Sprawling across 165 hectares on the city's western edge, traversed by the Avon River and framed by tree-lined avenues, Hagley Park is Christchurch's green escape for biking, running, strolling and sports. It's New Zealand's largest urban park, and local tram drivers will proudly tell you it's bigger than London's Hyde Park.
In the park's southern third, Hagley Oval is a hallowed cricket ground loved by fans of the national Black Caps and White Ferns cricket teams, while the park is also a popular festival venue. Highlights include January's Great Kiwi Beer Festival and December's South Island Wine & Food Festival. At the park's center are the idyllic 30-hectare Botanic Gardens, with luxuriant lawns and magnificent displays of daffodils, azaleas and rhododendrons in spring.
