ARTHUR’S PASS Sensational Selwyn Walking & Biking Guide www.sensationalselwyn.co.nz walking tracks 1 ESCAPE TO SELWYN JUST 20 MINUTES FROM CHRISTCHURCH Beautiful Scenery | Historic Homesteads & Gardens | Artisan Wineries & Food Producers | Restaurants & Cafes | Country Golf Courses | Walking & Biking | Ski Selwyn Six | Boutique Accommodation | Conference & Event Venues | Country Markets & Shops Sensational Selwyn stretches across the great Canterbury plains and is bounded by the mighty Rakaia and Waimakariri Rivers, with Arthur’s Pass National Park in the Southern Alps to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. For more information on what there is to see and do in Selwyn visit www.sensationalselwyn.co.nz Selwyn District Council 2 Norman Kirk Drive, Rolleston Ph: +64 3 347 2800 Arthur’s Pass National Park Visitors Information Centre State Highway 73, Arthur’s Pass Ph: +64 3 318 9211 CONTENTS Track Grades 5 SELWYN MAP 6 Safety Information 8 ARThur’S Pass SHORT WALKS Cockayne Nature Walk 9 Dobson Nature Walk 10 Lake Misery Walking Track 10 Millennium Walk 11 Old Coach Road 11 WALKING TRACKS Arthur’s Pass Historical Walk 12 Arthur’s Pass Walking Track 12 Bealey Valley 13 Devils Punchbowl Waterfall 13 TRAMPING TRACKS Avalanche Peak 14 Bealey Spur 14 Carroll Hut 15 Cass Saddle - Lagoon Saddle 16 Hawdon Hut 16 Mt Aicken 17 Mt Bealey 17 Mt Cassidy (Cons Track) 18 O’Malleys Track 18 Otira Valley 19 Temple Basin 19 ROUTES Avalanche Peak - Crow River 20 Carrington Hut 21 Casey Saddle - Binser Saddle 21 Edwards - Hawdon Via Tarn Col 22 Edwards Hut 22 Harman Pass - Taipo River 23 Harper Pass 24 Mingha - Deception (Goat Pass) 24 Three Passes 25 AREA MAP 26 walking tracks 1 SOUTHBRIDGE, Lincoln & LEESTON SHORT WALKS Harts Creek 28 Lincoln Historical Walk 29 WALKING TRACKS Coopers Lagoon 30 Little River Rail Trail 31 1: Christchurch (Hornby) to Prebbleton 31 2: Prebbleton to Lincoln 32 3: Lincoln to Ahuriri Reserve 32 4: Ahuriri Reserve to Motukarara 33 5: Motukarara to Birdlings Flat 33 6: Birdlings Flat to Little River 33 AREA MAP 34 CRAIGIEBURN FOREST, CASTLE HILL, KORowai TORlesse TUssocklands PARK & Cave STREAM SHORT WALKS Cave Stream Scenic Reserve 36 WALKING TRACKS Bridge Hill Walk 37 Castle Hill Limestone Reserve 37 Craigieburn Valley Track 38 Dracophyllum Flat Track 39 Helicopter Hill 39 Hogs Back Track 40 Hut Creek Walk 40 Lyndon Saddle 41 Mistletoe Track 41 Nature Trail 42 Sidle 73 Track 42 TRAMPING TRACKS Camp Saddle Track 43 AREA MAP 44 2 ARTHUR’S PASS SOUTHBRIDGE, Lincoln & LEESTON LAKE COLERIDGE SHORT WALKS SHORT WALKS Harts Creek 28 Lake Coleridge Arboretum 46 Lincoln Historical Walk 29 Lake Coleridge Village Historical Walk 47 WALKING TRACKS WALKING TRACKS Coopers Lagoon 30 Lake Coleridge Tailrace Walk 48 Little River Rail Trail 31 Rakaia Gorge Walking Track 49 1: Christchurch (Hornby) to Prebbleton 31 2: Prebbleton to Lincoln 32 Rockwood Bush Walk 50 3: Lincoln to Ahuriri Reserve 32 Washpen Falls 51 4: Ahuriri Reserve to Motukarara 33 TRAMPING TRACKS 5: Motukarara to Birdlings Flat 33 Peak Hill 52 6: Birdlings Flat to Little River 33 Te Araroa (The Long Pathway): AREA MAP 34 New Zealand’s National Walkway 53 Arboretum Track 55 CRAIGIEBURN FOREST, CASTLE HILL, KORowai