Auckland's Fukuoka Garden and Lakeside Park

We’d taken a Hop-on/Hop-off tour that took us to the Fukuoka Garden, a Japanese Garden for Auckland’s, and Lakeside Park, a massive park that surrounds a lake. While both places involve a central body of water surrounded by landscaped grounds, they couldn’t be more different.

Fukuoka Garden

Like most Japanese gardens, the Fukuoka Garden is a study in precision. Everything is placed perfectly. Every plant is manicured. Each piece seems to have a distinct purpose. But this garden differs from other Japanese gardens in that it also includes Western elements. According to the sign at the entry, “It is a taste of Japan, a gesture of friendship and an urban sanctuary.”

The garden includes not only visible elements, but also resonates with the sound of falling water and birds singing. There are bridges that connect the water elements with what is called the ‘karesansui’ (the actual plantings). Once again, the welcome sign provides more insight: “The waterfall emulates rain falling, the pond suggests the sea and the stream represents a river.”

Central pond — The garden surrounds this soothing pond

Lakeside Park

Where the Fukuoka Garden is small and intimate, Lakeside Park is a sprawling mass of water, trees, and grass. We only walked halfway around, but were ready to hop back on our bus by the end of our trek! In fact, Lakeside Park’s origins had little to do with being an urban sanctuary, but had a more practical purpose behind its construction. It began as a storage solution for Auckland’s water needs well over a hundred years ago. Today, it’s become a place of recreation and fun. There’s an element of serenity at Lakeside Park, but it feels less a consequence of design and more the result of sheer size and openness.