Northern Pegasus Bay

This place, Northern Pegasus Bay, is a regional park in the northern part of Canterbury's Pegasus Bay on New Zealand's South Island, operated by Environment Canterbury. It covers the area north of the Waimakariri River, including the beaches in Kairaki, The Pines Beach, Woodend, Waikuku, Leithfield, Amberley, and the Ashley River / Rakahuri estuary.

The sandy and pebbly beaches, river mouths, estuaries, and dunes here provide important habitats. The Ashley Rakahuri Estuary is a major site for birds on the South Island's east coast, with spotted shags and white-fronted terns regularly sighted. You might also spot banded dotterels, pied stilts, the endangered wrybill, black-billed gulls, and black-fronted terns. There are also seasonal migrations of birds like grey-tailed tattlers, whimbrels, eastern curlews, bar-tailed godwits, and red knots.

The mixed sand and gravel beaches here have been eroding since the 1980s, and this, combined with heavy rainfall, has impacted the tuatua in the bay. There have been a few changes to how the park is managed over the years; for instance, in 2016, changes were made to restrict vehicles, horse riders, and dogs to improve safety, reduce nuisances, and protect the environment. The next year, drone usage was also restricted. In November 2018, extra patrols were introduced after four-wheel drivers caused destruction, and in November 2020, University of Canterbury research found that vehicles had a significant impact, though dune health improved after vehicle permits were required. In January 2021, Environment Canterbury dealt with bylaw breaches and warned against recreational driving after a vehicle was seen speeding down The Pines Beach.

You can swim and surf safely at all beaches here, except near the Waimakariri River mouth at Kairaki Beach. A surf club patrols Waikuku, Pegasus Town, and Woodend during the summer. Land sailing is allowed on the sea beaches and the Ashley Rakahuri estuary with some rules. Gas barbecues and picnics are allowed in areas free of vegetation, but open fires are not, and there are no on-site barbecues. Drones and microlights are restricted, especially in the Ashley / Rakahuri and Saltwater Creek estuarine areas, to protect birds.

Two-wheel motorbikes and recreational driving are banned. Vehicles are only allowed on the beach to transport recreational equipment like boats, surfboards, and fishing gear, but be aware they can get caught in changing tides. Fishing is allowed in various places, with surfcasting along the beachfronts. Whitebaiting is permitted during the season at river mouths, but you need a permit for the Ashley River mouth. Salmon fishing is possible at several spots, particularly at Kairaki Beach. Offshore kayak and boat fishing are considered safer here than in the Canterbury Bight because there aren't strong undertows and longshore rips. The bay is also suitable for drag netting flounder and other fish, especially just north of Kairaki at the Waimakariri River mouth.

There are several cycling tracks, like the short one from Amberley Beach to the Waipara River mouth, which connects to a four-wheel-drive track to the Amberley Rocks. The Kowai Track runs from the Leithfield Hotel to Leithfield Beach, and the Tutaepatu Trail connects Waikuku Beach to Woodend Beach, linking to the Pegasus Trail to Kairaki Beach.

Dogs must be controlled and are prohibited in the Ashley-Rakahuri estuary area. Horse riding is allowed along sections of the bay below the high tide line, but horses are not allowed in the Ashley Rakahuri Estuary, the Kowai River mouth, the Waipara River