TORlesse Road Connection To Lake Hill Track 55 TUssocklands PARK & Cave STREAM Lake Hill To Homestead Road 55 SHORT WALKS AREA MAP 56 Cave Stream Scenic Reserve 36 WALKING TRACKS Bridge Hill Walk 37 SPRINGFIELD, DARFIELD, KIRWEE & GLENTUNNEL Castle Hill Limestone Reserve 37 SHORT WALKS Craigieburn Valley Track 38 Darfield Town Walk - Walkway A 58 Dracophyllum Flat Track 39 Darfield Town Walk - Walkway B 59 Helicopter Hill 39 Hogs Back Track 40 WALKING TRACKS Hut Creek Walk 40 Glentunnel Millennium Walk 60 Lyndon Saddle 41 Kirwee Walk 60 Mistletoe Track 41 Kowai Bush Walk 61 Nature Trail 42 Sidle 73 Track 42 AREA MAP 62 TRAMPING TRACKS Camp Saddle Track 43 AREA MAP 44 walking tracks 3 SELWYN CYCLING & BIKING Aquados Tour Of Selwyn Route 64 Avoca Homestead (Hut) 64 Broken River Ski Field Road 65 Broken River Ski Field Road To Camp Saddle 65 Craigieburn Valley & Lyndon Saddle Loop 66 Dracophyllum Flat Track 67 Hogs Back Mountain Bike Track 67 Little River Rail Trail 68 1: Christchurch (Hornby) to Prebbleton 68 2: Prebbleton to Lincoln 69 3: Lincoln to Ahuriri Reserve 69 4: Ahuriri Reserve to Motukarara 70 5: Motukarara to Birdlings Flat 70 6: Birdlings Flat to Little River 71 Mt White Road 71 Poulter Valley 72 Starvation Gully To Trig M 72 Trig M To Coach Stream 73 AREA MAP 74 ICONS KEY: 30 MINUTES ROUTE Short Walking Tramping Route Biking Time to Walk Track Track Track finish 1.1 GRADE3 INTERMEDIATE DOC KILOMETRES DOWNHILL Length Level of Level of Department of Wheelchair of walk Intensity Difficulty Conservation Track Accessible 4 TRACK GRADES SHORT WALK • Easy walking for up to an hour • Track is well formed, with an even surface • There may be steps or slopes • Suitable for people of most abilities and fitness levels • Stream and river crossings are bridged • Walking shoes required WALKING TRack • Easy to moderate walking from a few minutes to a day • Track is mostly well formed, some sections may be steep, rough or muddy • Suitable for people with low to moderate fitness and abilities • Clearly signposted • Stream and river crossings are bridged • Walking shoes or light tramping/hiking boots required TRAMPING TRack • Challenging day or multi-day tramping/hiking • Track is mostly unformed with steep, rough or muddy sections • Suitable for people with good fitness. Moderate to high-level backcountry skills and experience. Navigation and survival skills required • Track has markers, poles or rock cairns • Expect unbridged stream and river crossings • Tramping/hiking boots required ROUTE ROUTE • Challenging overnight tramping/hiking • Track unformed and natural, may be rough, muddy or very steep • Suitable for people with high level backcountry (remote areas) skills and experience. Navigation and survival skills required • Complete self sufficiency required • Track has markers, poles or rock cairns • Expect unbridged stream and river crossings • Sturdy tramping/hiking boots required walking tracks 5 Grey Hurunui District District Driving times to Christchurch International Airport Legend ! Town ¯ 90mins Railway State Highway Park and Conservation Land Selwyn District Boundary Westland 60mins Rangiora District Waimakariri District 73 | Ar thurs P ass 40mins 20mins ! Oxford Christchurch City Christchurch International Airport r e i v ! R Templet on i Cast le H ill i r West M elt on ! Spr ingfield a r ! a k ! ! W a i m Pr ebblet on | ! !Waddington Shef field !Kirw ee 73 Lincoln Tai Tapu !Rollest on ! ! ! | Dar field ! Spr ingston 75 Lake !Coalgate Whit ecliff s ! ! Coleridge Glentunnel Lake C oler idge | ! ! 