Diwali
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The festival of lights: warm colours to share with friends. Read our guide.
Order flowersSending flowers across Otago, Ōtākou
Otago, Ōtākou, has about 253,900 people (Stats NZ estimate, June 2025), with its seat in Dunedin. The region runs from the coast at Dunedin and Oamaru inland to the lakes of Queenstown and Wānaka and the orchards of Central Otago. Climate and hospital rules both change a lot from one end to the other, so it pays to plan.
Order by 2 pm on weekdays (11 am Saturdays) for same-day delivery in many areas
- 11 towns with their own page
- Rural addresses with RD numbers covered
- Hospitals: ward rules
Popular bouquets in Otago
Made up by a florist near the recipient.
Order by 2 pm on weekdays (11 am Saturdays) for same-day delivery in many areas
Dunedin and the coast
Dunedin's Botanic Garden, founded in 1863, is the oldest botanical garden in New Zealand. The city's garden festival tradition continues with GO Ōtepoti, whose first spring event, GO Bloom, ran from 17 to 26 October 2026. Mosgiel, on the Taieri Plain about 17 km west, and Milton, Balclutha, Brighton, Waikouaiti and Palmerston are also covered. In North Otago, Oamaru's Public Gardens opened in 1876, with a rose garden and rhododendron dell.
Strict hospital rules in the Southern district
At Dunedin Hospital, Lakes District Hospital and Wakari Hospital, fresh flowers are not allowed in intensive care, high dependency, oncology, cardiovascular, respiratory, surgical or medical wards, or in multi-bed rooms, because of the risk to patients with respiratory disorders. Oamaru and Maniototo hospitals say there may be restrictions. In all cases, check with the ward before sending. The friendliest is Dunstan Hospital in Clyde, which welcomes flowers but asks you to avoid lilies and strongly scented arrangements.
Queenstown, Arrowtown and Wānaka
Queenstown Gardens, opened in 1867 on a peninsula beside Lake Wakatipu, have a formal rose garden of 850 bushes. Arrowtown, 19.5 km east, holds its Autumn Festival every April. Wānaka gets about 682 mm of rain a year, half the national average, and its lavender farm starts to bloom around late November. Lake Hāwea, 18 km north-east of Wānaka, is covered too.
Blossom country in Central Otago
Cromwell is known as the "fruit bowl of the south", and nectarines, apricots, cherries and more are grown around Alexandra. The Alexandra Blossom Festival has run every September since 1957; its 70th-anniversary festival is on 24 to 26 September 2027, with a parade of floral floats. Clyde is also covered.
Dry summers, frosty winters
Cromwell gets only about 400 mm of rain a year, and Wānaka has cold, frosty winter nights and frequent snow. In summer, keep flowers out of the sun and top up the water; in winter, keep them away from cold windows. Our flower care guide has more. Rural properties use RD addresses, and since June 2024 NZ Post no longer delivers parcels to most rural addresses on Saturdays, so aim for a weekday.
Florists also deliver to smaller places such as Brighton, Waikouaiti, Clyde, Palmerston.
Hospital flower rules in Otago
Upcoming occasions
Busy days book out early, so order ahead.
Christmas
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A summer Christmas: red flowers echo the pōhutukawa in bloom. Read our guide.
Order flowers
New Year's Eve
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Welcome the new year with flowers for family or friends. Read our guide.
Order flowersQuestions about flowers in Otago
Can I send flowers to Dunedin Hospital?
Fresh flowers are not allowed in many areas, including surgical and medical wards and multi-bed rooms. Check with ward reception before using a florist.
Which Otago hospital welcomes flowers?
Dunstan Hospital in Clyde welcomes flowers, but asks you to avoid lilies and strongly scented arrangements.
When is the Alexandra Blossom Festival?
Every September; the 2027 festival, its 70th anniversary, runs from 24 to 26 September 2027.