In early May I revisited one of the sections of the Christchurch 360 Trail I have previously completed. I rode from the bottom of Mt Pleasant out to the edge of Travis Wetlands to film some vlog clips for my YouTube channel.
This trip is on the Estuary-Wetlands section of the greater Christchurch 360 Trail and takes in parks, reserves and cycleways along the way. The route I followed was not the official one as I chose a shorter more direct way to cover the ground. The pieces I missed on this trip were the Ferrymead tow paths along the Heathcote River and the section from Ruru Lawn Cemetery to New Brighton Road...the rest is the actual official route.
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| View out over the estuary of the Heathcote/Avon Rivers |
I lived in Bromley as a child and have previously covered all the missed section many times before but I will go out and follow the official route in the future. If you come back in a couple of months I will have filled in the gaps on this post.
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| The parking lot at the Mt Pleasant Yacht Club |
This was the first outing for my mountain bike on the blog...I bought it in 2021 and intend to do a bit more cycling as it was my main passion in the early 1990's. I have an urge to get on some of the new cycle trails and this is my starting point. I'm looking at the Otago Rail Trail, Alps 2 Ocean and West Coast Wilderness Trail going forward.
Setting out for the Travis Wetlands:
Just a note from the start...this is not wholly the official route for the Christchurch 360 Trail. If you follow the official route there is a different section from the Mt Pleasant Bridge through Bromley and Aranui to ANZAC Drive.
This is Jon's especial and far more direct route...
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| ...it was a beautiful mid winter day in Christchurch... |
You start from the carpark at the Mt Pleasant Yacht Club and head off along the dual cycle-walking pathway to the Ferrymead Bridge at the bottom of Mt Pleasant. You can get to the start by car, on bike, walking or by bus from the City.
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| The Mt Pleasant-Travis Wetland section starts here |
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| There is a set of toilets at Mt Pleasant Yacht Club carpark |
You head down the pathway passing the Yacht Club on the way and cross over the Heathcote on the Ferrymead Bridge...
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| Heading past the Mt Pleasant Yacht Club on the cycleway |
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...the first part of the track is dual use..
If you are following the official route cross the road here and follow the marked track along the banks of the Heathcote River on the old Tow Pathway at the back of Settlers Crescent. I continued along the cycleway and headed off to the right along Humphreys Drive heading for Linwood Avenue.
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| Crossing the bridge over the Heathcote at Ferrymead |
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| View from the Ferrymead Bridge over the Heathcote |
You cycle along Humphreys Road for about a kilometer passing a couple of parking areas with good views out over this end of the Estuary. Take care along this road section as it is very busy...which it why it is not the official 360 Trail route...
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| On Humphreys Road heading into Bromley |
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| View over the Estuary from the Humphreys Road carpark |
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| Humphreys Road carpark enroute to Linwood Ave |
There is a cycleway which runs along Linwood Avenue right down to Eastgate Mall. It has the old canal running next to for the first kilometer of Linwood Avenue...this was once used as a transport conduit to waiting coastal steamers anchored in the Estuary.
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| On the cycleway along Linwood Avenue in Bromley |
About 200 meters along the cycleway you pass the point where the official trail joins Linwood Avenue. This pathway goes through the old suburb of Ti Raukau along Charlesworth Street. The area was demolished after the Canterbury Earthquakes due to extreme damage...a theme you are going to see a lot of along this trail section...
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| ...the actual 360 Trail goes down here... |
If you are following the official route you will go further up Linwood Avenue but I turned off at the junction of Linwood Ave and Dyers Road. You turn right here and head along Dyers Road towards the Oxidation Ponds on the edge of Bromley.
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| Turn right on the corner of Linwood Ave and Dyers Road |
There is a cycleway along Dyers Road which will take you to the connection with ANZAC Drive further along this section. Take care along here as it is a busy industrial area and there is a lot of fast traffic especially trucks. There is a service station on Dyers Road which is the only place to buy water and food along this whole route.
