The Hamilton Gardens are great even during winter. Visiting during August is a different experience. There’s less blooming than the warmer seasons, but there’s always something in bloom. It’s fun to see how things have changed each season. It’s easy to notice something new which you might have missed previously. In this trip, we explored a bit more outside of the enclosed gardens. We walked around the lake and through the Rhododendron garden. The giant Eucalyptus tree was very impressive to see. Te Parapara Garden has a beautifully carved storehouse and the mounds in which the crops are planted was such a unique concept.