Our community Gardens rely on the commitment and generosity of community-minded companies, groups and individuals in order to flourish year after year.
The Visitors Centre opened in December 2015, thanks to the hard work of volunteers, Trustees and interest groups, as well as the generosity of WDC, the Lottery Grants Board, ASB Community Trust and many other donors. We have a volunteer at the front desk to meet and greet visitors, and answer any questions you might have about the Gardens.
Quail Cafe is the perfect entry point to the gardens, where you can meet for coffee and lunch before heading in for a walk through the old Quarry. Excellent food enjoyed in lush surroundings, it has fast become a favourite for locals and tourists in search of an excellent coffee before an outing.
The Centre has drawn on the surrounding landscape for material inspiration and strives to connect visitors to the Gardens beyond. It features a meeting room for volunteers and local groups, public toilets, managers office, outdoor seating areas, kitchen facilities, and a café/dining room for around 80 people.
Making a private donation to our flood relief fund or planting fund.
Donating when you visit - via the donation box.
Sharing our story with those who may be interested in supporting our community project - bring them along for a coffee and a walk.
Buy something special from our Gift Shop, we have plants for sale too.
You can make a direct donation to:
WQGT Bank account (donations):
06 0493 0288734 00
Volunteering Roles
Whangarei Quarry Gardens is a true-blue community project, relying almost entirely on volunteers to keep the Gardens thriving. We currently have a community of 60 volunteers, and we are always on the lookout for new volunteers to help out. Here is a brief description of what they all do:
Our Trustees look after the overall running of our organisation. They meet monthly to discuss all issues arising, and set plans into motion regarding planning for the Gardens and making sure we remain financially sustainable. Trustees are nominated annually at the AGM. If you would like to join the Board of Trustees, we invite you to register your interest with us and become a part of this wonderful community.
Our Gardening Crew is made up by a core group of dedicated locals who meet on-site every Monday and Wednesday at 8.30am and get stuck in to whatever needs doing - from watering and weeding, to planning an overhaul of an existing garden area and propagating plants to sell in our gift shop.. If you love gardening and think this sounds like you, contact Guy at manager@whangareigardens.org.nz
Our "Meet and Greet" volunteers are the friendly face of the Gardens. They greet all of our visitors as they arrive through the Visitor Centre - offering a map, taking donations and helping to run the little boutique gift shop. Most of these volunteers do one half day shift per week, or month (approximately 4 hours per shift). The front desk is right beside Quail Cafe, so it is a good chance to enjoy a nice coffee and a treat too. If you think you have time to help at the front desk, please email Glenda at admin@whangareigardens.org.nz
Our Events Team is currently made up of 12 women (we are very happy to welcome some men to the team!), who meet once a month to plan events such as Sculpture Northland, The Enchanted Garden children's event and the Whangarei Garden Discovery. This role gets busy when each event is on, and we often need extra people to help. Sculpture Northland is a 10 day event, and we had over 100 volunteers rostered to help in 2019! It's a busy, but fun time, and we need people with energy for this vibrant role. So if you would like to join out team. Get in touch with Kerry at events@whangareigardens.org.nz
Volunteers all receive a 10% discount from our Gift Shop.
If you or an organisation you are part of would like to sponsor a specific project at Whangarei Quarry Gardens, we'd love to hear from you!
Local Rotary groups, Whangarei District Council, and others have sponsored worthwhile projects in the past, such as signage, bridges, garden areas, stone walls etc.
Our major biennial events, Sculpture Northland and Whangarei Garden Discovery, rely heavily on our wonderful corporate sponsors to help us cover advertising costs. Both of these events are well recognised and a great asset for our Northland community. If you would like to support these outstanding community events, then email Kerry at events@whangareigardens.org.nz
Whether big or small, we have projects that need sponsorship. If you are interested, please contact us to become an integral part of the wonderful Whangarei Quarry Gardens story...
We are immensely grateful to all of the businesses that have supported our project and events over the years >>>
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