Tours of Mount Vernon

Press, 11 May 1984, Page 5

Tours of Mount Vernon

Hundreds of joggers and walkers are expected to skirt the proposed Mount Vernon Park on the Port Hills tomorrow and on Sunday in tours organised by the Canterbury Cross Country Committee. The committee’s chairman, Dr Frank Nolan, said that tours would leave Centaurus Park at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. tomorrow and on Sunday. Centaurus Park is at the corner of Centaurus Road and Aotea Terrace. The tours will follow Centaurus Road, go up the Rapaki Track to the Sum-

mit Road, along the Summit Road, then down Huntsbury Hill and back to the park. This route skirts the proposed park. Several Christchurch harrier clubs have organised their club runs to coincide with the tours. Other guides will walk the route, pointing out the main features of the park. Several display stands will be erected at Centaurus Park.

Dr Nolan said that joggers and walkers should come prepared with a change of clothing and good footwear and parkas if rain was threatening. The Sum-

mit Road could become very exposed in southerly weather. The Christchurch Civic Trust launched a public appeal to buy the land about three weeks ago. Its chairman, Mr Graeme Robertson, said, on Thursday that fund-raising was “above target.” The trust had hoped to receive $lOOO a day but it was getting between $l2OO and $l3OO. So far the appeal had been directed toward individual members of the public but it was about to turn its attention to businesses.