It is said that these gardens have the finest collection of exotic and indigenous plants in New Zealand. I do not doubt it!

The gardens are next to the Canterbury Museum and are part of Hagley Park, a huge slice of green within walking distance of downtown Christchurch. The massive trees set in fine lawn areas impressed me. So too did the rose garden, the herb garden, and the tropical plant hot houses. There were shades of London’s Kew Gardens here and the comparison did not reflect poorly on Christchurch.

The information centre and garden café are close to a delightful lake almost over-run with ducks. We sat here in the sun for 15 minutes just reflecting on nature and the beautiful weather. Afterwards we walked back towards the city along the banks of the small but cute Avon River. We watched out for people punting on the water but there were none about that day.

The gardens also have a children’s playground and the Robert McDougall Art Gallery which offers free guided tours 11am-3pm and is generally open to the public from 10am-5.30pm daily.