Visit, experience and learn

Let the outdoors become your classroom and nature your guide.

We believe that connecting with the natural world fosters curiosity, creativity, and resilience in learners of all ages. Through hands-on activities, outdoor adventures, and engaging nature education, we inspire a deeper appreciation for the environment and a sense of stewardship for the world around us.

Whether you're looking for family-friendly explorations, school programs, or resources to spark outdoor learning, we invite you to join us in discovering the boundless wonders of nature.

Let's learn, grow, and thrive - together, outdoors.

Book your experience today

Create a simple flax basket

We will teach you how to weave a traditional Maori square basket. Made from natural flax fibre grown at blockhill, this simple pattern can be used to create baskets of various sizes.

Identify, harvest and prepare flax leaves before weaving your own small basket to take away.
1 hour
  education  craft  weaving 
$40.00
Book your experience today

Water wise land shaping and rain harvesting strategies

  • Tour the numerous terraces, swales and water other catchment systems and learn how they intercept, redirect and retain water in the landscape
  • Witness how swales and raised beds can be deployed in a food forest setting and how they benefit chickens, ducks and pigs
  • Discuss and demonstrate various tools and techniques
  • Rainwater harvesting, tanks, piping and pumps
  • Utilising grey water and run-off with trees and gardens
2 hours
  swale  water  education 
$80.00
Book your experience today

Learn about foodscaping / food forest gardening

Develop an understanding of how to design and implement your own food forest garden with a one on one guided tour and discussion session.
  • Explore the extensive, established forest garden at blockhill
  • Learn identify, develop and exploit niches to grow a wider range of useful plants
  • Discuss mixed and companion planted polycultures and guilds
  • Understand plant succession for ecosystem transition and transformation
  • Witness beneficial insects and extreme biodiversity
  • Meet the chooks, ducks and pigs and see how they fit into the system
  • Overview of useful hand tools
2 hours
  food forest  education  gardening  permaculture 
$80.00
Book your experience today

Learn to graft fruit trees (seasonal)

Grow your knowledge of fruit tree cloning through the ancient art of grafting. Learn by seeing and doing with hands on examples and one on one tuition and explanation:
  • Collecting and storing grafting (scion) wood from desired trees
  • Understanding and propagating rootstocks
  • Grafting tools and techniques
  • View many examples of grafted trees of various types, complexity and age
  • Graft your own apple tree to take home
  July   August   September  
  grafting  education  trees  propagation 
$80.00  2 hours

Book your visit now

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Where are we

Blockhill is located between Kaikoura, Cheviot and Hanmer Springs, about 2 hours scenic driving North of Christchurch.
You'll find us easily with mobile mapping and driving directions
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