Canterbury’s diverse landscape offers an array of trails for walking and biking.
The Lodge offers the complimentary use of 4 bicycles for exploring the immediate area with many guests enjoying the easy 6-kilometre loop in the Otahuna Valley. The quiet country roads are perfect for cycling and visits can be made to a local Tai Tapu café or the Longueville Art Gallery.
More adventurous guests might join a cycling guide along the summit road taking in spectacular views over Christchurch city and the nearby coastline. Or, they may wish to visit the new Christchurch Adventure Park, the largest downhill mountain bike park in the Southern hemisphere.
The local area offers a great selection of walking opportunities for every level of fitness. Some of our favourites include:
Bridle Path
This steep track with a 300m climb re-traces the steps of Christchurch’s first European settlers. It starts from volcanic Lyttelton Harbour before summiting the Port Hills and descending into the Heathcote Valley at the base of the Christchurch Gondola. 1.5 hours one way or 3 hours return.
Godley Head
Leaving from the surfing beach at Taylor’s Mistake, this coastal walkway offers spectacular views of the city, New Brighton Beach, estuaries and the Southern Alps. This track climbs to Godley Head with its historic World War II military buildings overlooking the entrance to Lyttelton Harbour. 3 hours return.
Hinewai Reserve
Hinewai Reserve boasts sweeping views and some of the best walking opportunities on the Banks Peninsula, including almost 12 kilometres of well-marked tracks. The 1000 hectare reserve offers wonderful old-growth bush as well as vast swathes of regenerating native bush under the stewardship of New Zealand’s leading botanist. 1 hour to half-day walks.
Orton Bradley
Orton Bradley Park is a charming out-of-town destination, spanning 653 hectares from the shores of Lyttelton Harbour to Mt Herbert, the highest peak (919m) on the Banks Peninsula. There is a wide array of short walks and longer tramps alongside a working farm park and numerous historic buildings. 45 minute to full-day walks.