Visit the Lavender Farm in Hamilton this Summer

Last updated on 13 February 2023

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There’s something about a lavender farm that just brings joy. I know you know what I mean. And I have to say, there was a lot of joy when we visited the lavender farm in Hamilton.

One summer my sister and I headed away for a few days, taking a bit of a holiday to the Waikato. It was so good to be able to get out of the big city (read: Auckland), and spend some time by Lake Karapiro, exploring the berry-picking farms, the sunflower-picking farm and this beautiful lavender farm we discovered near Hamilton.

I’ve been driving that road (State Highway 1b) my entire life. Okay not me personally that whole time, but I’ve driven this route since I was a young child, visiting family in the North of New Zealand when we lived further south. But I’ve never stopped before. To be fair, we didn’t often drive by in summer, when the lavender a fully in beautiful bloom, but it still amazes me how I had never been to the Lavender Backyard Garden before.

It was so well worth the stop, and while it was a mega hot summer’s day at the end of January when we visited, it was nothing that a sunhat and a lathering sunscreen couldn’t help. My sister and I donned our hats, put another layer of sunscreen on, paid our tickets and got ready to fill a jar each of stunning stems of lavender.

The Lavender Backyard Garden

The Lavender Backyard Garden is actually a lavender and blueberry-picking garden. How cool is that!? Unfortunately, when we visited, it was the last day of the lavender picking season, and we had missed the blueberry season, but it’s a spot I would love to go back to experience it fully.

The lavender farm near Hamilton is a small, family-owned farm that grows lavender and blueberries. It’s open to the public, and you can go and pick your own lavender over the summer months. And it has some fun features in the garden too, like this bright purple tractor (above) and a beautiful archway you can take photos in.

As well as Lavender and Blueberries (honestly, how could you get any better?!), the farm also grows other herbs, like rosemary, white sage and eucalyptus. And the owners have set up a beautiful wee shop, selling homemade lavender goods, including skin care products and others.

Where is the Lavender Backyard Garden?

The Lavender Backyard Garden is located in Newstead, Hamilton, in the North Island of New Zealand. It’s on one of the main routes (State Highway 1B) if you’re headed by Hamilton, and it’s hard to miss. Rows and rows of lavender line the farm, which is situated right on the roadside.

While you can pick as much lavender as you like, if you don’t want to take any home with you, you can just visit the lavender farm and the shop.

How do you get there?

If you’re coming from the North: Head down State Highway 1 then take the turn off for State Highway 1b and follow SH1b through to Puketaha, across Holland Road and the garden is on your left.

If you’re coming from the South: Head up State Highway 1, then take State Highway 1b just north of Cambridge. Follow SH1b until just before Holland Road, and the garden is on your right. Note, there are several doglegs in the southern part of SH1b, but there are plenty of signs you can follow.

How much is it?

To get into the farm:

• General: $10 per person
• Child (Ages 4-8): $7 per person
• Kids under 3 are free

To pick your own lavender, it costs $12 a jar. You fill a jar as much as you can, and then they’ll wrap your lavender for you in brown paper so you can take it away with you.

📝 Note: The cost of entry changes slightly depending on the week over the summer. You can check out the detailed list of entry fees and picking fees here.

When is it open?

The Waikato lavender farm is open 9am – 5pm, 7 days from a changeable date in December through to the 31st of January. You can see what the current dates for the next summer season are here on the website.

When we visited the farm, it was either the 30th or the 31st, and they were due to shut up the farm for the year. The lavender was still stunning, though you could tell it was the end of the season, as the lavender wasn’t quite as vibrant as it might have been a month earlier. If you’re going to visit the farm to pick lavender, be sure to go through December or early January.

Have you been to the Lavender Backyard Garden? Let me know in the comments!