Visit to the Lotus Festival at Wrights Water Gardens, Patumahoe, Auckland

Sixteen members visited to the Lotus Festival on a very hot Saturday afternoon. The Water Gardens cover a wide, undulating area and the more elderly members coped very well with the challenging terrain and heat.

There were many ponds of lotus flowers of different varieties all of which displayed beautiful vibrant colours. There were single and multi-layered flowers, taller more ostentatious varieties, all with their roots in murcky stagnant water.

One of the wonderful features of the gardens was a magnificent waterfall which has a long and interesting history. At the top of Mauku water fall was a working water wheel (dismantled in 1869) that ran a flax mill. The area was originally covered with native bush which was a popular picnic and courting spot for local people and history has it that many wedding proposals were made beside the falls. History is now repeating itself with a new generation of romantics using the beauty of the falls to enhance special occasions.

In another era quarrying of the hard rock changed the surroundings and tranquility of the area. In 1992 the basalt rock was aged at approximately 660,000 years old and rock from this quarry has been used for roads in Franklin. When quarrying ceased the area was neglected for the next forty years and taken over by noxious weeds. In 1992 the water gardens were created and Mauku Falls are experiencing another era. This time it is one of beauty.

The history of the water gardens reflects the symbolism of the lotus flower as something beautiful which rises from dark muddy water reflecting our lives of defilement. Through this miracle of nature we can see that sentient beings can rise from their defilements (dark muddy water) to reveal our Buddha nature (the lotus flower).

The visit to the water gardens was a happy opportunity for members to share their time together and enjoy the beautiful display of lotus flowers which is so significant to Buddhism.