ashcombe maze & lavender garden

Nice to revisit this attraction some 20 years after my last visitIt was a bit of fun and nice timeout in a lovely, quiet settingThe hedge itself is getting on in years, and some parts are showing the wear, but all told, still a nice time out

What a wonderful gem. An amazing array of gardens on display. The Mazes themselves are good, The Hedge Mazes (2) are both in need of a prune, but nicely set out, lots of dead ends to keep you ambling through. The Roses are superb, and the Lavender section is simply superb. The Woodlands, and water features also excellent. The addition of the chimes a great touch, and the 'search' for the little ones an added bonus. Have been to Boneo Maze too - which has a more of a focus on games. This place more a focus on gardens. Allow 2 hours, more if you want to eat some of the wonderfully 'inappropriate' food on offer too :-) (I have ticked Wheelchair access...not sure these would fit in hedge mazes...but gardens alone worth the visit)

We visited this place right after visiting the Enchanted Adventure Maze Garden in the same day. The mazes here are more narrow than Enchanted but the gardens are more beautiful here. Well kept gardens; some of the lavender was in bloom (I did expect more expansive lavender gardens however). Tranquil place here, nice for a walk. The best part is the cafe! The food is 8 out of 10... really glad we waited to come here for lunch. We came here on a colder overcast drizzly day (thanks Victoria summer)... it turned out to be quite romantic for us. This place is included in the Mornington Peninsula Attraction Pass so you can get a discounted price using that pass, but it seems not worthwhile anymore.

Immaculate and interesting gardens, and mazes that you can really get lost in. Plenty to do here, whether with children or without, for quite a while. Well recommended.

Disappointing, we visited here. But i would not recommend. Overall the facility appears tired. Rose and lavender area very poor.We visited on new years day, i didn't see any ground staff at all.Overall just not a good vibe.Maze is not enjoyable as it's extremely narrow and is brown and woody on the inside.Perhaps this facility has potential, however needs a good injection of enthusiasm.

Interesting place - a challenging maze which my grandchildren loved.Although the pathways are very skinny and single file and the little ones disappeared a few times, including walking through hedge holes that only little people notice which made for a few worrying moments when they are "lost" in the maze just like you...The gardens have a "treasure hunt" to keep the kids entertained why we strolled around in the shade. The kids had to search for Gnomes and Fairies and note their names to receive a "prize". It bought out their competitive spirit which had its moments about who found them first...Reasonably priced and a quaility venue. We enjoyed it.

We went through the two mazes, a little narrow in places but good feeling to get out the other end knowing you found the way through. November seemed to be a good time to visit as the roses and lavender were all in bloom and it was lovely to walk around the beautifully maintained grounds.Only disappointing note was the staff in the cafe. It was pouring with rain when we arrived so thought we might have a drink first to wait the rain out a bit. There was a large table reserved for a group who hadn't yet arrived but we were told we couldn't sit there and the staff did not try to find some room inside. Rather we had to go outside to the balcony in the wet, the staff did not assist again with putting an umbrella up or the like. So poor customer service left a bad note here, particularly when it already costs $18 per person to get in.Having done this once now, I would probably not feel the need to go again.

My friends and I visited Ashcombe as part of a private tour of the area we were doing and we loved seeing this place. Even though we were here in the winter and the foliage was sparse, you could still see the beauty of the place and of course take part in the mazes. We were the only ones here during this time (Wednesday morning) so we had the whole place to ourselves. We went through the mazes (the second one was hard but no complaints about it) and then wandered around the grounds on this cold, sunny morning, admiring the interesting art and blooming lavender. On the way out we samples the lavender scones. They were good but reminded us of the biscuits we have back in the U.S., and you couldn't really taste the lavender, although the jam was very flavorful. The staff didn't really go out of there way to welcome us but they weren't rude either. Either way, we'd recommend coming here because it really is a place of beauty and interest, and if we can say that in the middle of winter, I can only imagine what this wonderland holds in spring and summer.

