Silverstream Reserve

Silverstream Reserve - East End:
Time: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Distance: 3.7 km
Start: The eastern-most entrance, halfway down an unnamed gravel road (perhaps a private driveway) 171 Mabers Road, Clarkville.
Note: The main entrance is 161 South Eyre Road, Clarkville

Silverstream Reserve - West End:
Time: 50 minutes
Distance: 3 km
Start: 431 Heywards Road, Clarkville

Finish: Same place for both - its loopish
Date: Friday 06 December 2024

On the banks of the Kaiapoi River, the Silverstream Reserve is split into two sections - East End (28 hectares) and West End (23 hectares) - with two shortish loopy walks in each. Access between the sections is currently (illegally?) restricted because the Salmon Smolt New Zealand Ltd hatchery is plonked right in the middle of everything, splitting the total reserve in twain. The hatchery was established in the 1960's by the New Zealand Acclimatisation Society.  These days it is owned equally by Akaroa Salmon, High Country Salmon, Sanford, Mount Cook Salmon and Benmore Salmon.  Each year, a gazillion smolt from the hatchery are sucked into milk tankers and driven around the South Island to be released into farms and rivers, to become the worlds largest supply (90%) of Chinook a.k.a. King Salmon.

We met on the corner of Mabers and South Eyre Roads, and from there drove in a convoy down the gravel, tree-lined road (driveway?) at 171 Mabers Road. By the Kaiapoi Pony Club sign there is a small entrance into the Silverstream Reserve - East End. The track is a mown strip of grass that runs all the way to the main entrance (a small car park and an information board with a map) and then continues alongside the river. We got right down to serious conversation. It's been a whole two weeks since we last walked and there was an unusually large amount of gossip to catch on. At first there were various threads of overlapping chatter but we eventually settled down to the most pithiest of topics. 





The whole reserve is obviously cherished by the community because there are planting days every Sunday. 50,000 plants to date. Today contractors were spraying weeds with glycophosphate (we gave them as wide a berth as possible).  The river water was crystal clear with bright green water cress proliferating in places. One half expected to see John Everett Mallais's  Ophelia floating by.  Two sopping wet dogs, a golden labrador and an unhinged border collie (one black, one blue eye), came bounding up with no social restraint.  



We paused at the bridge to nowhere - padlocked at one end, but hopefully one day this will be the conduit between east and west.  On the other side there were cherry trees and a forbidden path to Silverstream Reserve - West End. Sooo tempting to go off-piste, break the law and see some smolt. Some of us were quite keen, but the more sensible amongst us prevailed and we proceeded on our loop to the enclosure for the larvae of the native Boulder Copper Butterfly/Pepe Para Riki. No larvae or butterflies to be seen so we returned to the car and drove the short distance to Silverstream Reserve - West End. 


We parked at a small carpark just after the bridge on Heyward's Road. The West End of the reserve has a similar feel to the East End, i.e. mown grass tracks following the river. The sun came out and we crossed the first footbridge to more established plantings - cabbage trees in flower and the smell of weedy honeysuckle. Delightful! The next footbridge had signs bemoaning the theft of a recently constructed picnic table by someone with dreadlocks. Heavens above. Now we were walking along the true right of the river. The surroundings had a certain European feel - a windmill and a bunch of tulips would not have been out of place. Another bridge to cross and then we looped back in a figure of eight.  Kim harvested cress and her shoes filled with water. 














We returned to the car and drove to Paris for the weekend cafe in Kaiapoi where we drank coffee and ate jam scones and aranchini balls.  The conversation shifted to plane accidents and survival programs. Apparently the best thing to do is keep your seat belt fastened and spend the first week building your shelter. 


Silverstream Reserve - East

Silverstream Reserve - West