Back on Banks Peninsula
I went over to Otamahua/Quail Island on the last Sunday of January to walk around the Quail Island Loop Track. It was a fantastic day with sunny skies, little wind and warm temperatures...just right for a visit to the island.
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| The Black Cat Ferry terminal at Lyttleton |
You get to Quail Island by private boat or on the Black Cat Ferry from Lyttleton. It boards just over the railway bridge off the main entrance to the Port. Tickets are $15 for a child and $30 per adult and bookings are advised as the island is more popular since Covid emerged. There are scheduled sailings to the island at 10.15, 12.30 and 3.30 pm and the last ferry returns from Otamahua at 3.45.
There is no land access...
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| Looking out to the Heads of Lyttleton from the ferry |
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| Northern side of Otamahua/Quail Island |
There is a jetty on the eastern side of Otamahua where the ferry berths...from here you are free to explore the island. There is a 5.5km track called the Otamahua Loop Track around the outside of the island which can be walked in either direction and this starts right from the jetty.
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| The shelter at the Otamahua/Quail Island jetty |
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| Otamahua/Quail Island is administered by DOC |
There are also historic buildings, regenerating native forest and a 12 bunk DOC hut on the island. I was here to walk the track and it usually takes from 2-2.5 hours to circumvent the whole island. Administration of Quail Island is a joint concern of DOC and the Otamahua/Quail Island Trust who work in partnership to preserve the historic sites and regenerate the native forest on the island.
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| Map: Otamahua/Quail Island |
I headed around the island in an anti clockwise direction...I think this is the best way to walk the track as it will eventually deposit you on Wakamaru/Swimmers Beach. Here you can swim, sit in the sun and picnic. I usually stop and have my lunch while I wait for the water taxi to arrive.
There are signs, markers and arrows pointing the way along the Loop Track but the track network on the island is basic and the ferry office will give you a map when you check in. No need to carry a Topo map or GPS on this tramp...!!!
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| I am heading right to Otamahua/Quail Island Hut |
The first historic building is an old horse quarantine stables used by Wolseley, Shackleton and Scott when they went down to Antarctica. All the early British expeditions to Antarctica used ponies or manpower to haul supplies which is one of the reasons they were so unsuccessful.
The animals had to be quarantined before heading south...you didn't want to get there and find the ponies had some type of disease that killed them all. The stable has been restored and there are some interpretive panels to explain what it was used for. There is also an impressive array of old farming equipment next to the stable.
From the shed you head along the northern edge of the island to Otamahua/Quail Island Hut.
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| Old quarantine shed on Otamahua/Quail Island |
Quail Island Hut was an old farm cottage that was converted over 2020 into a awesome 12 bunk DOC hut. They have done a magnificent job and is is well utilised by families, youth groups, schools and newbie trampers. The conversion was beautifully sympathetic to the original building and the fit out of the interior is really interesting.
Worth a look...
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| Otamahua/Quail Island Hut, Quail Island, Lyttleton Harbor |
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| Interior of the Otamahua/Quail Island Hut |
Otamahua Hut is on the DOC hut booking system and must be booked before you visit. It is super popular and is often booked out months in advance especially over weekends, holidays and long weekends.
Karen and I are keen to stay here some weekend...maybe in mid winter when it will be less crowded. I should probably look at a booking now...mid week would be the best time to stay.
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| There is a nice veranda out front... |
The Quail Island Loop Track continues past the hut and gradually makes its way around to the south-western side of the island. The track is a wide, well mown strip of grass with some benched track sections where it climbs up and over headlands and ridges.
It is hideously exposed to all weather conditions so be prepared for hot, cold, wet, dry conditions at all times. At a minimum bring a jacket, warm clothes, lots of water and some food.
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| Continuing on the Otamahua/Quail Island Loop Track |
The whole northern side of Quail Island is a series of big cliffs up to 80 meters high so it is important that you follow the safety signs and stay on the track. If you are bringing children with you keep them on a super tight leash as the cliffs are abrupt and you wont know you're in trouble until it is too late...
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| Godley and Adderley Heads from Otamahua/Quail Island |
The views of Lyttleton Harbor, the Port Hills and Banks Peninsula are superb with unobstructed views from the Heads of Lyttleton right back to Head of the Bay's, Governors Bay and Gebbies Pass.