77 Horor ata L a k e E l l e s m e r e !Dunsandel | ( T e W a i h o r a ) ! 1 Doyleston Lees ton ! R a Sout hbr idge k a i a R i v e r ! 0 10 20 km Ashburton Rakaia H ut s District ! IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS: Emergencies Fire, Police & Ambulance 111 Arthur’s Pass Police Station: +64 3 318 9212 Darfield Police Station: +64 3 318 8002 Medical Centre: +64 3 318 8511 Leeston Police Station: +64 3 378 0150 Medical Centre: +64 3 324 3850 6 Grey Hurunui District District Arthur’s Pass KEY Southbridge, Lincoln & Leeston ! Town Legend Craigieburn Forest, State Highway ! TownCastle Hill, Korowai Torlesse Tussocklands 90mins Railway ¯ Park & Conservation Park & Cave Stream Land State Highway Lake Coleridge Park and Conservation Land Selwyn District Springfield, Darfield, Boundary Selwyn District Boundary Westland 60mins Rangiora Kirwee & Glentunnel District Waimakariri District 73 | Ar thurs P ass 40mins 20mins ! Oxford Christchurch City Christchurch International Airport r e i v ! R Templet on i Cast le H ill i r West M elt on ! Spr ingfield a r ! a k ! ! W a i m Pr ebblet on | ! !Waddington Shef field !Kirw ee 73 Lincoln Tai Tapu !Rollest on ! ! ! | Dar field ! Spr ingston 75 Lake !Coalgate Whit ecliff s ! ! Coleridge Glentunnel Lake C oler idge | ! ! 77 Horor ata L a k e E l l e s m e r e !Dunsandel | ( T e W a i h o r a ) ! 1 Doyleston Lees ton ! R a Sout hbr idge k a i a R i v e r ! 0 10 20 km Ashburton Rakaia H ut s District ! Lincoln Police Station: +64 325 2800 Medical Centre: +64 3 325 2411 Rolleston Police Station: +64 3 347 9248 Medical Centre: +64 3 347 8848 Selwyn District Council +64 3 347 2800 or +64 3 318 8338 walking tracks 7 SAFETY InfoRmation Weather • The weather in Selwyn can be unpredictable and change suddenly. Please check local weather forecasts before setting out. Skills and Experience • Refer to the track grades to choose a track that best suits your level of ability and fitness. Take sufficient supplies • Make sure you have enough food, clothing, equipment and emergency rations for the worst-case scenario. • Take an appropriate means of communication. Cell coverage is limited in remote areas. Plan Ahead • Pack all appropriate equipment and make sure you tell someone your plans before you head off. This includes where you are going, whom you are going with, when you are departing and when you expect to return. Track Status • For Department of Conservation Tracks, please check the track status with them directly www.doc.govt.nz. • For other tracks, please contact land owners for track status. Dogs • Dogs are not permitted in National Park, Kura Tawhiti (Castle Hill) or anywhere where there are ground dwelling birds. All other Department of Conservation Tracks allow dogs on a leash (under control). For tracks on private land, please contact the land owner directly as many of these tracks go through working farms and stations.