101 Victoria Park Road, Cashmere, Cashmere-Beckenham, Christchurch City

Victoria Park and i-site Visitor Centre

Christchurch City Community Halls

The traditional Christchurch picnic and gentle walking park with a view, Victoria Park on the top of the Port Hills near the Sign of the Takahe adjoins Bowenvale Park and Mt Vernon Park, creating a spectacular 85 hectares of recreation land enjoyed by many since 1897.
Work actually began on landscaping in the 1870s and it was opened for the Jubilee of Queen Victoria.

With the whole of Banks Peninsula being the remains of an ancient volcano, the geology up here is different to that of the plains. Because this is easily explained by the landforms accessible in the park, Geological and Nuclear Sciences have made it a 'Geotrip' where you can view and learn about ash horizons from different volcanic eruptions, overlying lava flows, and a cross cutting volcanic dyke. Even the slide in the playground here is sited on an outcrop of Scoria that you would not find in the flat parts of Canterbury.

The view (from up here) is a virtual 360 degrees at points, from the Southern Alps directly south, around to the Canterbury foothills, north over the curve of Pegasus Bay, around to the wide waters of the Pacific Ocean, and the remainder of Banks Peninsula in the rear.

Services and amenities have always been an anchor point of this parks popularity, most especially easy access by Tram, and later bus, so visitors can easily make their way up to the hills from the city. By car, head up Dyers Pass until you get to the top. Carparks are plentiful. Activities here range from a gentle stroll, to a more vigorous hike, there are special tracks for wheelchairs, off-leash areas for dogs and a children’s playground. A permanent orienteering course is installed as well. For cyclists the national downhill track is amongst the many mountain bike tracks in Bowenvale reserve.

Some families enjoy kite flying or just picnicking here. A favourite walk would be from the centre of the park along Victoria Park Road to the Sign of the Takahe, unfortunately closed since the earthquakes but still a nice stroll.
A more sinister claim to fame owned by the park is that it was the site of the murder scene in the Parker Hulme murder, which later became the subject of Peter Jackson’s film Heavenly Creatures.

Christchurch City Council has long maintained a visitor centre alongside the playground at the centre of the park. It was damaged in the 2011 earthquakes, returning to full function in 2016, including new gardens.

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