It’s great to know that the Easter Bunny can find us in our caravans where ever we travel to. Don and Pamela appeared to have grown pink bunny ears overnight and they handed out Easter Eggs and Hot Cross buns to our group for morning tea.
The Easter Bunny’s little helpers
Then everyone busily prepared a picnic lunch and loaded seats, tables, chilly bags and hot thermoses into the cars and we headed several kms down the road to our destination, Bason Botanical Gardens. Mr Stanley Bason offered his farm property to the Wanganui City Council for the creation of a botanical reserve in 1966. Work began on roading and damming the Mowhanau Stream in 1971, and the gardens have flourished and grown. There are many different areas of plantings, a pretty lake and free gas BBQs available for visitors.
Entry to Bason Botanic Gardens
As we enjoyed our picnic lunch under some shady trees, the sunny weather deserted us. Gusts of wind blew the autumn leaves carpeting the grass this way and that, and then the rain came down. The consensus was, it was no longer picnic weather at all.
Picnic under the trees
Packing away our picnic things, we drove around the garden, and wouldn’t you know it, the rain stopped and the sun came out again. The brick pillared pathway led up to the conservatories.
This way to the conservatories
Inside the hot houses were gurgling water features, flourishing tropical plants, and a great variety of rare and exotic orchids.
Tall tropical plants
And pretty little orchids
Outside once more we checked out the cottage garden, which was a riot of colour, and the herb garden, lovingly tended by members of the local Herb Society.
A bed of red roses
That’s us, between showers in the gardens 
Newly emerged Monarch butterfly drying her wings
Down came the rain again, and it was time to head back to camp. It was such a shame the rainy weather put paid to our picnic, as up to today it has been hot and sunny. Never mind, it is autumn, after all.
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