Time: 3 hours
Distance: 13 km
Distance: 13 km
Start: On the corner of McCormack's Bay Road and Glenstrae Road, Mt. Pleasant
Finish: Same place (it's a loop)
Date: Friday 28th February 2020
Level 3 Covid19 Pandemic Lockdown and I can finally get in the car and walk in the hills (albeit on my own). Yay!
I parked at the hairpin bend on Glenstrae Road and started walking through the fennel strewn path of Drayton Reserve to the viewing platform and the 'bear cave'. The Drayton Reserve Volunteers are replanting this area with natives (Thank You!!) and and there is an 'adopt a tree' programme. The group must include some avid rock painters because the track is dotted with brightly coloured stones with inspirational messages "You rock" and "Stay well".
Exactly at the point were the path narrowed, a well dressed lady was standing with her dog blocking the path. "You come on through" she said smiling. "But I can't," I replied "your dog is taking a shit". She didn't bat an eyelid and waved me towards her. I ducked through but there was no room and in that terrible instant I broke my bubble. It was awful. I heard it pop. The smell of dog turd wafted up - she was already lurching forward with her plastic bag. A responsible and friendly dog owner, bless her. I continued on up the hill.
The track follows the river, hidden by weeds, then up and along Mt. Pleasant Road past Longridge Drive (I think I should have turned onto that but nevermind) and at the elbow corner, before Moncks Spur Road there is another tiny track that cuts through to Ridgeview Lane. Here you can look directly inside people houses because they have such big windows. When you turn around you can see why. Stunning views of Pegasus Bay sweep into the distance, stretching all the way up to Tapuaenuku and the inland Kaikoura Ranges.
I went through the unmarked gate along Ridgeview Lane, into the farmland beyond (officially called the John Britten Reserve) and then negotiated the criss-crossing paths through the tussock and up the hill towards the clump of pines at the top. Here the temptation is to stay on the main path which sidles around the hill but at some point you just have to step off the easy path and go uphill to get to the top. A bit like life.
Near the pine trees was a turnstile which I climbed over before crossing the Summit Road to Broadleaf Lane and the Mt. Pleasant Reserve (so many reserves). A short time later I was standing at the top of Mt. Pleasant/Tauhinukorokio with fabulous 360 views of Lyttelton Harbour, the Southern Alps and the Pacific Ocean. Mt. Pleasant (499 meters) is the highest point on the Port Hills and was once (300 years ago) the site of a Ngāti Māmoe Pa. The Māori name is a combination of two shrubs, tauhinu and korokio, perhaps once prolific but now it's mostly tussock.
My hard work was done and it was all downhill from here. First along the Crater Rim Walkway to the Gun Emplacements (more inspirational messages, this time from troubled and self focused teenagers), then down to the Summit Road again and the Eastenders Track down to Barnett Park.
At the Redcliffs shops I used my eftpos card for the first time in 4 weeks. I purchased a flat white and a raspberry and chocolate muffin and a pair of reading glasses. I sat on the Avon Estuary edge in the sun and drank my coffee and ate my muffin. A shag swam by and I felt very happy.
From there it was only about 10 minutes back to the car along the Christchurch Coastal Walkway and then down McCormacks Bay Road. I cranked up Lara's Spotify playlist and grooved on home to my bubble.
Finish: Same place (it's a loop)
Date: Friday 28th February 2020
Level 3 Covid19 Pandemic Lockdown and I can finally get in the car and walk in the hills (albeit on my own). Yay!
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The track follows the river, hidden by weeds, then up and along Mt. Pleasant Road past Longridge Drive (I think I should have turned onto that but nevermind) and at the elbow corner, before Moncks Spur Road there is another tiny track that cuts through to Ridgeview Lane. Here you can look directly inside people houses because they have such big windows. When you turn around you can see why. Stunning views of Pegasus Bay sweep into the distance, stretching all the way up to Tapuaenuku and the inland Kaikoura Ranges.
I went through the unmarked gate along Ridgeview Lane, into the farmland beyond (officially called the John Britten Reserve) and then negotiated the criss-crossing paths through the tussock and up the hill towards the clump of pines at the top. Here the temptation is to stay on the main path which sidles around the hill but at some point you just have to step off the easy path and go uphill to get to the top. A bit like life.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
At the Redcliffs shops I used my eftpos card for the first time in 4 weeks. I purchased a flat white and a raspberry and chocolate muffin and a pair of reading glasses. I sat on the Avon Estuary edge in the sun and drank my coffee and ate my muffin. A shag swam by and I felt very happy.
![]() | ![]() |