Mona Vale Gardens & Homestead

Mona Vale Gardens & Homestead Review

Come to stroll through the grounds along the Avon River, wandering under the trees and through the well-tended perennial gardens. The Fernery sits in the building used in the 1907 International Exhibition, and the Blue and White Border garden is worth a look. One of Christchurch's great historic homesteads, the riverside Mona Vale was built in 1899. At this writing it's shut by earthquake damage, and it is hoped that it will reopen in 2012. The house and 13½-acre garden have been part of the city since 1967—when the estate was "sold" to individual Christchurch residents for $10 per square foot. Catch a number 9 bus from the city; there's a stop outside the front gate near the gingerbread gatehouse (which is not open to the public).