This 'mild things' route is a quick tour of the Botanic Gardens and Mona Vale gardens, staying mostly on main paths to keep the navigation clean and simple. There are plenty of opportunities along the way to duck off the main route and have an explore around the many smaller winding pathways in both gardens before rejoining the route.
This is a daytime only run, as the gates to both gardens are locked at night.
Start at the Peacock Fountain gates on Rolleston Ave. Go past the fountain and take the right fork, running past the Herbaceous Border towards the new building housing the Ilex Cafe, visitor centre and nursery. Continue on straight here and go through the Central Rose Garden. Hang a right after you come out the other side of the rose garden and follow the path, taking another right behind the old kiosk building.
Exit the gardens over the footbridge, cross the car park and do an anticlockwise loop around Victoria Lake. Continue following the path in a straight line through the golf course until you reach the northwest corner of Hagley Park.
Cross the road and head along Fendalton Road for around 250m, crossing the bridge next to the church and through the small gate into Mona Vale Gardens. Go over the footbridge in front of you and follow the riverbank behind the old Bath House and homestead. Continue on, turning left to head back south until you reach the end of the carpark. Turn left, past the formal pond and join the road to exit Mona Vale.
Follow the footpath along Matai Street East behind CGHS and cross Deans Ave back into Hagley Park. Turn right and follow the perimeter path to Riccarton Ave, where you turn left and keep going until turning left again into the Botanic Gardens opposite Hagley Oval near the band rotunda. You can take a side trip here into the Heritage Rose Garden. Make your way north over the footbridge and take the path that veers left just before the Peace Bell.
Follow this path into the Rock Gardens and past the pond that has stunning reflections on a still day. Take the next right and, shortly afterwards, a left into the Water Gardens area. There are multiple small trails that meander around ponds through this bush area - don't worry about which one you end up on, as long as you're heading roughly north you will come out onto a paved path in the Magnolia Garden beside a large grassed area.
Turn right here and right again down the next paved path back towards the Central Rose Garden. Turn right just before the rose garden and then left, heading east down a main paved path all the way back past the Archery Lawn. Just past the Archery Lawn you can veer right to the riverside path, turning past the Curator's House and back to the finish.
