The Dunes Wetlands leg of the Christchurch 360 Trail runs from the bridge over the Avon River on Pages Rd to the Spencer Beach Holiday Park.
The route includes the Burwood Red Zone, the wonderful Travis Wetland Nature Heritage Park, Bottle Lake Forest, and coastal dunes.
The leg is 15.9km long and will take 6 to 7 hours for a walker to complete.
Things to see
You can find a Google Map of Things To See here.
Description walking anti-clockwise:-
Cockayne Reserve
This reserve can be seen across the Ōtākaro/Avon, at the beginning of this section of the trail. In 1951, the 8-ha site was a dense swamp containing a fair representation of the flora that existed before European settlement. It was planned to be a wild garden for native plants and a bird sanctuary. In 1977, the New Brighton Horticultural Society suggested it be named for Leonard Cockayne, one of the most prominent botanists in New Zealand in the early 20th century. Cockayne had bought, in 1892, a nearby property in Wainoni, Tarata, at the corner of Eureka Road and what is now Anzac Drive. There he established an experimental garden for botanical purposes, as well as advocating the establishment of experimental plant research stations in New Zealand. In 1897 he founded the Canterbury Beautifying Association. The city council commenced a restoration programme for the reserve in 1984, subsequently including a walkway. However the walkway has not been operational since the 2010-11 earthquakes.
Wainoni
The suburb of Wainoni was named for the home of William Bickerton (1842-1929), from Maori for bend in the river, built in 1884 on the south side of the Avon River at the bend where Porritt Park was established. Generally regarded as little better than a desert, the area originally known as the Sand Hills district, between Christchurch and New Brighton, was flat land humped up into a series of low, shifting sand hills, barren except for a few hardy native plants. In 1875 the Architect and Christchurch City Surveyor Cornelius Cuff (1837-1901) purchased all of the area that would become known as Wainoni. From the early 1880s Cuff subdivided much of his land into rural-recreational blocks of 20 to 30 acres. With the advent of sewerage connections from the late-1940s Wainoni developed, especially in the 1960s, as a suburb of predominantly three-bedroom weather board houses on quarter acre sections.
Wainoni Road Bridge
Approaching the bridge the trail passes an ‘avenue’ of ngaio trees (Myoporum laetum). These trees, endemic to New Zealand including the Chatham Islands, grow to a height of four metres and are common in coastal areas.
Anzac Drive Bridge
Anzac Drive was named in honour of the Burwood-New Brighton people who served New Zealand in overseas conflicts. Officially opened in 2000, it was the first stage of the Burwood expressway. The bridge across the Avon features streetlights atop wands on decorated concrete supports.
Anzac Bridge with lights on wands; pied shag in the foreground
Mahinga Kai
After crossing Anzac Bridge, the trail turns left along New Brighton Road. However immediately opposite, across New Brighton Road and beside Anzac Drive, is a reserve which is being developed as an exemplar project for what is known as Mahinga Kai. Mahinga kai is the concept that exemplifies the complex, interconnected cultural beliefs and practices of Ngāi Tahu in relation to the environment, describing not only the species gathered but the places and practices involved in doing so. It includes the direct and indirect use of resources for ceremonial, medicinal and sustenance purposes. To achieve this Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Ngāi Tūāhuriri, the Avon Ōtākaro Network and the Canterbury Waterways Research Centre have agreed to work together with the aim of developing an environmental infrastructure which includes recognition of cultural and heritage values, restoration and enhancement of ecosystems, natural habitat, biodiversity, inanga spawning, pathway connections, stormwater treatment, land drainage, food production and active and passive recreation. The proposal is an ecological reserve from the city to the sea, including restoration of mahinga kai, and is inseparable from the restoration of natural habitat, water quality and biodiversity.
Burwood Red Zone
Upon crossing New Brighton Road and following Corsers Stream, the trail enters the Burwood Residential Red Zone. The February 2011 earthquake caused such severe liquefaction and slumping towards the Avon River that the ground was deemed unsuitable to rebuild on. The government purchased the land from residents, taking over their insurance claims, In total, 7300 properties on flat land were zoned red, covering 630 hectares.
Corsers Stream
Corsers Stream is named for E.W.Corser an early landowner in the area. In 1883, Corser sold what is now Travis Swamp (see below) to William Henry Travis. The stream drains Travis Wetland into the Ōtākaro/Avon. Immediately commencing the trail beside the stream, on the right, is what was Corsers Stream (or Brooker) Reserve. At the NE entrance of the reserve is a bronze plaque set on a large rock commemorating Stephen and Rebecca Brooker. Stephen Brooker (1819-1899), a hansom cab-driver in Christchurch, is attributed with giving New Brighton its name. The trail leaves Brooker Street to cross Donnell Sports Park. At the NW part of the park, Corsers Stream forms a pond which has a sizeable stand of raupō. Landcare Research relates that Maori made versatile use of raupō. The dry leaves are the traditional material used for covering poi, which are then filled with the fluffy down from the seed heads. Traditionally, raupō stalks were used for thatching the walls and roofs of whare (houses) and storehouses, and the down was used to stuff bedding. The leaves were used for canoe sails and kites, while bundles of the stalks made temporary rafts. The starchy rhizomes were an important food, and the yellow pollen was gathered and baked into a sweet, light cake.
