Bason Botanic Gardens

Huge and beautiful, plenty of clean toilets and bbq

Great place to visit - almost any time of year.The easy access site has ample parking, free toilets and little guidance from gardeners/carers or staff" on the weekend.The grounds have several set walls in park-like surroundings in addition to the Friendship Garden and the Conservatory. The mixed contour landscape might make driving rather than walking more feasible for timid pedestrians. The landscape features are interesting in addition to the trees

Peaceful, expansive, overwhelmingly grand, beautiful.... it is just a pity dogs on leads" are not permitted. Well worth a half a day wander."

Situated 15 minutes from the Whanganui city center, Bason Botanical Gardens (off Rapanui Rd) is a small piece of paradise, and a definite must see if you are in or near Whanganui. Entrance to the gardens is free and there is ample and accessible parking all over the park. There is a wide variety of native and exotic plant life to enjoy, along with some interesting sculptures, scattered throughout the gardens (of which there are 8 different areas). This place is ideal for a nice relaxing picnic with the family (several gas barbeques are available to use at no charge) or a scenic walk away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. I highly recommend a visit to anyone who is in the area, you will not be disappointed!

One of the best and most beautiful botanical garden in the North Island. It has varieties of flora and fauna as well Japanese tea house and long stairs. A big disc course, heaps of playgrounds, walkways, indoor gardens and BBQ areas. You need half a day to explore all the areas and believe me you'll love it!A must see when in Whanganui!

I only went in a short way this trip, I stopped at the Friendship Garden as the large twisted culpture looked really interesting, that then leads down to the various terraces with a central corridor" that went all the way to the bottom and away into the distance. Each level had different sized and shaped terracotta style pots at the "corridor" junction. I will be coming back in the future to explore and recommend the place for an family bbq or picnic."

Love this place. Quiet peaceful and tranquil. So many hidden gardens and walks to explore.Have enjoyed watching this place develop into the beautiful gem it is today. I have been going here since early 90s and am amazed at the progress and developments over the years..

A great delight to unexpectedly find this beautiful place. A vast piece of reserve land with great views, walks and conservatories. Took around 90 minutes to walk around and absorb the experience.

Beautiful, well maintained grounds. Numerous BBQ area's, plenty of open space for picnics, family game's and numerous walkways. Loved attending the repertory theatre play in the grounds last week.