kayaking, target sports, aquatic facilities, paint ball, skate park and more. Guests experience Mt. Hermon's core values of quality, authenticity and inspiration with the final goal of living a transformed life. https://mounthermonadventures.com/

Explore an enchanting world of secret gardens at Waikato's most visited tourist destination. The international award-winning Hamilton Gardens is unique; it tells "the story of gardens". http://www.visithamilton.co.nz/see-and-do/hamilton-gardens/hamilton-gardens

Located a short distance from Auckland CBD, Auckland Domain is a mecca for relaxation and a must-see when in the region. Spread over 75 hectares of land, Auckland Domain is the oldest park in the city and is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike especially on a warm summer day. There are a number of different gardens located in the park including the Wintergardens, one of the most recognisable with the Auckland War Memorial Museum sitting at the highest point, the Formal Gardens, a display from the 1860s with exotic trees, birds and trout, the Duck Ponds, which was the first piped water supply in Auckland back in 1866 and the Band Rotunda standing there since 1912. Auckland Domain is open to the public 24 hours a day for free. There are a number of facilities on the grounds including a water fountain, toilets, sports fields and a dog exercise area located on Gum Tree Hill. https://www.experienceoz.com.au/en/auckland/auckland-domain/auckland-domain

Located in the heart of the CBD, Albert Park is the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the city scene. Easily accessible by walking paths around the city, exploring Albert Park is a definite must for visitors to the region. Open to the public 24 hours a day, there is so much to see and do in the Park. Some of the main highlights of the park include the Victorian fountain, Queen Victoria statue and the Laidlaw floral clock that was constructed in 1953. There are a number of different paths leading through the park making exploring it easy and enjoyable. In terms of facilities, the park is fitted with public toilets located between Albert Park House and the Wellesley Street East walkway. https://www.experienceoz.com.au/en/auckland/albert-park/albert-park

Hamilton Zoo is home to over 600 native and exotic animals and boasts the only tapirs in New Zealand, the only fishing cats and the largest free-flight aviary in New Zealand dedicated to native birds and plants. See exotic species like giraffes, zebras, chimpanzees, red pandas, lemurs and Sumatran tigers as well as farm animals like kune kune pigs and alpacas. Get to know some animals during free daily Meet the Keeper talks. For a special experience, go behind the scenes on a Face2Face encounter and meet a southern white rhinos, siamang gibbons, giraffe, red pandas, or lemurs. Every visit is different, with breeding and baby animals at any time of the year. Hamilton Zoo is committed to inspiring conservation action through participation in various projects and contributing to breeding programmes for endangered species like southern white rhino, once there were only 100 left in the world, now there are more than 20,000. http://www.visithamilton.co.nz/see-and-do/attractions/hamilton-zoo

Ambury farm park lies among the southern suburbs fronting the Manukau Harbour. Take in the various farm animals as you wander around the open pasture. Ambury is a significant habitat for shorebirds and the coast has excellent examples of basalt lava flows. http://regionalparks.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/ambury