While many are familiar with the thrill of tree climbing from our own childhoods, few have had the opportunity to see world-class competitive tree climbing up-close. This weekend visitors to the Christchurch Botanic Gardens will get that opportunity at the ‘2019 Asia-Pacific Tree Climbing Championship, in association with Husqvarna’.

The ‘Asia-Pacific Tree Climbing Championship, in association with Husqvarna’, is top-level, international-zoned sporting event that pits champion against champion, battling it out for the men's and women's Asia-Pacific Championship titles. The competition itself involves in a series of tests of agility, speed and skill, high in the canopy of carefully chosen trees. This weekend 28 male and female competitors from seven different countries are registered to compete. The event culminates in the Masters’ Challenge on Sunday 7 April from which the 2019 Asia-Pacific champions will emerge.

The last time this event was hosted by a New Zealand destination was six years ago when the event was held in Auckland. The arboricultural industry, the New Zealand Arboricultural Association, and Husqvarna, the event’s title sponsor, are ‘rapt’ to have the opportunity to host climbers and volunteers from around the Asia-Pacific regional for the first time in the South Island for this high profile tree climbing event.

General public are encouraged to bring the whole family down to the Botanic Gardens to watch the tree climbing action, explore the dozens of market stalls of the Arbor Fair and discover some cool tree stuff. A series of activities will be running all day designed especially with the kids in mind, including the popular 'NZ Arb Kid's Climb', face painting and colouring competitions.

Also, free to the public on Saturday 6 April is a series of short 'Outdoor Tree Talks'. The Talks will cover a range of tree related topics, presented by experts in their respective fields, designed to entertain, inform, and engage.

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