Christchurch to Little River Railtrail Trust
The 44 km-long Christchurch to Little River Railtrail, when completed, will run from Hornby (Christchurch) to Little River on the Banks Peninsula. The route follows much of the old railway line that was last used in the early 1960's. The Christchurch-Little River Railtrail Trust have raised over $600,000 so far for bridges, fencing, and track surfacing to create this journey back in time.
The first section of the walkway/cycleway was opened to the public May 2006. It covers a 20 km stretch between Motukarara and Catons Bay, near Little River. This section runs on the old preserved railway embankment.
A penny-farthing cyclist and a modern
mountain-biker were among those who
who came to the opening of the first section
of the Christchurch to Little River Railtrail
The second section between Prebbleton and Lincoln (7 km) is also completed and was opened by the Mayor of Selwyn District Council on November 30 2006. This section is an off-road track adjacent to the old railway line that runs alongside Birchs Road.
The railtrail is set to become a major Banks Peninsula recreation and tourist attraction providing social, economic, and environmental benefits to the area and community. New accommodation and tourism facilities are being established by entrepreneurs at Little River to cater for railtrail users.