Avon River Walk (City Promenade Walk)

Native trees, cafés, wildflowers, cafés, ponds full of ducks and frogs, cafés and did I mention restaurants? Christchurch was officially settled by the British in 1850. It was just thirteen years after their arrival that the initial plans were made to form the present Botanic Gardens. On 09 July 1863, an English oak tree was planted in the Gardens. This is regarded as the foundation date of the Botanic Gardens. The grounds of the Botanic Gardens encompass an area of 30 hectares 74 acres, the majority of this being within a loop of the Avon River. Until 1863, the Gardens were largely natural wetlands and sand dunes. Since this time, they have been transformed into a place of beauty with undoubtedly one of the finest collections of exotic and indigenous plants to be found anywhere in New Zealand. There are numerous large majestic trees, many of which are more than 120 years old.