The Sanctuary Mahi Whenua is one of 22 central and south Auckland gardens open for the 22nd Heroic Garden Festival which is a fundraiser for Mercy Hospice (http://heroicgardens.org.nz/). From Carrington Road, enter from Unitec's Entrance 3 and follow the signage for the event.

The Sanctuary Mahi Whenua is a combination of communal and individual gardens. This organic project is worked by over 40 families with biodiverse planting that naturally keeps pests at bay. The community garden and fruit forest have also recently been joined by a kumara patch (māra kumara) that uses traditional Māori techniques with bountiful yields. Pre-European Māori grew kumara here, as shown by artefacts found on this site and now incorporated into Unitec's meeting house Ngākau Māhaki (https://www.sanctuaryunitec.garden/origins/). . Photograph by Sally Tagg, for N.Z. Gardener Magazine.