Canterbury Trails

Photo #1 of 2

. Swipe for more photos.

'In the heart of the Southern Alps, Arthur's Pass National Park has an incredible diversity of flora and landscape. They range from eastern beech clad hills and tussock valleys to the luxuriant rain forest in the west. The highest mountains have glaciers and surrounding them are tussock basins, flowering herbs and alpine grasses'

* Journey across the wide expanses of the Canterbury Plains into high country surrounded by rugged mountain ranges. After leaving the Canterbury Plains, the landscape dramatically changes into sub-alpine we head towards the spectacular Southern Alps.
* View the Waimakariri River and its unique braided riverbed system.
* Enter Arthur's Pass National Park where short walks can be made to experience forests, rivers and mountains vistas.
* Follow the old stage coach route and travel down the spectacular Otira Gorge, testament to the road builders of the 1860's and the route taken by the Maori in their quest for greenstone.
* View Cave Stream where it burrows underground in an area of limestone cliffs and gorges, craggy outcrops and a setting of mountains to the east and west. This area was also used as for the filming of C J Lewis' story – 'The Lion, the Witch and the Warddrobe'.
* The incredible Castle Hill rocks, unique weatherworn rain smoothed outcrops of limestone are seen from the highway.
* The return journey to Christchurch goes over the sub-alpine Porter's Pass and then crosses the Canterbury Plains.