If you book a guided garden tour with us, your activity is carbon neutral, good for the planet and feel good for you too. It feels good for us, in fact low carbon is a way of life for us.
Beautiful Gardens of Wānaka guided garden tours operation is carbon net zero (non-certified) this year again, thereby reaching the goal that Lake Wanaka Tourism and the local Council has committed to by 2030 for the district.
In 2023, the business has signed the Tiaki promise and joined the TIA Tourism Sustainability Commitment,
| Main points | Season 2022-23 | 3-year Goal |
| Vehicle | 372 kg of carbon emissions | Electric vehicle charged with solar panels for zero emissions |
| Waste | 1.753 kg of waste | Zero waste |
| Manaakitanga and Kaitiakitanga | Bespoke tours, special needs, regeneration education | Indigenous knowledge inclusion |
| Offsets | 4 trees planted* (6 trees will offset a ton) + 6 trees donated to Te Kakano | Continuing planting trees for the planet and the birds (not only offsets) |
The vehicle emissions have decreased despite the number of tours doubling since its creation in 2020. This was achieved with rationalizing tour distances and economical driving. The tour vehicle is a Nissan Serena 8-seater hybrid that was driving 11.2km per litre when it was bought and now averages 12.9km per litre of petrol. Our goal is to drive all electric as soon as possible and we have started exploring the market of electric people movers with a range suitable to our tours.
A focus on reducing waste from the tours resulted in less than 2 kg of waste sent to landfill in the whole 2022-23 season. Florence contacted the local supermarket who agreed to put muffins directly in her box instead of the usual plastic tray and wrap. She has selected Healtheries home compostable tea bags for most teas. “It is not that difficult to improve sustainable practice, it is just a matter of setting your mind to it”, she says. This season, we measure waste and compost. We are exploring options for offering loose teas to guests.
Guests can opt to buy a tree for the local community nursery Te Kakano and the company matches every purchase. 6 trees were donated for the 2022-23 season. This alone offsets the carbon emissions of the tours and we also plants lots of trees on our land which is one of the gardens of the tours.
Kaitiakitanga is an important message of the tours and is embedded in the business. While the tours visit beautiful conventional gardens, we also see natural gardens in practice, organic or permaculture style, the occasion to show how to fertilize naturally, manage grass, save water, regenerate land or restore native biodiversity without fossil fuels nor chemicals, thereby being gentle on the planet.
During the tours, we talk about other local gardening and regenerative initiatives, eg. Grow Wānaka, Love Wānaka and the Regenerative Tourism local commitment, QEII lands to visit, etc.
Florence shares the knowledge and practice of regenerative lifestyle in the tours with guests who wish to know more. “I never knew one could live sustainably, it’s life changing“, one guest said. The immersion in gardens beauty is connecting guests with nature, creating a deep far-reaching experience, leaving us all elated and inspired with ideas to apply at home.
More about our Sustainability and Regeneration practice here.
Guided Garden Tours 