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Walk this way
ON FOOT Christchurch (and its surrounding area) is blessed with numerous tracks and walks perfect for grabbing some fresh air, checking out some cool sights, or scoring a back-to-nature soul fix. What’s Hot Christchurch hits some of the routes to try – whether it’s to discover the city, check out some killer views or just breathe in the great outdoors, there’s a bunch of walks waiting for you whatever your fitness level.
URBAN EXCURSIONS 034 WHCHC
Exploring on foot is one of the best ways to get to know a new city. The city centre is a great place to start, with little dedicated walks that will deliver you to some of Christchurch’s gems. These walks will direct you to take in Hagley Park, Riverside Market, The Earthquake Memorial, The Bus Interchange, Victoria Square, The Margaret Mahy Family Playground, Rauora Park and the East Frame, and many other new places including interesting private developments. There are plenty of places to stop to look and grab a drink or bite to eat along the way. If you’re looking to explore the city’s hidden pockets of nature, start with Te Ara Ōtākaro Avon River Trail. This is a shared use walking and cycling trail stretching from the northeast corner of the city centre to South Brighton. It follows the course of Ōtākaro – the Avon River – winding through parks, wetland, and the ‘residential red zone’. This zone is a former residential housing area which was declared unsuitable for buildings after the Canterbury Earthquakes. It was cleared of houses and allowed to go green with open spaces, wildlife and fruit trees. Boards along the way explain the story of the earthquakes, the city and the red zone. The trail is a bit of
a mixture of purpose-built paths, closed roads and a small section of roadside footpath. The SCAPE Public Art Walkway will take you through the streets and public spaces that display some of the most exciting, inspiring, thought-provoking and different artworks and sculptures in Christchurch. SCAPE also has an app keeping you all up to date with which new artworks to find where. You’ll definitely want to check out the city’s permanent legacy artwork, Seung Yul Oh’s Conduct Cumulus, in the South Quad of the Arts Centre. Hit the artistic triangle of the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, CoCA and The Central at the Arts Centre with a comfy stroll on a Saturday afternoon to check in further with the latest on the city’s art scene – recharge with a coffee and eats at the Arts Centre or the Art Gallery. You might also want to take it upon yourself to do a bit of exploring of your own – our new CBD is well worth a curious meander. Take in the new laneways and hotspots around Little High Eatery, SALT District, The Crossing, St Asaph Street’s Boxed Quarter, and the ANZ and BNZ Centres, or just follow your nose.
SUBURBIA
Explore the ‘burbs, where there’s much to discover. On the Woolston Wharves and River Walk you can get a glimpse at how the Heathcote River would have looked before European settlement, and check out the sites of wharves and jetties where Christchurch’s produce was loaded and unloaded in the early days on this stroll down memory lane. It’s also handily close to The Tannery, where refuelling and retail therapy await. Head for city fave Riccarton Bush to stroll through ancient stands of 600-year-old kahikatea trees set in 12 hectares of
native forest, parkland and historic buildings hidden in the city. If it’s Saturday, hit the Christchurch Famers’ Market too. Looking to stroll? Styx Mill Conservation Reserve near Northwood offers some very pleasant tracks. Hit the Panako Walkway, a breezy 40-minute walk past wetlands and pond, with a viewing platform along the way. There are more wetlands to explore via the Travis Wetland Walk, a circuit track that circumnavigates Burwood’s Travis Wetland Nature Heritage Park, which plays host to a variety of birdlife and vegetation. In Burnside, Jellie Park is well known for its aquatic facilities, but the lake out the back and the pleasant walkways around it are a little bit on the down-low. Head past the pool complex towards the northwest
from Ilam Road. Halswell Quarry always seems bigger than you’d expect – it’s not just a former quarry but home to six interesting sister-city gardens, historic sites, and three permanent orienteering courses. The Quarry Rim Track will take you up and around the dramatic landscape of the quarry face, or take in the sister-city gardens.
THEM THAR HILLS
The iconic Port Hills offer numerous walks and vistas. An oldie but a goodie: the Bridle Path is the granddaddy of Christchurch walks. People have been traversing the thigh-busting steepness of the original route between Lyttelton and Christchurch since the 1850s.
