Christchurch
Image Slideshow
See more photos...Christchurch Botanic Gardens
Work began on the Christchurch Botanic Gardens in July 1863, when an English oak tree was planted to commemorate the marriage of Queen Victoria's eldest son Prince Albert Edward to Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Over the years, natural wetlands and sand dunes have been transformed into an elegantly cultivated 30 hectare park with more than ten sub-gardens, which are mostly contained within a loop of the Avon River.
If you enter from Rolleston Avenue, next to the Canterbury Museum, you'll walk past annual bedding displays and across the archery lawn to the rose garden. For much of the year, more than 250 different roses make this a colourful and fragrant place. The nearby Herb Garden has an extensive range of plants used for culinary and medicinal purposes. Adjacent to the Rose Garden is the New Zealand Garden, which provides an introduction to native species. Seven conservatories display everything from cacti and succulents to tropical orchids and carnivorous plants.
Open every day from 7am, the Christchurch Botanic Gardens are an easy walk from Cathedral Square.
Cathedral Square
Cathedral Square is the urban heart of Christchurch. As its name suggests, it's directly in front of the city's most famous cathedral - Christ Church.
The cathedral was designed in the gothic revival style by prominent English architect Sir George Gilbert Scott. Although its foundation stone was laid in 1864, construction wasn't complete until 1904. The timber was sourced from Banks Peninsula - over 50,000 pieces of matai and totara were used in the roof alone. The stone was sourced from Castle Hill in the Canterbury high country, from Amberly in North Canterbury and from the nearby Port Hills. Open every day, Christ Church welcomes visitors. For a small charge you can climb the Cathedral Tower and enjoy the amazing views of the central city.
For many years Cathedral Square was a busy road intersection, but today much of it is closed to traffic. Several large hotels are situated around the perimeter of the square and there's an information centre opposite the cathedral. Regularly, you'll hear the rattle and ""ding ding"" of an approaching tram. The Christchurch Tramway plies a circular route around the city's major highlights - you can jump on one of the restored historic trams at any time and buy tickets from the driver.
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! All rights reserved.
Yahoo!Xtra: A Yahoo!7/Telecom New Zealand Company.