OUR STORY
HIKOI Garden Tours is a small landscape tourism venture, run by Ian Henderson and Penny Cliffin (see below). We offer inspirational journeys for garden enthusiasts and landscape professionals, overseas and in NZ. We focus on gardens, art and architecture in their local context.
We research gardens and their contexts thoroughly to make our tours informative. Our itineraries will give you insight into the gardens of significance, historical and contemporary, both for that particular culture and in an international sense.
Our academic background and experience allow us to fulfil professional development requirements for professional organisations.
Our tours are affordable, well organised, but not overly prescribed. We think tourism should enhance local communities and not be overly resource hungry.
Penny and Ian are passionate and knowledgable about gardens and enthusiastic about creating journeys to share with you. We want you to return home enthusiastic, having a sense of accomplishing a lot, and feeling truly enriched.
ABOUT US
Ian Henderson
BA, GDHE, DLDes, ProfAccredGDSNZ
Penny Cliffin
MAppSc and BHortSc, GDHE, ProfAccredGDSNZ
Ian has a wide ranging academic background, practices as a garden designer and has 18 years teaching practice. Through this he has developed an extensive knowledge of garden history. Research interests include the temporal aspects of gardens, the cultural place of landscapes and Japanese gardens.
Other professional activities: Founding member of the Garden Design Society of New Zealand (GDSNZ), and an accredited academic member of the Society. Founding member of the Friends of the Fukuoka Friendship Garden, member of Master Landscapers of NZ, judge at Home & Garden Shows and Pacific Flora in Japan.
From her practice as a garden designer, degree in amenity horticulture and over 20 years lecturing Penny brings an extensive plant knowledge to the trip agendas. She has a strong interest in urban trees and their role in cities.
Other professional activities: Penny is a founding member of the Garden Design Society of New Zealand (GDSNZ), Secretary to the Accreditation Board and is an accredited academic member of the Society; Fellow of the Royal NZ Institute of Horticulture; Member of the Masters Landscapers NZ and Judge for their Biennial
Awards; Judge at the Ellerslie and NZ Flower and Garden Shows; Member of the Tree Council NZ, Forest and Bird and the International Dendrology Society; Tour guide for Auckland Garden DesignFest bus tours, and guided tree walks for the Tree Council.
Please get in touch with us.