Garden of Tane

Garden of Tane is a native bush reserve at the entrance to Akaroa's forest heart, with a modest but well-loved playground: a slide, swings with an infant seat, balance equipment and an iron rocking horse that's become a much photographed local fixture, best suited to toddlers and younger primary-school kids taking a break from the walking trails.

Equipment

The playground covers around 30 square metres on a bark surface, small in scale compared to the wider reserve around it. Alongside the slide and infant swing sits a horse rocker, the iron rocking horse installed during the reserve's restoration, plus balance equipment for older toddlers to test themselves on.

History and Cultural

The reserve began life in July 1874, when the Canterbury Provincial Council set aside five acres beside the town's cemeteries as Akaroa Domain, later planted out with oaks, elms and other exotic specimens by a local Domain Board. From 1964, farmer and environmentalist Arthur Ericson spent twenty five years clearing weeds, replanting over two hundred native species, and levelling and equipping the children's playground, funded by local Akaroa businesses, work that led him to rename the reserve Garden of Tane. Three historic cemeteries in the upper section hold many of Akaroa's earliest French and British settlers, making the reserve both a living garden and an active heritage site.

Practical Info

The lower paths and playground area are flat, and gravel and boardwalk paths form a loop through the wider reserve for families wanting a longer walk. The reserve is dog friendly on leads, with on-street parking at the Penlington Place entrance. Toilets are near the entrance, with several picnic spots scattered through the grounds, and Akaroa's main street, cafes and waterfront are a ten minute walk away.