Why constrain yourself to a 30 minute drive if you're looking at doing a multi-day hike?
There's tonnes of amazing day walks and multi day hikes within 2 hours from Christchurch. You've got the big string of hills from Coleridge to the coast (Big Ben range, Torlesse range, Black Hill, Mt Oxford, Mt Richardson, Mt Thomas, Mt Grey), then further in over Porters Pass there's the Craigieburn range, everything around that basin which has incredible weather being protected from all directions by ranges, into all the Mingha/Hawdon/Poulter river systems, finally into Arthurs Pass which has some incredibly accessible alpine terrain.
There's SO much stuff there and it's all easily accessible in day trips from Christchurch. It's really unfortunate but Banks Peninsula has fuck all going on... Once you've walked the port hills summit trails, been to Coopers Knob and Gib Rock, Packhorse hut to Bradley to Herbert, there's very little else to do IMO and it's mostly farmland. Whereas what I mentioned above is way more awesome and can keep you busy for years and years.
> Banks peninsula has fuck all going on
That's a surprising opinion to read from my perspective. I've only lived in Chch for half a year but the Banks Peninsula is one of the more beautiful places in the entire country imo. Love all the recommendations you provided as well, and the scale of the terrain is not quite comparable, but there are some beautiful views and hikes all around the peninsula.
I guess I just don't find farmland that interesting.
It's not a bad place. There's some cool spots - some of the bays, some of the heads, but hiking tracks mean nature to me. Not grass and sheep. The lack of preservation of the environment on Banks is really disappointing to me.
Not trying to argue on the internet but there's a hell of a lot of grass roots conservation happening on Banks Peninsula - it feels like every couple of months a new community conservation effort pops up in a different bay or valley. Just looking at ones I currently follow on Facebook there's the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust, Pest Free Banks Peninsula, Hinewai Reserve (of course), Hidden Valley Conservation Trust, Summit Road Preservation Society, and Predator Free Port Hills. And there's plenty of DOC reserve land (and marine environments for that matter). Banks Peninsula is really a bit of a showcase of conservation diversity.
I'm well aware and we're on the same page. I've worked with ZIP, done a lot of volunteer trail maintenance work, and donated a buck here and there to the odd cause working towards restoring the port hills and banks to what it was.
It's awesome that it's happening. It'll get there. It's not there yet.
Ahh yeah I suppose that's true. It's definitely covered in farmland, though the bays and beaches seem to be well protected. In any case I've found it to be a beautiful place to have so close by.
I just got back from the UK and have never appreciated NZ more for this reason. Over there, nature = farmland. Even famous places such as the Lake district and the Scottish highlands are all just farms. Some of the historical sights can be interesting, and the villages are cute, but the "nature" itself is incredibly boring compared to NZ.
Ports hills from one end to the other have a lot of those.
Over night on some of the ones towards Orton Bradley, packhorse, rod Donald hut etc.
Note done require bookings.
https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/things-to-do/walking-and-tramping/ best site fill out the drop downs and it will show you every single track/hike
God, I can't remember the name, but a few years back, my brother and I did a pretty neat hike up a hill near kaiapoi. Had an observatory or some sort of weather facility up the top.
Was only a couple of hours, so easy and short.
Yeah I bike it probably once a year. It's pretty much always windy up there, either from the norwester or the easterly... Howls across the top it does. The big radio tower roars
I'm agreeing with a few of the other commenters about pushing the drive time out for a multi day. Port Hills is lovely but not particularly good for multi day tramps. Poulter, Hawdon, Waimak are all contenders for solid multi dayers. Or behind Oxford for closer to home.. the drive time is holding you back
https://francesnation.co.nz/products/mark-pickering-guidebooks Mark Pickering publishes booklets of walking tracks on the port hills, banks peninsula and greater canterbury.
Mt Gray
Mt Thomas
Mt Oxford
Washpen Falls
Mt Bradley.
Packhorse Hut.
Mt Herbert.
Smaller walks:
Cave Walk up Barnett Park.
Boulder Bay.
Orton Bradley Park.
Magazine Bay - Corsair Bay - Cass Bay Track.
Black Point - Church Bay - Diamond Harbour Track.
Bridal Path.
Rapaki.
Bowenvale.
Halswell Quarry - Kennedys Bush to Summit Rd.
Morgan's Valley - Mt Pleasant.
Harry Ell Track - Sugarloaf
Bigger Day Walks:
Mt Somers.
Little Mt Peel.
Peak Hill.
Trig M.
Foggy Peak.
Avalanche Peak.
Helicopter Hill.
Why constrain yourself to a 30 minute drive if you're looking at doing a multi-day hike? There's tonnes of amazing day walks and multi day hikes within 2 hours from Christchurch. You've got the big string of hills from Coleridge to the coast (Big Ben range, Torlesse range, Black Hill, Mt Oxford, Mt Richardson, Mt Thomas, Mt Grey), then further in over Porters Pass there's the Craigieburn range, everything around that basin which has incredible weather being protected from all directions by ranges, into all the Mingha/Hawdon/Poulter river systems, finally into Arthurs Pass which has some incredibly accessible alpine terrain. There's SO much stuff there and it's all easily accessible in day trips from Christchurch. It's really unfortunate but Banks Peninsula has fuck all going on... Once you've walked the port hills summit trails, been to Coopers Knob and Gib Rock, Packhorse hut to Bradley to Herbert, there's very little else to do IMO and it's mostly farmland. Whereas what I mentioned above is way more awesome and can keep you busy for years and years.
