Ashley Rakahuri Regional Park

Okay, so I'm here at the Ashley Rakahuri Regional Park, and it's pretty expansive, covering over a thousand acres along the Ashley River, also known as Rakahuri, and the Okuku River. Environment Canterbury manages the whole thing.

It's a really popular spot for a bunch of things – I've seen people fishing, walking, swimming, and cycling, and it would be perfect for a family picnic. The landscape is a mix, with some pine forests and other non-native trees like willows and poplars, but they are working on bringing back more native plants in some areas, which is cool. The Ashley River itself is quite steep and known for moving a lot of sediment, more so than other braided rivers here in New Zealand.

The history here is pretty interesting, especially when you think about the river. Apparently, the Ashley River has a history of flooding; back in 1953, it burst its banks near the Rangiora Traffic Bridge, causing a lot of damage in surrounding towns. That's actually why this park exists – to help protect against future floods. They started formally opening parts of the park in October 2012. There have been a few recent incidents too; in 2020, Environment Canterbury cut down 500 trees without much community input, and then in 2021, some motorcyclists and four-wheel-drivers unfortunately rode through a black-billed gull colony, killing some of those rare birds. Also, just last June, parts of the park were closed due to flooding again.

For recreation, you can really do a lot here. Besides fishing, swimming, walking, and cycling, I even saw some signs about game-bird hunting. Dogs are allowed, but you definitely need to keep them under control. If you're thinking of a BBQ, gas ones are fine away from vegetation, but no fires at all, and don't expect any on-site barbecues. There's a nice path called the Mike Kean Walkway that connects the State Highway 1 road bridge and the rail bridge. And if you're into mountain biking, the Rakahuri Trail is great; it follows the river downstream from Groyne 1, with some shorter single-track options branching off. It's a two-way path, mostly loose compact shingle. They even extended it to Waikuku Beach in 2017, doubling its length. The North Canterbury BMX Club also has tracks accessible from Milton Ave. The easiest ways to get in seem to be from the Rangiora/Ashley traffic bridge or the State Highway 1 bridge, and there are plenty of carparks around.