New Zealand’s only floating steampunk airship lands at Hamilton Gardens
26 January 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Inspired by a time when steam power ruled the world, the Huddleston airship is Hamilton Gardens’ newest piece of gardening equipment.

Designed to glide through the night delivering plants for the gardening team, the fanciful airship can be discovered tethered beside the Concept Garden - which will be the latest garden to open at the award-winning Waikato visitor attraction on 1 February 2018.

The Concept Garden forms part of Hamilton Gardens’ Fantasy Collection and is a modern representation of the Gardens’ internationally unique concept of telling the Story of Gardens through time, and across different civilisations.

Concept gardens aren’t necessarily practical, natural or even attractive but are usually based on a central idea or message. This concept garden has been inspired by map legends and two Maaori whakataukii (proverbs). Nine types of New Zealand landscape are represented in blocks like those on the legend of land use maps in old school atlases. Two whakataukii are inscribed within the garden. One interpretation of the first suggests as the population grows it’s at the expense of natural environments. The other whakataukii is inscribed on a majestic steel pipe, which over decades will gradually rust away; the message of this interpretation is “But in the end, nature is going to win”.

The Huddleston is in the Braithwaite Court and has been sponsored by Hamilton’s Braithwaite family who have had a long involvement with Hamilton Gardens.

The Concept Garden is the second of the five gardens in the current development programme; the first was the Tudor Garden (opened 2015). The Mansfield Garden will open in spring 2018, the Picturesque Garden and Surrealist Garden should open in 2019.

Hamilton Gardens is operated by Hamilton City Council. Developed substantially over the last 35 years, Hamilton Gardens contributes an estimated $13.8 million to the city’s economy annually. There are more than one million visitors to Hamilton Gardens every year.

Entry and parking at Hamilton Gardens is free and access is from Cobham Drive/SH1.

Media are invited to attend the Gardens’ official opening on Wednesday 31 January 2018 from 12.45pm on the Lawn Court.

This event is invite only. Mayor King will cut the ribbon before a steampunk fashion parade with more than 30 steam punkers. The following day the garden will open to the public from 9am.

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