After leaving Dargaville, I made my way back towards Matakana, where Fiona was driving up from Devonport to meet me at a new POP (Park Over Property) called Willow Park. The drive into Matakana was a test of patience—traffic from the Warkworth motorway turnoff to Matakana took over an hour. Apparently, that’s par for the course. Thankfully, the destination was well worth the effort.

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Fiona had already arrived by the time I got to Willow Park. After parking up, we sat down with a cuppa and started planning our next moves.

First on our list was the famous Sculptureum just around the corner. The Matakana markets were also in full swing, so of course, we decided to check those out too.

Willow Park, located on Totaranui Road, is run by NZMCA member Gary Pallett. It’s situated on a gentle slope, but the 10 or so graveled sites are impressively level. The farm setting offers fantastic views, which you’ll see from the photos. There are showers available, though we stuck to using our own facilities.

Although the Sculptureum is within walking distance, we opted to drive down the hill. The place is massive, complete with a vineyard. The experience is split into four main sections, and they recommend allowing at least two hours to fully explore. There’s also a restaurant for lunch and plenty of parking.

We started in the indoor gallery, which was packed with fascinating and unusual art pieces. From there, we ventured into the Palm Garden, famous for its whimsical giant snails. The landscaping is immaculate, perfectly complementing the sculptures on display. (Check out the photos!)

Click on the Gallery below to see Enlarged Images

Fiona admiring a Pergoda

Amazing sculpture with Fiona.

The Snails

After a couple of hours in the sun, we retreated to the verandah for a much-needed coffee.

Across the road, the Matakana Country Park was buzzing with market activity. We moved the car to their carpark and wandered through the stalls for about an hour. Even near closing time, the place was still packed with people!

Before heading back to Willow Park, we stopped into Matakana itself to grab some supplies and have a quick look around. Unsurprisingly, it was still incredibly busy, so we didn’t linger too long.

It was a fantastic day out, with the Sculptureum being the highlight. The art and sculptures are absolutely stunning, and the entire experience is amazing. A great couple of nights away and not too far from home 🙂