Biggest ever cherry tree festival
Busloads of people from Auckland rest homes are being booked out to travel to this year’s Waikato International Cherry Tree Festival.
It’s predicted to attract 12,000 people to the area in its biggest edition yet, spanning 10 days.
Last year, there were three days of festivities, and in 2017 it was two days in length.
But Paul Oulton and Anna Cao, the landowners of the English Cherry Tree Manor in Tamahere, seemed unfazed when Stuff visited them for a tour of the site.
They’re making changes to the property to get it ready for the influx of visitors from September 20 to 29.
‘‘We’ve been surprised by the demand, really,’’ Oulton said.
Accessibility for senior citizens was part of the changes this year.
‘‘We have a lot of older people come here, with wheelchairs and walkers and things, so we’ve had to make sure all the gates are wide enough and the surfaces are flat enough. This is still a work in progress,’’ he said.
A new entrance had also been built, where buses could pull up and offload their passengers close to the performances and social atmosphere.
The driveway leading to the couple’s sizeable country manor and two acres of land, which Oulton bought 23 years ago, is lined by cherry trees.
For now, it’s unremarkable; the trees’ branches bare.
But come late September, it will be cherry blossom season, and a promenade of pink will have formed on the property.