Rakahuri Trail East

Time: 3 hours
Distance: 24 km (12 km each way)
Start: End of Rotten Row, Waikuku Beach Estuary
Finish: Same place (it's there and back) 
Date: Friday 27 September 2024
Times: Waikuku Beach to Rangiora Railway Bridge (East Belt) 1.5 hrs, 30 minutes stop, 1 hour back)

The Ashley/Rakahuri River has origins in the Puketeraki Range of the Canterbury Foothills. It winds its way through the narrow Ashley Gorge, then braids across the Canterbury Plains, before exiting the coast via the estuary at Waikuku Beach. The river is a wāhi taonga (treasured place) and traditional mahinga kai (food gathering area) for local Ngāi Tahu hāpū, Tūāhuriri. Extensive flood mitigation and farming has modified and polluted the river since European arrival. Nowadays the area is part of the Rakahuri Regional Park - managed by Environment Canterbury and Mahaanui Kurataiao Ltd.

The Rakahuri Trail, one of the Waimakariri Eastern Cycle Trails, runs from the coast, heading inland along the southbank of the river, and today we were riding the eastern section from Waikuku Beach to the Rangiora railway bridge (and back). It's a 35 minute drive from Ōtautahi to Waikuku Beach. We were a bit distracted, catching up on all the goss of the past week, and hence missed a crucial turn-off. This resulted in a double circumnavigation of a roundabout - an exercise which never fails to put a smile on one's dial. 

The trail starts at the Waikuku Estuary, somewhere near the end of Rotten Row. The tide was low and pukekos were bobbing about, looking positively prehistoric.  A bit of pfaffing around to extract the bikes, then we were soon pedalling west along the wide stopbank, crossing the stream over a small bridge decorated with painted whitebait-themed pebbles. 

The Rakahuri Trail is well maintained, mostly oneway with good signage and we were soon scooting down a small side track, off the stopbank and into the trees. It's an easy trail, however I tend to generally ride a bike in a haphazard fashion - stopping without warning or crashing into the foliage. Because Carolien has been on a bike since she was a tot,  she took the lead, weaving with expertise along the windy, undulating path.  Rabbits and birds darted this way and that in front of us.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous and biking the trail is such a pleasant experience. As we journeyed west we traversed various clusters of exotic plantings - each one gives you the feeling of biking in a different country:  Japanese blossoms; Austrailian gums; Netherland farms with daisies and buttercups. European pine forests. Willows and poplars, with carpets of periwinkles. And pockets of natives, being "restored and enhanced". We stopped numerous times for photos.

Every now and then we would catch a glimpse of the river with the alps in the distance. Heavy machinery could be heard extracting gravel from the river bed. At forestry roads we would have to dismount the bikes and squeeze through the quirky metal bike gates. Perhaps over-engineered but probably built to keep motorbikes out.

After 1.5 hours, we popped out of the pine forest into a reserve at the Rangiora Railway Bridge, East Belt. There was a certain temptation to go the extra mile (actually 3 km) and have a coffee in Rangiora. But we needed to save our energies for the return. There was a large picnic table in the paddock and we stopped for paramanawa. I checked out the information board - the Rakuhiri Trail continues to the west which will be an excursion for another day.

The return is always quicker.  We bypassed several groynes - stone walls erected years ago as flood protection. As we approached Waikuku Beach, we slowed and nattered. The bum bones were super sore by now and it was a relief to finally arrive at the estuary and the car where we pfaffed about, packing up the bikes and heading back to Crikers.