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| ...there is a cycleway right along Dyers Road... |
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| Heading along Dyers Road to the oxidation ponds |
I headed up to and over the oxidation ponds riding towards the intersection of Dyers Road and Breezes Road. This part of my route is actually along SH74 so I am not sure of the legality of riding here. It is illegal to walk or ride along State Highways here in New Zealand but I did see other cyclists so...?????
Who knows...!!!
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| Heading over the oxidation ponds on Dyers Road |
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| Bexley Park is on the far side of the oxidation ponds |
As you head over the oxidation ponds you get a good view of the source of the stanking miasma plaguing Christchurch at the moment...the ruins of the old sewage treatment plant. There was a fire there in 2021 and the city is enveloped in a stench from the rotting biomass used to treat our wastewater. They have started working on fixing it but it will take time as there are 25 000 tons of biomass to remove....
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| ...the source of the miasma stinking out Christchurch... |
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| Ocean side of the oxidation ponds in Bromley |
On the northern side of Breezes Road you are travelling along ANZAC Drive and will stay on this road right down to the Travis Wetlands. You pass by the mouth of the Avon River between South Brighton and the old suburb of Bexley and there is a cycleway on the ocean side of the road you can ride on. Try to stay off the road as it is super busy...
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| Looking back along Dyers Road towards the Port Hills |
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| On Dyers Road with Bexley Reserve to left |
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| South Brighton is opposite the mouth of the Avon River |
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| Wetlands at mouth Avon River in Bexley |
The suburb of Bexley was the worst affected by the Canterbury Earthquakes as it was built on reclaimed land...the whole area had salt water inundation and liquefaction and every single home had to be removed. There are streets and streets of empty land where over 500 homes once stood...
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| Looking into the old abandoned suburb of Bexley |
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| Cycleway along Dyers Road in Bexley |
This whole area is slated to become a huge wetland park but work has yet to commence on the work needed for this. It is used by the local residents as a dog park at the moment with lots of open fenced in land for the dogs to explore. I stopped here for a break some water and a snack as I had been riding for around 45 minutes by this stage.
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| Jon on Morganwood Street in the old suburb of Bexley |
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| Corner Dyers Road and Morganwood Street |
You continue along ANZAC Drive passing Pages Road and Wainoni Road as you make your way down to the ANZAC Road Bridge down near Travis Wetlands. There is a cycleway on the city side of the road the whole way so you can stay away from the traffic in reasonable safety. You are passing through the suburbs of Bexley/Aranui/Wainoni along here...
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| On ANZAC Drive between Pages Road and Wainoni Road |
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| The cleared red zone in the suburb of Aranui |
Once past Bexley you are passing through nearly three kilometers of Red Zoned ex-residential land. There were once houses right along this route but there is now a cleared buffer area which goes about a kilometer back from the Avon River. It is sad to think of all the lives disrupted by the destruction wrought by the earthquakes...
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| ANZAC Drive past Wainoni Road is lined with Gum Trees |
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| Cycleway along ANZAC Drive past Wainoni Road |
Eventually you will make it to the ANZAC Road Bridge which spans the Avon River. You cross over the bridge and have views up and down the Avon River and along New Brighton road. You can clearly see the buffer zone along the river...all slatted to be part of a new wetland park from here all the way to the City.
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| Approach to ANZAC Bridge on ANZAC Drive |
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| Red zone area near the ANZAC Bridge, Wainini |
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| ANZAC Bridge along ANZAC Drive in Aranui |
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| Avon River as seen from the ANZAC Bridge |
The park will be awesome once they construct it with a wild Kahikatea swamp reinstituted along the banks of the river. They have plans for wetland areas, Raupo swamps, a rowing complex, tracks, cycleways and wildlife reserves. It will be stunning by the time my daughters are my current age...and a great use of the land.