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| Kayak group off the northern beaches of Otamahua/Quail Island |
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| There are great views of the Port Hills from Otamahua/Quail Island |
The center of the island has been replanted in natives trees and understory plants similar to those that once clothed the island. When Europeans arrived in Canterbury they burnt all of the ancient trees off the island so it could be used for grazing land. It is very arid here so the bush has not been able to recover without some significant human intervention.
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| There are a series of information panels on Otamahua/Quail Island |
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| Otamahua/Quail Island: native planting area |
The planting has been underway since the early 2000's and the bush is now starting to gain some momentum. The oldest trees are 3-5 meters tall and about 50% of the island has been replanted so far. There are Manuka, Kahikatea, Totora and Rimu planted here so eventually there will be dense forest with scattered 20-40 meter giants...
I wish I could be here to see it but we are talking 200 years in the future!!!
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| These natives were planted about 10 years ago...Quail Island |
The track meanders around the edge of the island passing a number of historic places and natural sites of interest on the way. There are interesting views right the way along the track and it would be worthwhile doing a bit of research before you visit so you understand what you are looking at.
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| The Otamahua/Quail Island Loop Track along the northern cliffs |
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| Lyttleton to left & Diamond Harbor to right... |
I had my hat on from stepping off the boat as you are exposed to the sun for most of the day and there is precious little shade to be found. You will want to lather yourself with sun screen or you will get burnt to a crisp by the sun.
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| Jon on Otamahua/Quail Island, Lyttleton Harbor |
The track continues to wind along close to the cliff tops with the occasional side track leading into the interior of the island. Along the way you pass the site of the first homestead on the island looking out towards Lyttleton and the Port Hills. The Ward brothers were the first run holders on the island and grew grass seed and raised sheep for the young Canterbury colony.
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| The old Shacklock oven at the Ward Homestead |
All that is left of the homestead is a flat space, some foundations, rusted remains of an old Shacklock oven and a DOC information panel. Tragically the brothers both drowned soon after arrival when they tried to reach Lyttleton in a storm. Over the years the island has been used as a farm, quarantine station, leper colony and prison. It is now a protected historic reserve...
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| At the old Ward Homestead site, Otamahua/Quail Island |
Just past the Ward Homestead you have an excellent view back to the sea cliffs along this side of the island. The rock on these cliffs is very straight edged as it was once a quarry site for rock facings used on many buildings in Lyttleton, Akaroa and Christchurch. You can access the cliffs from a track near the jetty but it is a dangerous area with regular rock fall so take care.
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| Sea cliffs on north side of Otamahua/Quail Island |
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| Looking into the center of Otamahua/Quail Island |
There are a series of bench seats spaced along the track so you can rest a spell and enjoy the scenery. I stopped at the one just past Wards Homestead and had a snack and drink before continuing on my way. There is a stonking view out to the opening of Lyttleton Harbor from here and it is well worth stopping to enjoy it.
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| Otamahua/Quail Island...one of several seats along the track |
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| Snack time on Otamahua/Quail Island...LCM!!! |
While you are walking around the island please pay close attention to any warning signs and fences as they are there to protect you. If there is a sign or fence stay on the safe side of it as they often mark bluffs, cliffs and steep hillsides. People have injured themselves on the island over the years but only when they did not take heed of the warnings...
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| Fences like this mark large cliffs on Otamahua/Quail Island |
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| Otamahua/Quail Island...another of the seats along the track |
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| Recent planting on Otamahua/Quail Island |
There is a good view of Mt Sugarloaf from the island...it is obvious due to the TV antenna clearly visible on the crest. For those of us who make Christchurch our home it is a constant companion sitting there atop the Port Hills. I used to be able to see it out the kitchen window at my old home every morning...
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| Sugarloaf from Otamahua/Quail Island |
The track passes over a high point on the south western edge of the island and you can see over the center of the island. The native planting is very clear and you can also see the many tracks heading in all directions. There are several paths which will take you to the islands high point and the easiest access is from the north side of the island.
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| The center of Otamahua/Quail Island is low forest |
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| Heading to the Western side of Otamahua/Quail Island |
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| Bright sun and heavy shadows...Otamahua/Quail Island |
There is an old clay stock water dam along the track on the southern side of the island and it is worth stopping to have a look. They blocked off the end of a gully and water backs up behind the dam every time it rains. It was restored back in the early 2000's and provided scarce water supplies for stock on this naturally very arid island.
