Kia ora koutou

Approaching our lavender fields at this time of year is always exciting. The end of winter is in sight so the first very faint tinges of green shoots are starting to appear on our Grosso and Pacific Blue.

The end of July marks the beginning of lavender season for us. The weeds start to grow with the increase in temperatures so with the help of our international team of woofers it is all hands (and knees) on deck as we start hand weeding.

Need to kick some winter blues> Check out Gordon Lightfoots song that reminds us all of lazy and purple filled summer days!

We anticipate re-opening the lavender farm for seasonal tours around mid November. Join us on a guided tour at Akaroa Lavender farm from November through to the end of February.

Check out some lavender magic on Instagram!

Follow us on Facebook to see more photos and dates.

Ka kite

The team at Akaroa Lavender   

Experience an unforgettable view, peace and solitude at Kūkupa Matairangi - lookout of the native pigeon.

Our new, purpose-built hut, high on the hills overlooking Akaroa Harbour, makes the most of stunning harbour views, privacy and the sounds of nature.

Kūkupa Matairangi sleeps two people in a Queen bed and opens in early October.

Experience an unforgettable view, peace and solitude at Kūkupa Matairangi - lookout of the native pigeon.

Our new, purpose-built hut, high on the hills overlooking Akaroa Harbour, makes the most of stunning harbour views, privacy and the sounds of nature.

Kūkupa Matairangi sleeps two people in a Queen bed and opens in early October.

Experience an unforgettable view, peace and solitude at Kūkupa Matairangi - lookout of the native pigeon.

Our new, purpose-built hut, high on the hills overlooking Akaroa Harbour, makes the most of stunning harbour views, privacy and the sounds of nature.

Kūkupa Matairangi sleeps two people in a Queen bed and opens in early October.

Experience an unforgettable view, peace and solitude at Kūkupa Matairangi - lookout of the native pigeon.

Our new, purpose-built hut, high on the hills overlooking Akaroa Harbour, makes the most of stunning harbour views, privacy and the sounds of nature.

Kūkupa Matairangi sleeps two people in a Queen bed and opens in early October.

Morena
The sound of silence has fallen over the forests surrounding our lavender fields.
This year's hot, dry summer has contributed to some ear-piercing and decibel-breaking calls from our summer cicadas.

The world's noisiest, cicada, has been clocked at almost 107 decibels, on par with your average rock concert. While Aotearoa/NZ isn’t home to the world’s loudest cicada, we do have over 40 different species.

Female cicadas don’t sing; it’s the male cicadas competing for a mate that grab our attention. These tiny musicians owe their ability to their tymbal, an organ made up of rib-like structures that, when buckled, makes a loud noise. Like a musical instrument, the cicada’s body is primarily hollow, amplifying this sound.

Adult cicadas only live above ground for about two to four weeks. Before this, they spend most of their lives underground in their nymph stage. Some of New Zealand’s longer-lived species will spend up to three years underground before they emerge in summer to look for a female.

Introduced pests, like the German wasp and the common wasp, threaten native cicadas. While they primarily feed on honeydew, wasps also enjoy snacking on cicada!

Everything else being equal, we can expect to lose the sound of silence with the return of cicadas next summer.

Ka kite

Morena
The sound of silence has fallen over the forests surrounding our lavender fields.
This year's hot, dry summer has contributed to some ear-piercing and decibel-breaking calls from our summer cicadas.

The world's noisiest, cicada, has been clocked at almost 107 decibels, on par with your average rock concert. While Aotearoa/NZ isn’t home to the world’s loudest cicada, we do have over 40 different species.

Female cicadas don’t sing; it’s the male cicadas competing for a mate that grab our attention. These tiny musicians owe their ability to their tymbal, an organ made up of rib-like structures that, when buckled, makes a loud noise. Like a musical instrument, the cicada’s body is primarily hollow, amplifying this sound.

Adult cicadas only live above ground for about two to four weeks. Before this, they spend most of their lives underground in their nymph stage. Some of New Zealand’s longer-lived species will spend up to three years underground before they emerge in summer to look for a female.

Introduced pests, like the German wasp and the common wasp, threaten native cicadas. While they primarily feed on honeydew, wasps also enjoy snacking on cicada!

Everything else being equal, we can expect to lose the sound of silence with the return of cicadas next summer.

Ka kite

It is always exciting when the “darling buds” of November appear in our lavender fields.