Splendid parks of Waimairi Stream

Press, 8 February 1985, Page 15

Splendid parks of Waimairi Stream

STAN DARLING

continues his travels along

Christchurch’s waterways following Waimairi Stream from its source near Russley Road.

Waimairi Stream is known mostly by the company it keeps. Along its course are some fine parks.

The main watercourse of the Waimairi starts further out in the country than any other suburban stream. Although it is often dry, the channel can be traced out past Russley Road. Avonhead Park cemetery, off Hawthornden Road, is a good place to start a walk along the stream, even if it is a bit isolated. The cemetery without headstones lies on the south side of the channel, which is wide and deep out there. The channel passes under Hawthornden Road and Westgrove Avenue before it reaches Withells Road, where there is another good view of it through private property. Probably the best place to begin most walks is Burnside Park. Enter the park either from Memorial Avenue or from the Avonhead Road access to the playing fields. Along .that access drive, on the right, is one channel of the stream. It meets another, coming in from the left, before you reach the car park. Over at the water tower, you will find the start of that channel. It is as good a place as any to start downstream.

Even without water, the stream is picturesque through here as it winds between mature trees in a shallow channel. For part of the way, an obstacle course the

streambed. Cross the stream to the left-hand side when you come to a culvert, and follow the channel from higher up. Although tall grass sometimes hides it, there is a path under the trees. If it is overgrown, keep to the edge of the playing fields. At the end of the park, the stream continues on through private property. Turn left along the park boundary until you come to a public way on your right that leads to Hadlow Place. Follow that street to Grahams Road and turn left, then left again into Waimairi Road. The stream is again in a deep channel here, along the left hand side of the road. Cross Waimairi Road and follow the footpath for safety. On the stream side, you can see more, but there is no place to walk without getting into traffic, especially on a blind curve.

Return to the left hand side of the road where it bends slightly left. The stream is again seen here, but only shortly before going into private property again. Walk down Waimairi Road to Greers Road, then turn left to see where the stream, now with a respectable amount of water in it, comes out into the open under a private bridge and through a pretty garden on your left.

Cross the road here and turn back to Tudor Avenue. Turn left into Tudor Avenue and walk to Gothic Place, on your left.

A few steps along Gothic Place

is the back entrance to Ray Blank Park, another of the Waimairi’s scenic side trips. Walk round the back fenceline of the park to see across into land still used for grazing, along one branch of the Waimairi. The main stream is now further away to the north-east from here. Sheep can often be seen among the trees. Continue on round the park perimeter and come to Maidstone Road. Turn left in Maidstone Road and walk to the Ham Road roundabout.

There is little to see of either stream branch further up Ham Road, so just walk a short distance and turn right into Wilfrid Street. You will soon come to Barlow Street and the meeting, just to the left, of the Waimairi’s branches. A footbridge over the stream, just down from the confluence, leads to a public way and Coldstream Court. It is unusual in Christchurch to be able to see a meeting of streams from a public place. Town houses are built up high above the streams.

A more traditional scene of private gardens leading up to the stream is seen from the other side of the bridge. Walk along Coldstream Court to Hamilton Avenue, then turn left along the right-hand footpath and take a long stroll down the street to Clyde Road. From there, turn right to a bridge where the Waimairi comes but into public view alongside the

Medbury School grounds. Cross Clyde Road here to Medbury Terrace, which follows the stream for about a block and curves where the channel goes into a long bend around the south end of Fendalton Domain. Keep to your left in the domain’s car park and cross the bridge at its end. At this point, the stream is only a stone’s throw from the Avon River, which is crossed by the Puriri Street bridge just across Kotare Street.

Over the domain bridge, spend some time in the park. You can walk along the grassed streambank to a large tree on the park’s western boundary. In the trees seen off toward Fendalton Road is a playground. When you have stayed long enough in the domain, return to the footbridge and follow a sealed path to your left, through a bicycle, barrier at the back of Fendalton Bowling Club buildings. Through here is an unusual public way through native and exotic trees. You can walk nearer the stream, too. The pathway comes out in the bowling club car park. Walk through it and to your right to reach Makora Street. Views ot the stream can be had from bridge railings to your right. Continue on to Weka Street and turn left. Unfortunately, the stream goes into seclusion again for two long blocks. Walk down to Straven Road, where there is good viewing again fr?m both sides of the street. Cross

to the far side of Straven Road ah<l go left along the footpath. -At Royds Street, walk left to reach the back entrance to Daresbury Park. Tour buses often stop at;tre end of Royds Street to let travel lers see and photograph the streht’g award-winning gardens. At the street’s end is a fountain and the way into the next parlft Daresbury has a fine arching bridge and an excellent plaj£ ground. It is probably the most scenic place to see the stream.?'?. From Daresbury Park, turn left

in Harakeke Street to almost immediately reach another lane that takes you across the next-to-last public bridge across Waimairi , Stream. Looking upstream from the bridge, you can see a small branch stream coming in from Fendalton Domain. " £ Walk along the lane to Fendalton Road and turn right to come to tlfe railway line and Mona Vale. EnteiMona Vale to find the stream’s last bridge and the water’s confluence with the Wairarapa Stream. How to get there: Take a Merrin Street bus to the corner fit Grahams Road and Memorial Avenue, and walk down Memorial Avenue to the second pedestrian path into Burnside Park. Stay bn the bus to the end of the line at Withells Road to get closer to Avonhead Park Cemetery, which is two blocks away. If you want to start walking at Ray Blank Park, take a Woodbury Street bus past campus to