Domain Wintergardens, Auckland Overview

The Domain Wintergardens is a famous landmark in Auckland and has been recognized as one of the Category 1 historic places by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. The venue attracts many tourists because of its unique architecture and the ever-changing display of the flora found there. The Wintergardens are located within the Auckland Domain, on the Wintergarden road, again signifying the historical importance that the place holds.

The Domain Wintergardens is also renowned for being home to the large Amorphophallus Titanium flower, also known as the corpse flower, located within the Tropical House. It was the first place in New Zealand to have this rare kind of flower, which is said to take ten years to grow fully and smells of rotting flesh. A stroll in the fern garden is refreshing, with its scenic beauty and the various kinds of birds seen around the area. Plants like cacao, heliconia, etc., are also seen in glasshouses.

History

The Domain Wintergardens was constructed after the World War 1, acting as a place to visit during the cold winter evenings for the local people living in the region at the time. This was because the larger area encompassing the gardens, the Auckland Domain, was a public park. A lot of funding from various benefactors went into the construction of the site, some noteworthy ones being from the Industrial, Agricultural and Mining Exhibition of 1913-1914 and especially from its chairman, who was also the chairman of the Bank of New Zealand at the time, Sir George Elliot.

Architecture

The Domain Wintergardens was built and designed by the architectural firm Gummer and Ford. The first instalment was one of the glasshouses, the Temperate House, which was unveiled in front of the public at the 12th of October, 1921. The other glasshouse, the Tropical House along with the courtyard and the other structures were later additions made in the 1920s.

It has two enclosed Victorian-style glasshouses – a Temperate House and a Tropical House. The Temperate House is a non-heated glasshouse or a ‘cool house’ whereas the Tropical House remains heated up to almost 28°C. The venue also has various other structures, like a vast courtyard with neoclassical marble statues and a sunken pool.

What to Do

Domain Wintergardens is also popular for being home to the large Amorphophallus Titanium flower, also known as the corpse flower, which is located within the Tropical House. It was the first place in New Zealand to have this rare kind of flower, which is said to take a period of ten years to fully grow and has the smell of rotting flesh.
A stroll in the fern garden is refreshing, with its scenic beauty and the various kinds of birds seen around the area.
Plants like cacao, heliconia, etc. are also seen in the glasshouses.

How To Reach Domain Wintergardens

The Domain Wintergardens can be reached by both public and private transportation. The most convenient bus lines that lead to the venue directly are Bus – 500, Bus – 515, Bus – 550 and Bus – INN.
Easily accessible train lines that lead to the gardens are Train – STH and Train – West. Stations closest to the venue are the Auckland Hospital and the Grafton Station. The former lies at a distance of 507 meters which would take about 7 minutes by foot and the latter is at a distance of 828 meters, which takes around 11 minutes to reach.
Private cars or cabs can also easily reach the venue by entering the Auckland Domain via the Lower Domain Drive onto the Crescent. The second left which goes on to the Football Road leads to the Wintergarden Road where the venue lies at the end of the street.