Bushmere Arms

Bushmere Arms is a country hotel and restaurant at Waerenga-a-hika, about ten minutes northwest of central Gisborne. It has run as a local pub and dining room for years and doubles as one of the district's best known wedding and function spots. The draw is the garden. More than an acre of established grounds surrounds the hotel, with a rose garden of over 1500 plants that makes an easy backdrop for a ceremony and photos. Couples marry on the lawns and move inside to the conservatory for the meal. The kitchen has a strong local reputation, so catering is handled in house. Weddings and functions run from small gatherings up to around 200 guests across the conservatory and gardens. It suits couples after a relaxed garden wedding close to town with the food taken care of on site.