We went there with 2 grandparents, two parents, two children - one in a pram / buggy. The pricing structure / family ticket doesn't give any discount for an extended family, so we ended up paying full price.Having said that, we were there for several hours, so the price per hour was actually quite reasonable. In other words, make a day of it and it's worth the entry fee.There is wheelchair / buggy access from the entrance down to the gardens, but the paths in the the two hedge mazes are very narrow. We managed with an energetic dad and a maneuverable buggy but you'd struggle with a wheelchair or a large buggy. The other mazes have more room but could still be difficult if it's busy. Most of the rest of the gardens are easily accessible.The cafe is reasonably priced and the staff were friendly. It's a pity about the 'no picnics' rule though.

We went to the maze on a whim as we saw it while driving past. The grounds are beautiful and excellently well-trimmed. The cafe has a nice range of meals and for a reasonable price for the size of the portions. There are 4 mazes; the lavender maze, the rose maze, and the North and South Maze. The lavender and rose mazes I would recommend for anyone with claustrophobia, as the lavender is only about waist height and the rose maze is quite open and see-through. Half the enjoyment was the beautiful flowers, sights, smells and just the gorgeous atmosphere. The North and South mazes are one giant joined maze, and I'd recommend against it for anyone with claustrophobia, as the hedges are very high and the pathways are very narrow, and it is indeed very easy to get lost. It took us 45-50 minutes to complete all the mazes at a very leisurely pace, and we did the North and South mazes 2 or 3 times. It makes a lovely day trip for adults or children and family trips, also makes a good location for events like weddings or birthdays.

I had a very nice few hours here in November 2014. There are several mazes, though the paths are quite narrow and on a busy day like the day I was there, the paths get a bit choked up, especially if there are prams etc. The rose maze is gorgeous and was the highlight of the garden for me. There are numerous garden areas all different from each other and various ponds and lakes, and it was pleasant just to stroll around or sit awhile on one of the many well positioned seats. There is a fun "find the gnomes and fairies" game for children and they can get a small prize for their efforts. Disappointing is that picnics are not allowed, which would have been nice. The cafe can get crowded but they serve lunch until 4pm, so if you can wait until 1:30pm or so the crowd thins out. The menu had a nice variety with something to suit most people. I found the staff very friendly and the service was good. Only complaint about the cafe - and it is a tiny one - the amount of cream given with the scones was too small (it was nice cream though). The only other thing I didn't like was that the lavender display garden was clearly in need of some gardening attention, but it was only this one area. The lavender labyrinth was well tended as was the rest of the garden. I was happy to have spent time here.

Lovely. A number of activities. Beautiful garden. Cafe nice though quite expensive. Lavender garden with 28 species. Expensive entry in my opinion. Get there before 4pm as shuts at 5 and costly for 1 hour.

Had a fantastic day here. Such a beautiful place in October so I can only imagine how much nicer it will be as the summer comes in. The whole place smells delicious. The kids were fascinated with the mazes, fountains and the lake. We also ate in the cafe. Was great value and huge portions. Would highly recommend we thoroughly enjoyed.

The flowers and the plants are fantastic. Such a relaxing place, pity they dont allow picnics.The maze paths are very narrow. If you are of generous girth you might struggle to navigate the path.

The mazes at Ashcombe are a lot of fun. Be aware that as the mazes are made out of plants (Lavender, Rose and Cypress Hedge), that the true beauty of some of the mazes is seasonal. That is true of any garden and that is what a visit to Ashcombe really is, a chance to wander in playful gardens. The mazes themselves are a lot fun and can be enjoyed as a walk, or added to by completing associated challenges. There are a number of extra activities for the kids (see if you can find all the hidden gnomes and fairies throughout the gardens). Aside from the mazes, there are other garden to wander and a cafe to pass some time away in.The highlight for me: the bluebells in flower. You'll need to be there around mid-late September to see them in full bloom.