March 17, 2017. Christchurch, New Zealand. The Avon River.

The city of Christchurch was established in 1860 and laid out by people from England. A river flows right through the area they chose for their city. The area is Canterbury and the city Christchurch. They named the river the Avon, after the river in England. It is spring fed, so the water is clear. The river flows through the city in a big loop. 76 acres of the city was set aside for a park, Hadley Park. The Botanical Garden sets in the center of Hadley park. In their wisdom, a walkway was built along both sides of the Avon River, so you can walk miles, all along the shore of the river. It is a beautiful walk. In the clear river can be seen trout and eels. And punting and kayaks are available. Ducks are in great abundance. We three walked for almost two hours along the shore today. There is construction being down on the bridges but generally you can keep to the river side. Workers come to sit by the river for lunch and children feed the ducks. It is an amazing scene in the midst of a big city. Hadley Park is bigger than Central Park. Our walk was delightful, all within an easy walk from our home. The founding fathers were very wise with their city planning.