Travis Wetland
After more than a century of trying to farm this extensive wetland, developers proposed filling the ‘swamp’ in for housing. However, Anne Flanagan and others had an alternative vision and in 1992 a trust was established to preserve the wetland and develop it as a nature heritage park. In 1997, the Christchurch City Council purchased more land to extend the park to cover 119 hectares. Today it is an urban wetland of international renown. Fifty-five species of birds make their home here. The wetland is also home to endangered species such as the native short-finned eel, the Canterbury mudfish and the Common and McCann’s skinks. Wetland flora species are also well represented including azolla (water fern), which can be seen from the Information Kiosk.
Azolla – water fern
After passing the entrance to the Information Kiosk, the trail passes, on the right, what was once a cowshed and also a red barn. These are reminders of when the wetland was farmed. The concrete (milking) shed was used by the Florance family for a town milk supply herd of cows up to the 1970s.
Tumara Park
Essentially a 21st century suburban development, for which the Community Board requested Maori names. The trail goes north along Putake Drive (meaning bushy flax), passing Titirangi Reserve on the right.
Bottle Lake Forest
As early as 1853, Bottle Lake Forest was part of a sheep run. In 1878 the Christchurch City Council bought 1,330 acres under the Waste Lands Act, 1858, and began planting pine trees in 1912. The forest includes a number of small ponds, but the bottle-shaped lake – near what is now Windsor Golf Course – from which the forest takes its name disappeared as land was converted to farmland. As with Travis Wetland, developers had their eye on the forest for housing estates. However, once such development was declined, the forest, although still operating as a production forest, was opened to the public as a recreational area in 1975. As a result, walking, mountain biking and horse riding trails snake through the forest, with the 360 trail variously using either the forest roads or the walking tracks. There is also a Visitor’s Centre at the main carpark, off Waitikiri Drive. While appearing to be somewhat of a monoculture, toadstools, ferns, mosses and orchids can be found in the forest. Currently, the forest also hosts a landfill, which was due to be scaled down but with the 2010-11 earthquakes this has been postponed. The landfill is now being used extensively for dumping demolition rubble from the CBD. Large quantities of liquefaction silt removed from residential properties and city streets have also been deposited.
Recreation at Bottle Lake. Photo credit: Carol Fowler
Junction of 20th Avenue and Whiskey Road
At one stage some of the names for the forest roads duplicated central city names. However, reporting, for example, a fire at the junction of Colombo Street and Bealey Avenue proved confusing, so the roads were renamed. In general E-W roads were named 12th Avenue, 13th Avenue, etc., while N-S roads were named after radio call signs: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, etc. But as there already was Alpha Avenue in Papanui, at Bottle Lake, A is for Apple.
Spencer Park
With the arrival of Europeans, the Spencer Park area became part of a sandhills sheep run. By 1912 most of the vegetation had been destroyed. Stripped of its covering the sand began to drift inland. Marram grass and pines were planted to stabilise the land. During the depression of the 1930s, unemployed labour was used to lay out a 10 hectare picnic ground. Today, including the camping ground, Spencer Park comprises 81 hectares.
This section of the trail finishes across Heyders Road at the entrance to Seafield Park.
Thanks to Stuart Payne for text and photos.
Flora & Fauna
Flora
177 native species of native Plants
39 species of native Fungi including Lichens
9 species of native Protozoans
2 species of native Kelp, Diatoms & Allies
Fauna
23 species of native arachnids
4 species of native ray-finned fish
Bellbird/Korimako Anthornis melanura:
The bellbird’s loud, melodious song can be heard in bush along the coast and waterways and in trees and patches of bush in the Port Hills. Bellbirds are easier to hear than see, as their dark olive plumage makes it easy for them to blend in to the surrounding foliage.
Bellbirds feed on nectar, insects and fruits, and they play an important role in pollinating native plant species.
The bellbird is endemic to New Zealand.
Black-backed Gull/Karoro Larus dominicanus dominicanus:
The black-backed gull is New Zealand’s largest gull. It has a white body with black upperparts, yellow legs and a yellow bill. Chicks peck at the red spot at the tip of the parent’s bill to stimulate regurgitation. Fledged offspring are mottled brown.
Black-backed gulls scavenge from human populations and are more aggressive than the red-billed gulls they are often seen with.
