Recreation

Dolamore Park Scenic Reserve

Only 11km from Gore surrounded by 95 hectares of native forest, expansive lawn areas and exotic plantings, is an ideal place to get away from it all. Dolamore Park boasts many pleasant walking tracks ranging from 10 mins to 4 hours, which can be teamed with a comfortable camping experience using the many up to date facilities available.

You can view a map of Dolamore Park here.

Relax and enjoy the native bush surrounds and wonderful bird life that abounds. Wake up to the chorus of tuis, bellbirds, and wood pigeons and get up close with fantails. Stroll along the Waimumu stream, home to brown trout and freshwater lobster. Meander through the many trails that lead you through planting of rhodedendrums. Enjoy the year round colour of the conifer collection, then explore the Conifer Arbouretum. Let the children explore the expansive playground and entertain themselves in the wide open space. For more enquiries/bookings please visit the i-Site Centre.

Camping Facilities:

Toilets, dumpstation, powerpoints for campervans, electric bbq’s ($1.00 coin operation), kitchen block with zip, sink, 3 pin powerpoints and lights, and showers. $6pp nightly charge for camping with children free.

Mountain Biking

Already with plans to extend it, Local Mountain Bike Club members have developed the Hokonui Loop Mountain Bike Track. Although relatively short in distance, this Grade 3 challenging track, throughout it’s entire length winds through pristine native bush and can be ridden in all weathers. Riders are encouraged to do the loop one way and again in reverse. If you are staying in town it is a good 1 ½ to 2 hour ride from the centre of town out to the track, around the track twice and back.

Gore Multisports Complex

When it comes to recreational satisfaction Gore’s Multisports Complex is one of the best hosting an Aquatic Centre, Ice Rink and Stadium.

Aquatic Centre

Whether it is family, group or individual recreation you are seeking, Gore Aquatics Centre caters for everybody of all ages. For both leisure and recreational swimming is a 25m x 8 lane pool, and not to forget the wee tot’s there is a combination of several kids pools of different sizes and depths. Take a dip and relax afterwards in the wonderfully warm and soothing hydrotherapy/spa pool. Those aches and pains will soon be forgotten. An extensive range of activities and programmes includes swim classes, competitions, underwater hockey, aqua jogging and aquarobics, water polo and a scuba diving club.

Ice Sports Southland – Ice Arena

This Southern-most rink in New Zealand is an Olympic short course sized ice arena developed by Ice Sports Southland, the only club in NZ to own their own rink! Amateurs and professionals alike enjoy a whirl on this ice making the most of public skating sessions and group bookings for school, social and business outings. Come alone or with someone – the inviting atmosphere will soon have you donning skates and maybe even picking up a hockey stick! And for those wanting to make this a permanent outing, competitive and non-competitive ice skating and dancing, figure skating, ice hockey, curling and speed skating is available.

The Stadium

For all year round weather you can depend on, this four court indoor stadium will house many sports and fitness activities. Social or serious, netball, basketball, badminton, volleyball, tennis, cricket, rugby, soccer and hockey are all here in some form. And for those looking for a place to host club meetings or social events, why not take advantage.

The Gore Multisports Complex is your one stop recreational spot. For more information or enquiries contact the Gore i-site Centre

Gore District Public Gardens

These wonderful inviting gardens arose from land set aside in 1874 and laid out by Dunedin’s David Tannock in 1906. This historic layout was a base for the present design incorporating the giant wellingtonia and horizontal elms planted at that time.

This garden is registered with the New Zealand Gardens Trust as a "Founding Garden of Regional Significance".

To be enjoyed and appreciated four seasons of the year, stroll amongst exotic trees and shrubs to take in the rare and unusual conifers. Treat the eyes in spring to a myriad of bulbs complimenting camellias, magnolia and flowering enkianthus trees. In fact, Gore’s Rhododendron Festival each October is stunning with the spring display of annuals along with the aviary and it’s mixed musical occupants.

November delights the senses with the modern variety roses and tree peonies sure to impress the beholder. Combined with the summer time blossoming of the eucryphia trees the setting is both enchanting and relaxing. Definitely worth taking the time to enjoy!

For those who love the coming of the cooler months, autumn sees the deciduous foliage begin to turn on the maple trees with the enkianthus and sorbus trees showing red leaves and berries respectively.

But lastly, chance the chill to view the all year round Winter Garden complex featuring witch hazels with their yellow flowers and crataegus hawthorns producing red berries. And all of this after the beautiful display of white blossoms!

Bannerman Park

Bannerman Park was named in 1977 in honour of Mr R B Bannerman whose foresight helped procure extra land for the park. Known as the Hidden Valley, the land dates from the 1870’s but was full of gorse and broom until cleared in the 1960s. Grass was then sown and the springs drained. Extensive plantings of rhododendrons, conifers and silver birches were established at that time and a deer park was also created. Twenty years later the creek beds were developed with bog plants and since then herbaceous perennials have been extensively planted. Today, streams meander throughout the valley bordered by sealed pathways. Early spring is announced by the daffodils, meconopsis, camellias, cherry blossom and magnolias. The rhodododenron collection includes large beds of R.yunnanense, R.decorum and R. spinuliferum all grown from seed gathered in the wilds of the Yunnan Province in China. In November the streams and ponds are lush with gunneras, hostas, irises, and candelabra primulas. Native ferns, astelias and Chatham Island forget-me-nots also edge the streams. Peonies, daylilies and ajuga groundcover add to the colour as summer progresses. The deciduous foliage provides brilliant autumn colour from the weeping maples to the oaks, twisty willows and silver birches shading the picnic tables. Then winter brings the hellebores into flower. Most of the plants in the park are named.

The Park is registered with the New Zealand Gardens Trust as a "Garden of Significance".

For further information email info@goredc.govt.nz