12 Aug 2020

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Part of a popular walking track along the Governors Bay foreshore will be closed weekdays for the next two months.

Check out other local walks

Here are some other walks you might want to try while the Governors Bay foreshore track is closed.

Lyttelton to Cass Bay Coastal Path

Take the coastal path, which starts at the white gate at 7 Park Terrace in Lyttelton. The wide track follows the coast well above the shore, taking walkers pass Magazine Bay and Corsair Bay and ending at Cass Bay. The walk to Cass Bay takes one hour. Dogs must be on a lead.

Hays Bay to Church Bay

You can access the track from halfway down the driveway to the Charteris Bay Yacht Club. It meanders above the foreshore and boat sheds before reaching the beach at Hays Bay. Cross the beach to the steps on the far side and climb up to Black Point Road.

To continue to Church Bay and the Coastal Cliffs Walkway, turn right and follow the road to Marine Drive. Turn left at the intersection and walk carefully beside the road for about 100 metres. Look for the H2H sign down a gravel driveway on the sea side. Zigzag down between the houses into Church Bay and the start of the Coastal Cliffs Walkway. The walk takes about 30 minutes one way. Dogs must be on a lead.

Quail Island Walkway

If you fancy a longer walk and a short ferry ride, visit the Quail Island Track. It takes about two hours and 20 minutes to complete. Starting at the ferry jetty, head up a short but steep road to the caretaker’s cottage. The walk continues on an exposed plateau and passes several points of historical interest before dropping down onto the beach and finishing back at the jetty.

The partial closure is necessary because contractors working on the Lyttelton Harbour wastewater project need to lay new pipeline and electrical cabling to connect the Jetty Road pump station with the new Governors Bay pump station.

These works will start on 24 August and are expected to run for eight weeks.

The section of the Governors Bay foreshore track between Jetty Road and the Governors Bay pump station will be closed while the work is under way. Walkers can still access the foreshore track from the Allendale Reserve.

“Heavy machinery and rock breaking equipment will be in use while this work is done so in the interests of public safety we will close part of the track during the weekdays, when the contractors are working,’’ says Christchurch City Council Senior Project Manager Hunter Morgan.

“We know the track though is very popular so we will be allowing full public access to it in the weekends.’’

The pipeline and cabling work is part of the Lyttelton Harbour Wastewater Project to end the routine discharge of treated wastewater into the harbour.

The project involves converting the wastewater treatment plants at Cashin Quay, Governors Bay and Diamond Harbour into pump stations and piping all of the harbour’s wastewater through the Lyttelton Tunnel and onto the Bromley Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The pipeline and cabling work were originally scheduled to be done last year but were put on hold after a slip along the southern bend of Jetty Road forced the closure of the road to vehicles.

Temporary repairs have now been made to the road to allow contractors continue work the work on the Lyttelton Harbour Wastewater Project.

The Council’s transport team are working on permanent options for stabilizing Jetty Road.