Discover yatton park

Quietly Serene, and now also known as, 'Tutarawananga'

Yatton Park (Tutarawananga)

Located in Tauranga’s Parkvale, Yatton Park is a beautiful public park. The park’s arboretum and playground are a great place for kids to play and enjoy the local natural beauty.

Yatton Park has to be one of the more beautiful parks in Tauranga. With a stunning array of flowers blossoming during spring, the park comes alight showcasing a variety of beautiful colours. Water features, ponds and a stream adds to the already pretty park.

Within this park are BBQ’s where you and the family can have a bit of fun and an awesome BBQ. There is plenty of room for the kids to run around and kick a ball.

There is a 10-minute loop track through native bush at the back of the park. From the bottom of this loop, the Walkway takes you along the foreshore of the Waimapu Estuary – with extensive views across to Hairini.

About 10 minutes from Yatton Park, the Esk Street Walkway runs from the foreshore parallel to Esk Street, taking you back to Fraser Street. It is then just a small walk along Fraser Street back to the entrance of this beautiful Park.

A change to the name, an addition to Yatton Park

You may not be familiar with the park’s dual name, but it was chosen by primary school students from Parkvale. They persuaded the commissioners of the Tauranga City Council to give the park two names: both Maori and English. While this may seem strange, the idea is beautiful. Read on to discover why it was chosen and what makes it so beautiful.

The official name of the park is now Tutarawananga, or Yatton Park. The dual name was requested by students at Merivale School, who presented it to Council Commissioners.

The nationally significant arboretum - Unique, Native & Exotic Tree Species

Within Yatton Park also exists a unique collection of exotic and native tree species. Upon which both are a city and nationally significant Arboretum in New Zealand.

Since many of the trees were planted around the same time in the same area, they have competed against each other for height over the many years rather than growing outward. So many of these trees are among the tallest of their species in the country. They were planted around 1866.

Besides the beautiful trees, the Arboretum is home to some of the city’s oldest trees. It also features sweeping green lawns and a number of perennial flowerbeds. The arboretum was planted by John Chadwick in the last century. He named it after his hometown Yatton. The arboretum has a waterfall and several species of wildlife live in the park.

Weddings at Yatton Park

This name acknowledges both the park’s cultural and natural heritage. The park is a popular venue for weddings throughout the year, and bookings are taken through the council.

Because of this parks location and natural beauty, it has become a popular place for people to use as their wedding location. If this sounds like something you would be interested in, be sure to click here and discover more with the Tauranga City Council.

Spending time with the kids at the park

Yatton Park is a wonderful place to visit when you’re looking for a place to take your kids for a day of fun and relaxation. You can spend a lazy afternoon with your kids or have a picnic and relax in the fresh air.

There are several picnic areas with BBQ facilities and plenty of open space for your kids to run around. It’s also a perfect place to catch some rays of sunshine. Get out of the city to enjoy the beautiful natural landscape of Tauranga.

Map and Directions for Yatton Park, Tauranga, New Zealand

Yatton Park Image Gallery

The image gallery below showcases not only the beauty of this park but also it’s wonderful walking tracks, gardens, the scenery and more. Take a look below at some of the images taken throughout the park.