Christchurch Botanic Gardens, Christchurch (must see)
In 1863 an English oak tree was planted in an area of land just south of Hagley Park in Christchurch. The tree was planted for two reasons: 1) To inaugurate the Christchurch Botanic Gardens; and 2) To honor the marriage of Prince Albert of England and Princess Alexandra of Denmark. The marriage prospered and the park grew.
The garden ranges over 21 hectares by the Avon River. It has a variety of exotic and local plants, conservatories, a nursery, a playground and a climate station. The visitor center, opened in 2014, has a gift shop, cafe and an interactive exhibition on the history of gardening. Next door is the Ilex Nursery, home to 10,000 plant species.
The Armstrong Lawn has formal beds of flowers throughout the seasons. The Peacock Fountain, imported from England, is installed on the Lawn. The Curator's House (1920), also on the Lawn, has its own kitchen garden of flowers and vegetables.
Trails and formal paths wander about the park, bringing visitors through many different gardens and environments. The herbaceous border of the gardens is divided by an ornamental sundial. The gardens feature plants of different climates and regions. The Central Rose Garden has 104 beds holding a profuse collection of roses.
The Rock Garden's terraces are ideal for alpine plants. There is the Azalea and Magnolia Garden, canopied by oak and birch trees. There are gardens of heritage roses, the Temperate Asian Collection, and the Water Garden. Woodlands are represented in the Daffodil Woodland, the Woodland Garden and the arboretum of pine trees, called the Pinetum.
There are ornamental buildings, pavilions and follies, and the Bandsmen's Memorial Rotunda. Conservatories are the Cunningham House, the Townend House, the Garrick House, the Gilpin house, the Fern House and the Foweraker House. The conservatories shelter tropical plants, ferns, cacti and desert flora and water plants.
All this, and including a popular children's playground, a climatological station and a cafe are open to visitors.
The garden ranges over 21 hectares by the Avon River. It has a variety of exotic and local plants, conservatories, a nursery, a playground and a climate station. The visitor center, opened in 2014, has a gift shop, cafe and an interactive exhibition on the history of gardening. Next door is the Ilex Nursery, home to 10,000 plant species.
The Armstrong Lawn has formal beds of flowers throughout the seasons. The Peacock Fountain, imported from England, is installed on the Lawn. The Curator's House (1920), also on the Lawn, has its own kitchen garden of flowers and vegetables.
Trails and formal paths wander about the park, bringing visitors through many different gardens and environments. The herbaceous border of the gardens is divided by an ornamental sundial. The gardens feature plants of different climates and regions. The Central Rose Garden has 104 beds holding a profuse collection of roses.
The Rock Garden's terraces are ideal for alpine plants. There is the Azalea and Magnolia Garden, canopied by oak and birch trees. There are gardens of heritage roses, the Temperate Asian Collection, and the Water Garden. Woodlands are represented in the Daffodil Woodland, the Woodland Garden and the arboretum of pine trees, called the Pinetum.
There are ornamental buildings, pavilions and follies, and the Bandsmen's Memorial Rotunda. Conservatories are the Cunningham House, the Townend House, the Garrick House, the Gilpin house, the Fern House and the Foweraker House. The conservatories shelter tropical plants, ferns, cacti and desert flora and water plants.
All this, and including a popular children's playground, a climatological station and a cafe are open to visitors.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Christchurch. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
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Christchurch Botanic Gardens on Map
Sight Name: Christchurch Botanic Gardens
Sight Location: Christchurch, New Zealand (See walking tours in Christchurch)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Christchurch, New Zealand (See walking tours in Christchurch)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Christchurch, New Zealand
Create Your Own Walk in Christchurch
Creating your own self-guided walk in Christchurch is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Statues and Memorials Tour
Although Christchurch is not very large, it has a wealth of public art heritage. Although ravaged by a powerful earthquake in 2011, which caused severe damage to many local attractions, Christchurch nonetheless has retained much of its charm and has a lot to offer visitors in terms of sightseeing. Indeed, there is no shortage of beautiful buildings, parks, gardens and other places of interest... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles
Christchurch Introduction Walking Tour
Captain James Cook was not the first person to discover New Zealand. There is evidence that the Christchurch area was visited by groups of moa-hunting people as early as 1250 AD.
They were followed by the Waitaha from the east coast of the North Island in the 16th century. In a series of wars Waitaha were displaced by the Ngati Mamoe, who in turn were conquered by the Ngai Tahu. The Europeans... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles
They were followed by the Waitaha from the east coast of the North Island in the 16th century. In a series of wars Waitaha were displaced by the Ngati Mamoe, who in turn were conquered by the Ngai Tahu. The Europeans... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles