Bridle Path: Heathcote Valley side...

Walking on the Port Hills... 

I went for a quick walk up on the Port Hills in the days before I set off to walk the Routeburn Track. This time I took the Christchurch Gondola to the top of Mt Cavendish and walked back down to my car in the Gondola carpark along the Bridal Path.

The Gondola from the carpark in Heathcote Valley

Bottom terminus of the Christchurch Gondola

My original intention had been to walk both sides of the Bridal Path using the Gondola to get to the high ground between them. I discovered on the first leg down to the Heathcote Valley that there is no longer a bus service to Lyttleton on the weekends so I only managed to finish the first leg of this journey. 

On the Gondola heading for the top terminus

The terminus is atop Mt Cavendish, Port Hills

Masked up in the Gondola on the way to the top

The upper terminus of the Gondola is right next to the Crater Rim Walkway so you can get onto that track and then the Bridal Path by following it from the terminus building down to the apex of the Bridal Path at the Pioneer Women's Shelter. 

Closing in on the Gondola top terminus, Port Hills

A closed section of the Summit Road by the Gondola

From the top terminus you follow the marked track around the front of the building and down to the main Crater Rim Walkway just down the hill. There are toilets and a small cafe at the Gondola so you can get water and have a break before setting off on your walk. 

Heading down to the Crater Rim Walkway from Mt Cavendish

Crater Rim Walkway sign near the top Gondola terminus...

The Crater Rim Walkway is a track right along the crest of the Port Hills from Gebbies Pass to Godley heads and it is possible to walk the whole distance or section of the whole. From the terminus it would be about 1.5 kilometers to the start of the Bridal Path downhill all the way.

Lyttleton from the Crater Rim Walkway, Port Hills

Quail Island and Gebbies Pass in the distance...

Mt Herbert rises up above Lyttleton Harbor and Banks Peninsula

There are some amazing views down to Lyttleton Harbor, out to the Canterbury Plains and across to Mt Herbert and Mt Bradley on the eastern side of Lyttleton. The track is very popular so you will not be walking it alone and you will be passed by many people along the way...

Christchurch Gondola top terminus on Mt Cavendish

Looking down to the Bridle Path from Crater Rim Walkway

The Crater Rim Walkway is also a part of the 125 km long Christchurch 360 Trail which encircles the city and you will see the distinctive track markers on many of the track poles as you make your way down the hill.

The Crater Rim Walkway is also part of the Christchurch 360 Trail

The Summit Road runs along beside the track, Port Hills

The track quality is moderate with a mix of stony track, mud and dirt with a easy gradient...this track can be walked in outdoor shoes though I did see a couple of people wearing light boots as well. It is well marked with signs from DOC, Environment Canterbury and the now defunct Walkways Commission. 

Orange Walkways track marker above the Pioneers Women's Shelter

Good view of Lyttleton from the Crater Rim Walkway

Both DOC and the Christchurch Council administer these tracks...

Close to the Pioneer Women's Shelter you will cross over a LPG pipeline which runs from Lyttleton to a tank farm in Woolston Industrial Estate. The pipeline is obvious as it is above ground and walking up or down the route of the pipeline is one way to get up to the Summit Road from Heathcote Valley.

LPG pipeline from Lyttleton to Heathcote Valley

First view of the Pioneer Woman's Shelter, Port Hills

Mt Cavendish from near the Pioneer Woman's Shelter

After the first downhill section you will find yourself at an old carpark on the apex of the Bridal Path between Lyttleton and Heathcote Valley. The Bridal Path was the route most early settlers took to the new province and walking over the whole track is a rite of passage for people from Christchurch. 

The LPG line goes to the tank farm in Lyttleton

From the apex it is possible to walk down to either Heathcote Valley or Lyttleton and many people walk the whole track and then catch a bus back to their start point. The other option is to leave a car at both ends or walk back over the Bridal Path. 

My original plan was to cover both sides on this trip but as I said above there was no bus available on the day I went so I could only walk the one leg of the Bridal Path. I will go back and finish it during the week some time...

Apex of the Bridal Path near the Pioneer Woman's Shelter

Pioneer Woman's Shelter, Port Hills

The Pioneer Women's Shelter was built in 1939 to celebrate the fortitude of the women who often had to drag their families and all their possessions over the hills from Lyttleton to Canterbury. It must have been a daunting task on your arrival in your new home to have to climb up and over the hills to your new home...

No doubt the men were standing around talking, stroking their whiskers and smoking a pipe....

Lyttleton from inside the Pioneer Woman's Shelter

The Pioneer Women's Shelter also marks the high point between Lyttleton and the Heathcote Valley and you can go either way from here and walk downhill to the bottom of the track. I decided to walk the Heathcote side first which was just as well as I discovered there was no bus service on the weekends anymore.

I just about committed myself to walking down to Lyttleton and then back over the whole Bridal Path to my car parked at the Heathcote Valley carpark...

Heathcote Valley from the Pioneer Woman's Shelter, Port Hills

Pioneer Woman's Shelter on the apex of the Bridal Path

From the apex you make your way down one of the legs of the Bridal Path to your intended destination. The track has had a lot of work done to it so it is in much better condition then the last time I walked it about 18 months ago. That said it is still steep in places and covered with a fine and slippery pea gravel so take your time on the descent or you will fall over...

Jon at the apex of the Bridal Path, Port Hills

Start of the Bridal Path on the Heathcote side...

FYI: I rode a MTB down this track with one of my Uni flat-mates back in the early 1990's and it was one of the hairiest rides I have ever done. How we didn't can off and hurt ourselves is a mystery heaped on a riddle.....I was quite stupid back then but luckily I value our collective skin a bit more now so I cannot recommend it to you as a lark!

There has been a lot of track work done with the Bridal Path

Canterbury and Pegasus Bay from the Bridal Path

...the Bridal Path is covered with fine gravel...

There are a number of information panels along the Bridal Path with details about the area, fauna/flora and history of the settlers. They are well worth stopping to read as you cautiously make your way down the track....

Interpretative panel along the Bridal Path

Looking up to Castle Rock from the Bridal Path

There is limited cover on the Bridal Path, Port Hills

One of several bench seats along the Bridal Path route

There is absolutely zero cover from the elements on this track so be prepared for whatever conditions Huey chucks at you on the day. Take a jacket and warm hat in cold/wet/windy weather and if it is sunny cover up or you will roast like the proverbial Sunday chook. 

Take water and some snacks with you as well.....

Some sections of the Bridal Path are steeper than others

Road tunnel opening and lower Gondola terminus, Port Hills

The mid section of the Bridal Path, Heathcote Valley

There are several rock fall pathways across the track and the threat is real...a person was tragically killed walking the Bridal Path on the day of the Christchurch Earthquake. The authorities have installed some barriers, nets and fences to protect you but some of the rocks which have fallen down here were the size of three story buildings so there is that....

There are rock fall zones along the Bridal Path, Port Hills

The Bridal Path comes to an end just next to the Lyttleton Road Tunnel and there is a small carpark at the end which will hold a dozen cars. The last 300 meters of the track has some shade from some high banks and trees and there is a shaded seat near the bottom if you want to sit a spell and take in the surrounds...

On the lower section of the Bridal Path, Heathcote Valley

Here is a fine view of the LPG pipeline which runs up and over the Port Hills next to the track. Over the years thousands of people walked up the route of the pipeline as an alternate to walking the Bridal Path. The Council has taken note of this and there is now a grassy pathway next to the pipeline for you to walk along. 

FYI: It is false economy...it is steeper and harder to walk up than the track and takes about the same amount of time so it is not a route I would take...

The LPG pipeline runs over the Port Hills

Rock fall barriers along the Bridal Path

It is super dry on the Port Hills at this time of the year...we have had no significant rain for awhile and it has been hot so all the grass has turned brown and started to blow away. It is a stark, dry and tired looking area to walk through...

Road tunnel ventilation unit near the Bridal Path, Port Hills

Another of the seats along the Bridal Path, Port Hills

The whole route covers 4.5 kilometers and takes about 1.5-2 hours to walk from the terminus building to the carpark. You should use your trekking poles if you have some or you will have sore thigh muscles the next day...it is all downhill and on an acute angle!

...just about at the end of the Bridal Path...

Information about the journey of the early settlers, Bridal Path

Carpark at the Heathcote end of the Bridal Path

From the carpark you can make your way back to the Gondola for the Lyttleton leg of the Pathway or head off for the rest of your day. The Gondola is quite expensive so I recommend you buy a year pass for about $100 which is the same price as two rides and gives you unlimited access to the attraction for a whole year.

It was busy on the Bridal Path on the day...

Bridal Path sign at the bottom of the Heathcote Valley section

The Lyttleton bus stops right outside the lower terminus so if you are going to ride and walk this is where you will start/finish. The bus back into the Central City also stops here.....

Lyttleton to City bus stop at the lower Gondola terminus

Mt Cavendish and the Gondola terminus, Port Hills

The Bridal Path is a nice weekend walk and should be on the bucket list of every person who lives in Canterbury. If you are not up to walking the full track in one go do like me and just walk the downhill direction using the Gondola. Alternately walk along the Crater Rim Walkway to this point and walk down to the Gondola carpark like I did back in 2014.

Silver Surfer parked at the Gondola carpark

I set out for the Routeburn Track a couple of days after this walk and you will see a number of posts about it over the next couple of weeks. Come on back for those adventures...

Access: The Christchurch Gondola can be accessed from the terminal at the head of the Heathcote Valley, next to the Lyttleton Tunnel entrance. Track end is on Governors Bay Road/Norwich Street in Lyttleton. Take the No. 28 bus to get back to the start of the track in Heathcote Valley.
Track Times: 10 minutes for the Gondola ride, 30 minutes to the apex of the Bridal Path and then another 30-40 minutes to the track end in Heathcote Valley.
Miscellaneous: The track is steep, rough and rocky with very slippery stones on the surface. Please take care at all times and try to control your descent speed. There are several rock fall zones and drop off points so keep small children close. There is a café, toilets and gift shop at the Gondola top station and a cafe next to the bus stop on Norwich Street in Lyttleton