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| Avon River from New Brighton Road side of ANZAC Bridge |
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| Intersection of ANZAC Drive and New Brighton Road |
You are crossing over the bridge to the edge of the Travis Wetlands. There is a sub arm of the wetlands that runs along the end of ANZAC Drive from New Brighton Road down to Queen Elizabeth II Drive. This area is called Nga Tapuwae which loosely translates as The Place of Sacred Waters.
There is a nice metal sculpture on the corner of ANZAC Drive and New Brighton Road and I stopped for a while to check it out. It is clearly in the form of a Hakatere or Flax Bush.
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| Wetlands sculpture at the start of Nga Tapuwae |
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| Nga Tapuwae wetlands starts next to New Brighton Road |
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| Detail of the Nga Tapuwae sculpture on New Brighton Road |
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| Better view of the Nga Tapuwae sculpture at Travis Wetlands |
The last 400 meters of ANZAC Drive leads down to the edge of the main Travis Wetland Reserve on a dual use walkway. You are almost at the end of your journey and you have wetland alongside you from here to the end of this section of the 360 Trail.
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| Heading along SH 74 at Nga Tapuwae wetlands |
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| Raupo swamp along SH 74 at Nga Tapuwae |
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| ...approaching the corner of SH74 and Queen Elizabeth II Drive... |
There is an ANZAC inspired metal sculpture on the corner of ANZAC Drive and QEII Drive in the form of a group of poppies. Red poppies are the symbol of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand and they are much in evidence around ANZAC Day. Poppies grew on the battlefields of World War One in Europe and on the Gallipoli Peninsula. They are as iconic as the Silver Fern and Kangaroo to the Antipodeans...
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| ...interesting shadows at the ANZAC sculpture on QEII Drive... |
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| Poppies are the symbol of the ANZAC tradition |
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| Cross QEII Drive here to skirt Travis Wetland |
You turn left and walk alongside Queen Elizabeth II Drive for the last kilometer down to the entrance into Travis Wetland. The wetlands are on your right side and the busy QEII Drive the left. It would have been a wonderful day for a walk through the Wetlands but I had the bike ride back to my car to look forward to so did not head through the reserve.
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| Looking out over Travis Wetland from QEII Drive |
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| Travis Wetland from the cycleway along QEII Drive |
There are bus shelters along QEII Drive and I discovered that it is on the No. 60 route which goes right past my front gate through the City and out to Southshore. You could conceivably use public transport to access both ends of the track if you are walking or running. This would certainly save you a return journey to collect your car...
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| View along Queen Elizabeth II Drive towards city |
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| View along Queen Elizabeth II Drive towards ocean |
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| No. 60 bus goes from Hillmorton to Southshore |
Eventually you make it to the entrance to Travis Wetland off Queen Elizabeth II Drive...from here the 360 Tail goes through the Wetlands to emerge out on Mairehau Road on the northern edge of the reserve.
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| Entry to Travis Wetlands on QEII Drive in Parklands |
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| Sign at the end of this Christchurch 360 section |
This was the end of the section of the Christchurch 360 Trail section I was riding...it had taken me nearly two hours to get to this point on my bike. I estimate this would be a 3-4 hour one way walk so riding this section would seem to make sense. From here you can continue along the trail to Waimairi Beach and then out to Brooklands. I turned around and rode back the way I had come...
Christchurch 360 section details: Mt Pleasant to Travis Wetland
Access: Start at the Mt Pleasant Yacht Club, ends at the entrance to Travis Wetlands on Queen Elizabeth II Drive
Track Times: Approximately 8 km's, 3-4 hours one way walking, 1-2 hours on a cycle
Miscellaneous: No. 60 bus stops at QEII Drive and goes to my home in Hillmorton. There is a bus service from Mt Pleasant back into town. Park at Mt Pleasant Yacht Club carpark or near Travis County in Burwood
Christchurch 360 Trail: Coastal Walkway: Mt Pleasant to Scarborough - Mt Pleasant to Travis Wetlands Section - Travis Wetland to Waimairi Beach
