March 2011 (-43.523 Degrees, 172.609 Degrees) Mono Vale Garden Bridge
It turned out that I had started my exploration of River Avon bridges a little further to the west than I had at first imagined. There are half a dozen handsome bridges in Mona Vale Park, about 1.5 km east of the Helmores Lane Bridge. All of these little bridges are quite lovely. The park was used by couples wishing to be married and I think there may also be music and theater there. When I was there, it was closed (as was most of Christchurch) by the earthquake, but hopefully it has since reopened (I had to get a special badge to be allowed into Christchurch).
I don't have my notes with me, but I wonder if this isn't one of those steel stringer bridges masquerading as an arch with a handsome facade? The ever helpful Geoffrey Thornton (author of 'Bridging the Gap, Early New Zealand Bridges') confirmed my suspicion, and included a photo of the same structure, which he calls a garden bridge. The railing is quite nice, almost Art Nouveau in style, or at least attractive enough to be in a painting of a Pre-Raphaelite woman staring Ophelia-like into the waters below. |
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