There are many places in Canterbury to take the family for a day trip during the holidays - at little or no cost. Let us be your tour guide.
Adventure Park Walking Trails
The Christchurch Adventure Park’s walking trails are free to use and only 15-minutes from the CBD and provide views of the city not seen from any other location. If you choose the uphill walking/hiking trail you have the option to ride the park’s chairlift back down for free. If walking uphill isn’t your thing, you may enjoy the 45-minute forest loop walking trail through pine forest.
Hinewai Reserve lies a short drive east of Akaroa and sprawls across more than 1250ha. Encompassing valleys and ridges, streams and waterfalls, and regenerating native forest, the reserve offers about 20km of sign-posted walking tracks and expansive views over the Pacific Ocean, Akaroa Harbour, the hills and bays of Banks Peninsula, and the distant Southern Alps. The terrain is steep in places so you need a reasonable level of fitness. Entry into the reserve is free and maps of the walking tracks are usually available in the pamphlet boxes at the visitors centre and entry points to the reserve. Dogs are not allowed into the reserve.
Corsair Bay
The bay has a small, shelly beach only a 10-minute drive from Lyttelton. It is well suited to a family picnic or swimming. Swim out to the secured raft or sunbathe in the grass. Young kids can swim safely in the shallow water of the inlet. Changing rooms and picnic tables are available.
Riccarton Bush is the only area of podocarp forest remaining in Christchurch. The dense stands of kahikatea provide a backdrop to a restored early settlers’ cottage. Visitors can marvel at trees that have stood for as long as 600 years and explore nearly 900m of flat, accessible pathways. As you meander through the landscape, the forest comes alive with the sights, sounds, and scents of native flora and fauna, including native insects and geckos which thrive thanks to a predator-proof fence that encircles the forest.
Orton Bradley Park
Orton Bradley Park is a private 650ha rural property situated on the southern shores of Lyttelton Harbour, open 365 days a year. The park is family-friendly location featuring large open spaces with 25km of walking tracks catering to all ages and abilities. They range from the Rhododendron Walk (20 minutes) to the popular Waterfall Gully Track (2.5 hours) and beyond to the DOC Packhorse Hut or Mt Herbert – the highest point on Banks Peninsula. The property has a large children’s adventure playground with a flying fox and a number of short mountain bike tracks suitable for all members of the family. The entrance fee is $5 per adult, $1 per child, to a maximum of $10 per car load.
Diamond Harbour
Diamond Harbour is a small settlement on the south side of Lyttelton Harbour. From the city centre, it’s about a 45 minute drive over the Port Hills via Dyers Pass Rd. From Lyttelton, it’s a 30 minute drive around the bays. If you don’t feel like driving, grab the ferry from Lyttelton – you might even spot some native Hector’s Dolphins playing in the wake. A ferry fare is $4 for an adult with a Metrocard or $6 without. Children under 4 travel free at all times and SuperGold Card holders are free during off peak times. Pack a picnic and head out on the Coastal Cliffs Walkway which follows the foreshore between Church Bay, Diamond Harbour and Purau.
Walk through lush beech forest to a stunning 131m waterfall just two hours drive from the city. Located near Arthurs Pass Village, a reasonably steep 45-minute walk will take you to the falls. The waterfall can still be viewed from further away after a 10-minute flat walk from the village.
The Bridle Path
Walk in historic footsteps – and get fit – on this route constructed in 1850 for Canterbury’s first European settlers travelling between Lyttelton and Christchurch. The main access points to the Bridle Path and nearby tracks are from the gondola car park in Heathcote, Barnett Park car park, Summit Rd and Evans Pass Rd. From the main Bridal Path route there is access to many other walks including the Barnett Park Cave Loop and the Crater Rim Walk.
Spencer Park
Spencer Park is a great place for a family day trip or a weekend stay. It has sheltered picnic areas, wetland walks, animal area, children’s playground, paddling pool, bird lookout platforms, and many short and long walks. You can explore the sand dune coast on horseback, or cycle the mountain bike trails of Bottle Lake Forest. A variety of walks are available, with short easy tracks around the park, and longer tracks connecting to Bottle Lake Forest and the Southern Pegasus Bay Track.
Godley Head is about a 45-minute drive from the city centre, accessible via Summit Rd. A gentle three-hour loop track takes you along the ridgeline of Godley Head with highlights including coastal views of Banks Peninsula and the distant Kaikōura Ranges. Plus, there’s an endangered penguin colony and remnants of a World War 2 military defence site to explore. If you take the short detour at Boulder Bay, you’ll find what’s left of 19 cave houses that were built into the rockface.
Roto Kohatu Reserve and The Groynes
Roto Kohatu Reserve is nestled in the north-west of the city with two man-made lakes – Tahi and Rua – and is a popular spot for outdoor activities including walking, swimming and kayaking. Take an easy stroll around the 2km Lake Circuit Walk or walk the Otukaikino Track, a 9km walk from Roto Kohatu, through Clearwater Resort and the The Groynes and out to Darroch St Reserve in Belfast.
• The Groynes is a great place for a family day out. There are lots of walking tracks, fishing spots, picnic areas and a large dog exercise park. There are several playgrounds with equipment including a flying fox, see-saws, slides and swings. During the weekend you can hire a boat and navigate the recreation lake with pedal boats, aqua bikes and canoes to choose from.
