Takahe HalfBeginner - Intermediate

Description

Start at the Sign of the Takahe and head up into Victoria Park. 100m in you'll see signage on your right for the Harry Ell track. Jump on this and head on up. You'll blaze through stunning native bush and a good swath of Christchurch locals stretching their legs. Halfway up you'll note the impact of the 2017 fires on both sides of the track and across the valley at the Christchurch Adventure Park (CAP).

When you hit the summit, head down past the Sign of the Kiwi and keep tracking west on the Crater Rim Trail. This will take you around Coronation Hill, past the top of CAP. After about 6km you'll face a split in the trail, CRT to the right, Trig V straight and boundary track down to Lyttelton Harbour. Take the middle track for a neat peak to bag and a stunning view of the harbour and over to Mt Herbert.

You'll rejoin the CRT and at about the 7.5km mark head left at the trail fork onto Ella's Track around the back of Mt Ada. Continue on Ella's track until you hit the Cass Ridge Track at 8.8km. Follow this up the hill where you'll shortly meet up with the CRT. Hang a left and keep on. At 9.6km you'll have the chance to deviate up to Cooper's Knob, a stunning rocky outcrop with amazing views. Local legend has it if you give it a rub it will be bigger for the next visitor...

Stick on the CRT until the 11km mark. There's a side track to the right that takes you to Summit Road. Here you have three choices, (i) head back the way you came (out and back) (ii) head over the road and tackle a gorsey 4WD track back the way you came or (iii) take the tarmac option back to the Sign of the Kiwi and back down Harry Ell to the start.

Features of interest

Climbing up the original Lyttelton/Christchurch road, named after one of Christchurch's early trail-blazers and environmentalists, Harry Ell.
Scooting across the rim of a dormant volcano
Stunning views of Lyttelton Harbour, the Christchurch Adventure Park, Christchurch City, Pegasus Bay and the Southern Alps
A real life regenerating natural environment following the Port Hills fires of early 2017.
Amazing pockets of dense native bush along the Crater Rim Trail.

Make Up of Run

Technical Single Track: 20%

Moderate Single Track: 50%

Easy Single Track: 30%

Route Data