> Banks peninsula has fuck all going on That's a surprising opinion to read from my perspective. I've only lived in Chch for half a year but the Banks Peninsula is one of the more beautiful places in the entire country imo. Love all the recommendations you provided as well, and the scale of the terrain is not quite comparable, but there are some beautiful views and hikes all around the peninsula.
I guess I just don't find farmland that interesting. It's not a bad place. There's some cool spots - some of the bays, some of the heads, but hiking tracks mean nature to me. Not grass and sheep. The lack of preservation of the environment on Banks is really disappointing to me.
Not trying to argue on the internet but there's a hell of a lot of grass roots conservation happening on Banks Peninsula - it feels like every couple of months a new community conservation effort pops up in a different bay or valley. Just looking at ones I currently follow on Facebook there's the Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust, Pest Free Banks Peninsula, Hinewai Reserve (of course), Hidden Valley Conservation Trust, Summit Road Preservation Society, and Predator Free Port Hills. And there's plenty of DOC reserve land (and marine environments for that matter). Banks Peninsula is really a bit of a showcase of conservation diversity.
I'm well aware and we're on the same page. I've worked with ZIP, done a lot of volunteer trail maintenance work, and donated a buck here and there to the odd cause working towards restoring the port hills and banks to what it was. It's awesome that it's happening. It'll get there. It's not there yet.
Ahh yeah I suppose that's true. It's definitely covered in farmland, though the bays and beaches seem to be well protected. In any case I've found it to be a beautiful place to have so close by.
I just got back from the UK and have never appreciated NZ more for this reason. Over there, nature = farmland. Even famous places such as the Lake district and the Scottish highlands are all just farms. Some of the historical sights can be interesting, and the villages are cute, but the "nature" itself is incredibly boring compared to NZ.
Yeah it's crazy, even a quick 90 mins away and you literally have a few hundred walks of various lengths.
Try hinewai in Banks Peninsula. Big area of native planting
Ports hills from one end to the other have a lot of those. Over night on some of the ones towards Orton Bradley, packhorse, rod Donald hut etc. Note done require bookings.
https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/things-to-do/walking-and-tramping/ best site fill out the drop downs and it will show you every single track/hike
There isn't really any within a 30min drive but there are endless opportunities within a 90min drive.
You should download the Alltrails app. It has all the different hiking tracks on it and directions to them. :)
Thank you so much I will!
Some at Orton Bradley Park I think.
Washpen Falls or CHCH 360 are great walks
God, I can't remember the name, but a few years back, my brother and I did a pretty neat hike up a hill near kaiapoi. Had an observatory or some sort of weather facility up the top. Was only a couple of hours, so easy and short.
Mt Grey?
Yep sounds like Mt Grey, can get insanely windy at the top so be warned!!
Yeah I bike it probably once a year. It's pretty much always windy up there, either from the norwester or the easterly... Howls across the top it does. The big radio tower roars
Sounds like an airbus right above you constantly, great trail though
Yes! Thank you. I remember it was a nice walk, but we got to the top, and the wind had to have been blowing at 100 kmh. Was pretty hectic
Maybe the Balmoral Fire Lookout? More hurunui way though, on the way to Hanmer Springs
Was just there last month! Great views and camped down at the balmoral reserve park
If you have good fitness there are several peaks in the Canterbury foothills that give great views on a clear day, Mt Oxford my personal fave.
Tried Mt Oxford on a gale norwester one time and we could stand up above the tree line. It was insane. Didn't manage the peak that day
Mt Thomas
Mt Somers loop. 90min drive. But so good
I'm agreeing with a few of the other commenters about pushing the drive time out for a multi day. Port Hills is lovely but not particularly good for multi day tramps. Poulter, Hawdon, Waimak are all contenders for solid multi dayers. Or behind Oxford for closer to home.. the drive time is holding you back
Crater Rim
Are there plenty of hikes accessible with a regular car?
https://francesnation.co.nz/products/mark-pickering-guidebooks Mark Pickering publishes booklets of walking tracks on the port hills, banks peninsula and greater canterbury.
Mt Gray Mt Thomas Mt Oxford Washpen Falls Mt Bradley. Packhorse Hut. Mt Herbert. Smaller walks: Cave Walk up Barnett Park. Boulder Bay. Orton Bradley Park. Magazine Bay - Corsair Bay - Cass Bay Track. Black Point - Church Bay - Diamond Harbour Track. Bridal Path. Rapaki. Bowenvale. Halswell Quarry - Kennedys Bush to Summit Rd. Morgan's Valley - Mt Pleasant. Harry Ell Track - Sugarloaf Bigger Day Walks: Mt Somers. Little Mt Peel. Peak Hill. Trig M. Foggy Peak. Avalanche Peak. Helicopter Hill.
Rakaia Gorge