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| There are Californian Quail on the island.... |
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| At the Stock Water Dam on Otamahua/Quail Island |
The half way point of the Otamahua Loop Track is just past the clay dam and is marked by a sign high above one of the small bays scattered around the island. It is roughly 2.5 km's each way from here to the jetty...
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| Half way along the Otamahua/Quail Island Loop Track |
Near to the half way point of the track is an old ships graveyard on what has always unofficially been known as Shipwreck Bay. These are a number of old hulks that were towed around here after the ship in question was no longer useful. Most of them are small coastal ships but there is also a 1500 ton bark called the SS Dara and an old military motor torpedo boat from the early 20th century.
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| SS Dara at the Otamahua/Quail Island ships graveyard |
The wrecks look like they have been here for centuries but the SS Dara was only decommissioned in 1951 so actually these hulks were towed her in the 1940's-1950's in some cases. There are about 7-8 visible at high tide and another 2-3 become visible at low tide.
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| There are a dozen hulks at the Graveyard |
There is a information panel next to the track above the bay with lots of interesting information about the wrecks. You used to be able to climb down to the bay but DOC discourages this now as people keep climbing on the hulks and damaging them. This is a registered historic place so it is actually like a archeological location and should be used with care.
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| Shipwreck information on Otamahua/Quail Island |
From the southern side of the island you can see up to the Head of Bays, Gebbies Pass and the Gebbies Peninsula. The Gebbies were one of the early settler families (here in the 1830's) and at one time they owned all the land between Governors Bay and Port Cooper out near Adderley Head.
Gebbies Pass is the route most residents of Diamond Harbor, Purau and Port Levy take to get to Christchurch as it is a low point along the Port Hills. Over the winter the pass is often the only way to get to Christchurch as they get savage frosts on Dyers Pass Road.
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| Looking to Gebbies Pass from Otamahua/Quail Island |
There is a path to the island's interior on this side of the island but I had another track in mind on the eastern side of the island so continued on...
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| One of several tracks to the interior of Otamahua/Quail Island |
The eastern side of the island starts with a long peninsula of land facing towards Mt Herbert and Mt Bradley. There is a long beach along both sides of the peninsula and it is possible to walk down to the sandy beach on the southern side of the peninsula. The Loop Track keeps meandering along high above the beach as it heads towards Wakamaru/Swimmers Beach.
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| View of the eastern side of Otamahua/Quail Island |
Moepuku Point is the closest mainland to Quail Island and juts out from the beginning of Banks Peninsula around the Orton Bradley Estate. At low tide the only thing that separates the mainland and the island is a small channel and some mud flats. People used to walk across the mudflats to the mainland but it is now all on private land so there is no access.
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| Moepuku Point from Otamahua/Quail Island |
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| Distant Mt Herbert/Mt Bradley from Otamahua/Quail Island |
There is a side track on this side of the island which heads up to the highest point on Otamahua. There is a small clearing on the top with some plaques, a totem like carving and expansive views over the whole of Lyttleton Harbor. You must go to the high point while on the island to see the views...
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| Track to summit of Otamahua/Quail Island |
Here are a series of photos showing the awesome views from the summit which at 441 meters a.s.l is not massive but high enough to see right around the island...
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| Mt Herbert from Otamahua/Quail Island summit |
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| Gebbies Peninsula from Otamahua/Quail Island summit |
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| Lyttleton Township from Otamahua/Quail Island |
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| Port Hills from Otamahua/Quail Island summit |
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| Lyttleton Heads from Otamahua/Quail Island summit |
The pole at the top of the island was carved by a local Maori artist and is meant to symbolize the role Otamahua played as a food source to the local Iwi. Maori did not live on the island permanently but it was a seasonal source of birds, shellfish, fish and medicinal plants.
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| Pou Whenua on Otamahua/Quail Island |
I sat in the shade of the Pou for about 10 minutes and then headed back down to the track and continued on my way to Swimmers Beach. It was quite warm by this stage...in the high 20's with little cloud or wind.
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| On the track down to south side of Otamahua/Quail Island |
As you continue to this end of the island you pass above the sandy bay (...I know it has a name but cannot find it anywhere online...). Up to the late 1940's it was a source of shells for fertilizer and lime for cement. There was a local family who gathered it and shipped it over to Christchurch for processing for nearly 100 years.
