Punting
The old way.
Szilas — Public domain · Paora — CC0 · Krzysztof Golik — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Krzysztof Golik — CC BY-SA 4.0
Broad botanical gardens at the heart of Christchurch, founded in 1863 with the planting of an English oak, spreading over about twenty-one hectares inside a loop of the Avon River beside Hagley Park, the city's largest park, earning Christchurch the name Garden City. The gardens hold collections of New Zealand and world plants, a rose garden in a circular layout, glasshouses for tropical plants and cacti, huge old trees, a native plant garden and a visitor centre. The most enjoyable experience is punting on the Avon, in flat wooden boats pushed along with a long pole in the old English way, between willows and little bridges. Daffodils and cherries bloom in spring, and the trees turn colour in autumn. Entry is free and the gardens open daily, an ideal place for a picnic. Punting is charged separately and leaves from nearby spots on the river.
The old way.
A circular layout.
Tropical plants.
Rolleston Avenue, central Christchurch
For its many gardens, above all the Botanic Gardens and Hagley Park at its heart.