Next morning, the Monday of our second week, we paid an early-morning call to Bason Botanic Gardens, a few miles out of Wanganui on the New Plymouth road. This was bequeathed to the local council by the late Mr Bason, and a fine job he made of it too. The gardens and arboretum were extensive, with a lake and some small conservatories, all viewed in the peace and quiet before the first tourist bus, which arrived as we were leaving.