Fantail/Piwakawaka Rhipidura fuliginosa:
Fantail (Pied morph). Photo credit: Jeremy Taylor
This friendly native is recognised by its long tail, acrobatic flight and tinny cheep. Fantails feed on insects in bush and shrub and are found in many different habitats. If you walk through bush and there are fantails nearby, they will come and check you out. Photos are difficult, however, as fantails seldom stay in one place for more than a moment.
There are two morphs. The most well-known, the pied morph, is dark brown, with a cream-coloured belly and black and white bands. The black morph is dark brown all over, with no banding and a white spot behind each eye. About a quarter of South Island fantails are black.
Grey warbler/Riroriro Gerygone igata:
Grey Warbler. Photo credit: Jeremy Taylor
The grey warbler’s long, melodic song is familiar background music throughout much of New Zealand. Smaller than a sparrow, the grey warbler has a grey-brown back, a white belly and red eyes. They feed on insects in the treetops, and this habit and its size means the grey warbler is more often heard than seen.
The grey warbler is endemic to New Zealand.
Silvereye or Waxeye/Tahou Zosterops lateralis:
The silvereye is slightly smaller than a sparrow, with an olive head, grey and buff body and a distinctive white ring around each eye. Young birds do not have the white rings. They have a quiet, high-pitched call.
The silvereye was first recorded in New Zealand in the 1830s and has since spread throughout both islands. Silvereyes tend to flock in flowering bushes. They eat insects, nectar and fruit.
Swamp Harrier Circus approximans:
Swamp Harrier. Photo credit: Jeremy Taylor
A large hawk that likes open fields, coastal fringes, and wetlands. Food includes small birds and mammals, insects, and small reptiles. They will feed on road-kill carrion.
Black swan Cygnus atratus:
The black swan is an Australian swan that was introduced to New Zealand in the 1860s. It is thought that black swans have also flown from Australia and that most of the current population are descended from self-introduced birds rather than arising from the birds acclimatised in the 1860s.
Grey duck/Parera and Mallard Anas superciliosa (grey) and Anas platyrhynchos (mallard)
Grey ducks and mallards are found on many New Zealand lakes and rivers. Both male and female grey ducks are similar in appearance to mallard females. Because the two species interbreed, the plumage of male mallards varies considerably.
Mallards are larger and more dominant, and as a result grey ducks are critically endangered.
Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena:
Swallow building nest. Photo credit: Jeremy Taylor
A native bird, they self-introduced from Australia. Named in Australia as they appeared in South Australia at the start of spring, a welcome sign that warmer weather was on the way. They are tolerant of many habitats, but are most often seen around wetland areas and the coast. They hunt small insects on the wing. They also drink while flying, swooping low over water and scooping it up. They are acrobatic and fast fliers, recognisable in silhouette by their forked tails. They create nests from mud and grasses, often fixing these to man-made structures such as bridges or houses, under shelter and out of the sun.
White-faced Heron, Egretta novaehollandiae.
White-faced Heron. Photo credit: Jeremy Taylor
White heron/Kotuku (native) Ardea alba modesta:
Kotuku. Photo credit: Jeremy Taylor
The kotuku, or white heron, is treasured by Maori due to its rarity. It breeds at Okarito Lagoon on the West Coast, but is occasionally seen on the Avon-Heathcote estuary or in the Linwood Avenue canal. With a nationwide population of only 100-200, the kotuku is endangered in New Zealand, although the species is common elsewhere.
The kotuku’s bright white plumage and black bill and legs distinguish it from other birds in the waterways. Kotuku feed in shallow waters on small vertebrates and invertebrates.
The kotuku features on New Zealand’s $2 coin.
New Zealand scaup Aythya novaeseelandiae:
NZ Scaup. Photo credit: Jeremy Taylor
This small diving duck can be found in waterways around Christchurch. The male has bright yellow eyes and both male and female have dark brown plumage.
New Zealand shoveler Anas rhynchotis variegata:
This duck is similar in size and shape to the grey duck and mallard, but has a longer bill with a rounder tip. Like the grey duck and mallard, shovelers are dabbling ducks, feeding from the surface rather than diving.
The New Zealand population is about 30,000 and shovelers are occasionally seen on Christchurch waterways.
Paradise shelduck/Putakitaki Tadorna variegata:
Paradise Shelducks F+M. Photo credit: Jeremy Taylor
The Paradise shelduck is large and goose-like and can be found in parks and along waterways throughout Christchurch. Often found in pairs, the female is the more striking bird, with a white head and chestnut-coloured body. The male is darker, with a black head.
In flight, the male gives a low honk, while the female answers with a higher-pitched call.
Ducklings are brown and white-striped, and fledged young resemble the male.
Pukeko Porphyrio porphyria:
Pukeko. Photo credit: Jeremy Taylor
Pukeko are often seen alongside waterways and in paddocks. It has blue and black plumage, a red bill and shield and long red legs. Pukeko eat mostly vegetation, but will eat eggs, invertebrates and other small animals.
Pukeko chicks are black and fluffy, with their parents’ large feet.
