Hiking & Walking


The Ashburton District offers visitors an array of hiking & walking experiences; from a short walk suitable for the whole family, to challenging multi-day hikes across high country conservation land for the serious tramper. Below are some of the most popular walking tracks in the region.

    Ashburton Walkway
Grade: Easy
Walking Time: 2 to 3 hours return
Starting at the north bank of the Ashburton River near the State Highway One bridget, the walkway passes a metal quarry, sports field and a scout camp. The track leads through willows with occasional glimpses of the river. It ends at Cochranes Road, which can be used with Beach Road to complete a circuit and return to the starting point.
 

  Awa Awa Rata Reserve
Grade: Easy - Moderate
Walking Time: 1 to 4 hours return 
The Awa Awa Rata Reserve is picnic area based at the bottom of Mt Hutt Forest with barbeque areas, shelter and a magnificent display of flowering rhododendrons during spring. Various walks from 1 to 4 hours can be accessed from the reserve and provide glimpses of the Canterbury Plains.
 

  Hakatere Conservation Park
Grade: Easy to Moderate
Walking Time: Various
The Hakatere Conservation Park extends over some 50,000 hectares and will expand further in the future as new areas are added through land tenure changes. The park offers a range of recreational opportunities including swimming, boating, tramping, climbing, skiing, hunting, mountain biking, picnicking, camping, natural history appreciation, fossicking, horse riding and fishing. For a PDF brochure of the park, click here.
     

  Methven Walkway
Grade: Easy
Walking Time: 1 to 3 hours return
An easy walkway mainly following grass verges beside the Rangitata Diversion Race (a hydro-electric irrigation channel) and private farmland. The Walkway commences and ends at the Methven i-SITE Visitor Centre and is intersected by various country roads allowing several walking options. The walkway is also a popular option for mountain bikers. For a PDF map of the walkway, click here.
 

  Mt Somers Tracks
Grade: Moderate
Walking Time: 1 to 2 days
The track is a loop track around Mt Somers. For those intending to complete the loop, a counter-clockwise walk is recommended, starting from Sharplin Falls car park. The most popular section of the trip is from Sharplin Falls to Woolshed Creek picnic area. Approximately 17 km long, this section is graded as easy tramping and takes about 10 hours to complete. The return section of the track across the south face of Mt Somers is suitable for more experienced trampers. The whole traverse takes approximately 2 days. For a PDF map of the t, click here.
     

 

Rakaia Gorge Walkway
Grade: Easy
Walking Time: 3 hours return
The Rakaia Gorge Walkway starts at the northern edge of the Rakaia River off the Inland Scenic Route 72. The 5 km walkway offers several unique features of geological and historic interest. The route passes through forest and shrub communities to an historic ferryman's cottage site, home guard fortification site and old coal mines with visible shafts. There are great views of the gorge. A one way journey can be achieved by jet boating up the river with one of the jet boat companies based at the Rakaia Gorge and then walking back to the carpark. For a PDF map of the walkway, click here
 
   

Rakaia River Terrace Walkway
Grade: Easy
Walking Time: 3 hours return
The walkway is 6 km (return) easy grade. It starts from the river end of West Belt in Rakaia (entrance by the Resource Recovery park)  and follows the edge of the river terrace alongside a newly planted pine plantation to Wolsely Road. You can then return along the same track or return to Rakaia via Normanby Road. There is a small section at the start about 1 km long from which you can go down a small access road back to Rakaia Domain and township. There are great river views to the Rakaia Gorge, a vista of the Southern Alps and also Bank Peninsula. 
 

  Sharplin Falls
Grade: Easy
Walking Time: 1 hour return
Sharpin Falls Scenic Reserve (via Staveley township) is a picnic area within the Mount Somers Conservation Area. As well as the start or finish point for the Mt Somers Track, it also offers a short scenic walk to Sharplin Falls. It begins with a large swing bridge over Bowyers Stream and ends at Sharplin Falls, twin falls which drop 7m over the Mt Somers Southern Fault into two large pools - ideal swimming holes on a hot day.
 

 

Washpen Falls
Grade: Moderate
Walking Time:  1 1/2 hours return
This unspoilt area is easily accessed via sympathetically constucted tracks, stairs and board walks.  At the top of the climb you are rewarded with fabulous views across the Canterbury Plains to the sea. As you descend back down the canyon the tack takes you alongside sparkling sprin-fed creeks and stunning waterfalls, creating the longest tributary of the Hororata river. The track ends beside an idyllic lake, suitable for a row boat or ice skating in the winter. A suitably rustic covered dining are beside the lake is an ideal spot for a picnic. For further information click here
     

  Woolshed Creek
Grade: Easy
Walking Time: 40 mins to 2 hours return
Woolshed Creek (via Mt Somers township) is large, grassy, sheltered picnic and camping area, with toilets and information panels within the Mount Somers Conservation Area. As well as the start or finish point for the 2 day Mt Somers Track, Woolshed Creek offers a series of short walks including the Nature Trail (40mins return), Rhyolie Ridge Track (1 hour return) and Sidewinder Track (2 hours return).

Maps for the above walks can be purchased at both the Ashburton & Methven i-SITE Visitor Centres.

The Ashburton District also offers several moderate to hard tracks for the serious tramper, including Mt Somers Summit, Mt Winterslow, Mt Alford, Mt Harper, Mt Potts, Mt Taylor, Mt Catherine, Cameron Valley, Pudding Hill Range, Mt Hutt Summit, Steepface Hill, Double Hill, and Banfield Hut.

Information on these tramps can be found in various tramping guides. We recommend Pat Barrett’s walking & tramping guide “Canterbury Foothills & Forests”. Pat is a very experienced tramper and a superb photographer and his attractive and informative guide book includes information on all these walks and tramps. The guidebook can be brought in many book shops or through his website.


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