National Shows 2026
The North Island National Dahlia Show
Hosted by the Hawera Horticultural Society
At the Hawera War Memorial Hall, Albion Street, Hawera.
The heart of Hawera lies in dairying, a fact reinforced by the giant cow icon that welcomes visitors arriving from the south. Around 13 million litres of milk are processed here every day, at one of the southern hemisphere’s largest dairy processing units (a co-operative owned by the farmers). However, most visitors come to Hawera to visit Tawhiti Museum and the adjoining Traders and Whalers experience. Widely recognised as the best private museum in New Zealand, Tawhiti Museum features thousands of life-size models and scale figures, created to capture the past in a hauntingly realistic and engaging way. Traders and Whalers is a unique and innovative historical representation of Taranaki in the 1800s, featuring a dramatic underground canal boat ride.
Things to do and see in Hawera
The South Island National Dahlia Show
Hosted by the Gore Garden Club
To be held at the Gore Town And Country Club
21/22nd February 2026
Gore (Maori: Maruawai) is a town and district in the Southland region of the South Island of New Zealand. It has a resident population of 8,340 as of June 2024. Gore is known for its country music scene and hosts an annual country music festival. The town is also surrounded by farmland and is an important centre for agriculture in the region.