The shells are washed up the Harbor by the tides and come to rest along the beach in massive banks.
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| Southern side of Otamahua/Quail Island from the Loop Track |
One use of the island in the past was as a leper colony...leprousy was a scourge in the South Pacific and many islanders were affected by this ancient disease. It was highly infectious and there was a real social stigma attached to it. Lepers had to be quarantined from other people for safety reasons...before antibiotics were developed sufferers eventually died from the disease.
Only one leper actually died on the island...Ivon Skelton lived here from his early teens until his death at 32 in the late 1920's. He was buried on the island but his grave was lost over the years as it was not marked in any way. In the late 1990s a team of archeologists tried to locate his remains but were unsuccessful so a memorial cross was erected close to the area he was buried.
Grim history indeed....
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| Ivon Skelton's grave on Otamahua/Quail Island |
Once you round the peninsula you are looking out over Wakamaru/Skinners Bay where there are a couple of nice swimming beaches, toilets and a nice grass backed beach for picnics. The water is a lovely azure color on this side of the island as it is shallow and there are sandy flats under the water. You are heading for the white building on the far side of the bay which is right next to the main beach.
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| First view of Wakamaru/Swimmers Beach |
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| Southern side of Wakamaru Bay, Otamahua/Quail Island |
The main leper colony was on the southern end of the bay and there is a replica of a leper cottage perched on a flat area above the bay. The lepers each had a small cottage with furniture, books, cooking facilities, personal possessions etc. so more or less the same as any person of the time. They just couldn't leave the island...
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| Replica leper cottage on Otamahua/Quail Island |
The last lepers left the island in the early 1930's and were relocated to an island off the coast of Fiji. The disease still exists...but with the invention of penicillin and other antibiotics in the 1940's leprosy became a manageable condition.
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| The replica Leper Cottage was built in 2009 |
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| Information about Leper Colony on Otamahua/Quail Island |
There is a nice stone retaining wall right next to the replica leper cottage constructed in the late 19th century by convicts. Prison back at the turn of the century was not easy...it was hard physical labor and convicts were used to build many things around Christchurch including roads, walls, tunnels and wharves. Most of Lyttleton was built using convict labor.....
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| Retaining wall built by 19th century convicts, Otamahua/Quail Island |
There are two beaches on this side of the island the first being Skiers Beach at the southern end of Swimmers Bay. There is a nice sandy beach here with toilets, water and a nice grassy embankment at the rear of the beach. This is the more shaded and quieter of the two beaches.
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| Skiers Beach on Otamahua/Quail Island |
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| The Otamahua/Quail Island Loop Track above Skiers Beach |
The main beach is Wakamaru/Swimmers Beach which is the hub of most activity on the island. It is the largest piece of flat land on Otamahua and at one stage was a quarantine area for new arrivals to Canterbury Province. The bay is very shallow and you can wade off the beach in waist deep water for about a hundred meters so it is the best place to swim.
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| Wakamaru/Swimmers Beach, Otamahua/Quail Island |
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| Great view of Mt Herbert/Mt Bradley from Wakamaru |
There is a large expanse of flat, grassy ground behind the beach and there is plenty of space for people to lay in the sun, picnic and generally hang out with family and friends. It was busy the day I was there as it was the last weekend before school started for 2022. There were about 10 boats out on the water including sailing boats, jet skis, kayaks and power boats.
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| Looking east along Swimmers Bay, Otamahua/Quail Island |
I had about an hour and a half before the ferry arrived so I sat on the warm grass and tucked into my lunch which was tuna, crackers, some snacks and some Vitafresh. It was nice sitting there in the sun looking out over the water and Karen and I have been here a couple of times now.
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| My lunch on Otamahua/Quail Island |
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| I had my Vaude Brenta 45 pack with me |
Directly across the water you can see the eastern side of Lyttleton Harbor and both Mt Herbert and Mt Bradley were on clear display. I have climbed both of these peaks before...Mt Herbert many times and Mt Bradley once. You have great views of Otamahua from the top of both as well as all of the Canterbury Plains on a clear day.
