It offers a combination of walking and mountain biking tracks, historic sites, picnic areas, botanical collections, and six sister city gardens.

Halswell Quarry provided crushed stone for roading and cut stone for significant works including the Canterbury Provincial Council Buildings, Durham Street Methodist Church, Cranmer Court formerly Christchurch Normal School and the Sign of the Takahe.

They sold it to Guise Brittan, who took Grosvenor Miles and William White Sr (father of politician of the same name).

Brittan sold to the Lincoln Road Tramway Company, and White and William Wilson managed the quarry operations.

[4]: 260  In 1925 by the Christchurch City Council who managed it until 1990 when it became commercially unviable due to reduced stone reserves.