After enjoying a leisurely brunch with friends Dave and Pam, and Jessica at Thyme Cafe in Prebbleton we decided that some exercise was called for. My sister recommended both the Halswell Quarry Park and the Kennedy Bush track which takes you up through farmland and onto the Summit Road.
So off we headed to Halswell and our first stop was the Quarry Park.
We studied the information board and decided to walk around the Rim track and before going down into the gardens. It is a round trip that takes about 40 minutes and follows the quarry crater rim. There are fantastic panoramic views of the Canterbury Plains, the Southern Alps and the city itself.
Some informations panels are still in place but many have been fenced off since the earthquake as they are no longer sitting on safer ground. The following link gives up lots of information about the history of the quarry as well as the development of the park itself.
Halswell Quarry Park
We studied the information board and decided to walk around the Rim track and before going down into the gardens. It is a round trip that takes about 40 minutes and follows the quarry crater rim. There are fantastic panoramic views of the Canterbury Plains, the Southern Alps and the city itself.
Some informations panels are still in place but many have been fenced off since the earthquake as they are no longer sitting on safer ground. The following link gives up lots of information about the history of the quarry as well as the development of the park itself.
Halswell Quarry Park
The park covers 60 hectares and has something for everyone and it was great to see so many people enjoying the space. There were families enjoying picnics, groups playing sport, people exercising their dogs in the special designated areas and cyclists enjoying the extensive cycle tracks. A trip to view the gardens is worth it alone. There are six botanical collections that reflect the native plants that come from Christchurch’s city Sister Cities, as well as examples of our own natives. They are interspersed with sculptures and seats which allow you to sit and reflect on the area.
 |
| Some of the sculptures and plantings in the Korean section of the garden. The bridge is a memorial to the NZ soldiers that lost their lives in the Korean War during the 1950s. |
There was a linking track to the Kennedy Bush Track but we chose to drive to this, up through a new subdivision about the Quarry. We didn’t complete the whole of this track, but did go far enough up to get some excellent views. It is a windy spot but perfect for blowing the ‘cobwebs’ away.
 |
| Two of the views from the Kennedy Bush Track. |
No comments:
Post a Comment