Eastwoodhill is the National Arboretum of New Zealand — 131 hectares of planted woodland in the hills 35 kilometres west of Gisborne, containing the most comprehensive collection of Northern Hemisphere trees south of the equator. The project was started in 1910 by Douglas Cook, a bachelor farmer who spent decades planting trees from England, Europe, and North America on land he loved but found too steep to farm.
The result is extraordinary: oaks, maples, chestnuts, and cherries that turn brilliant colours in autumn (April and May), alongside rare conifers and specimen trees you will not find anywhere else in New Zealand. The walking tracks range from easy paths through the lower garden to longer routes climbing Mount Arataitai for views over the collection. Allow half a day.