In between is the verdant green bush of the Orton Bradley Estate and this whole side of the Harbor is destined to become a new recreation park now it has been purchased by a group lead by the Rod Donald Trust.
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| There is excellent swimming at Wakamaru over the summer |
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| Quarantine barracks at Swimmers Beach, Otamahua/Quail Island |
It takes about 10-15 minutes to walk back around to the Otamahua jetty and I set off about 40 minutes before the ferry was due to arrive at the dock. You continue along the shore of Swimmers Bay to a point on the eastern side of the island where you climb a short slope back up to the Loop Track.
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| Several yachts were anchored at Swimmers Bay |
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| Flat bottom homemade raft at Swimmers Bay, Otamahua |
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| Looking back along a crowded Swimmers Beach |
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| The jetty is around this point...Otamahua/Quail Island |
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| View of Wakamaru/Swimmers Bay from the track |
Along the way you pass some piles from an old jetty which was removed by DOC two years ago as it was dangerously decrepit. When the island was used as a sheep station the farmer used the dock to load the animals onto a boat for transport to the mainland. The only thing it is good for now is as a resting place for the Gulls and Terns who live around the island.
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| Old stock jetty...Otamahua/Quail Island |
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| Terns making themselves at home on the piles, Otamahua/Quail Island |
The climb up and over to the jetty is short but steep...it is about 300 meters in total or five minutes walk. You climb up to the junction of the Loop Track and then walk downhill to the same jetty where you started the day.
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| The last section of the Otamahua/Quail Island Loop Track |
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| ...turn right for Otamahua/Quail Island jetty... |
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| ...downhill to the Otamahua/Quail Island jetty... |
From the track you can see Hays Bay and Charteris Bay over on the eastern side of Lyttleton Harbor. When I was younger there were less than a dozen houses around those bays but as land prices have risen more and more homes have been built there. There is now an almost continuous strip of housing from Purau to Charteris Bay...
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| Hays and Charteris Bays from Otamahua/Quail Island |
There is a day shelter off a side track near the jetty and it provides cover while you wait for the ferry to arrive. There is space inside for about 30 people but no water or toilets so use the facilities at the Otamahua Hut or at Swimmers Beach before heading here.
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| Turn off to Quail Day Shelter, Otamahua/Quail Island |
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| Otamahua/Quail Island Shelter near the jetty |
You have a clear line of sight to the jetty so you can sit inside and only head down as the ferry maneuvers into place. Across the Harbor you can see Diamond Harbor and out to Mt Evans in the far distance. Mt Evans is about the fifth highest peak on Banks Peninsula...
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| Otamahua/Quail Island jetty from the shelter |
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| A distant Diamond Harbor from Otamahua/Quail Island jetty |
I walked down to wait for the ferry near the jetty and took the opportunity to take some photos of the jetty and back towards the day shelter. It was a bit breezy down there so I had to put my jacket on for the first time that day. I love the color of the water on this side of the island it varies from azure to turquoise to blue/grey.
Amazing...
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| View across to Moepuku Peninsula from the jetty |
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| Diamond Harbor and Mt Evans from Otamahua/Quail Island jetty |
The last ferry for the day arrives at 3.30 pm and if you miss it your will be on the island for the rest of the night as there is no other way to get back to the mainland. If you are coming over to stay at Otamahua/Quail Island Hut then this is probably the service you want to use to give you time to settle into the hut before dark. It was busy on the way back to Lyttleton and I think we had a full compliment on board.
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| Black Cat Ferry arrives at Otamahua/Quail Island |
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| The Black Cat Ferry hold about 40 people |
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| Goodbye Otamahua/Quail Island... |
A visit to Otamahua/Quail Island is a great day tramp and I can thoroughly recommend it as a worthwhile destination. It is excellent as a family trip or dare I say it date with your significant other. Make sure you book the ferry and take enough clothing, food and water to sustain you for the day.
Access: Water taxi from Lyttleton, the trip takes 15 minutes ($15 child, $30 adult), Black Cat Cruises are the operator, tickets are available on line and bookings are recommended.
Track Times: 5.5 km's or 2-3 hours from jetty to jetty
Hut Details: Otamahua/Quail Island Hut: 12 bunks, wood burner, water tank, wood shed, toilets
Miscellaneous: The hut is on the DOC booking system, must be booked for overnight visit. Drinking water is available from the hut, take only what you need
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