The Groynes

Access

Access to the Groynes is from Johns Road.  

Metroinfo(external link) has up-to-date bus information.

Gates and opening hours

• Daylight savings 7am to 9pm
• Rest of year 7am to 7pm
• Ring Christchurch City Council on 0800 800 169 or 941 8999 to release locked in vehicles, at owner's expense.

Dogs

There is a large off-leash exercise park for dogs.

Dogs are not permitted anywhere else in the Groynes except if passing through on the Otukaikino Track where they must be on a leash.

Play

There are multiple playgrounds throughout the Groynes with various equipment including a flying fox, bridge, multi-play structure, see-saw, slides and swings.

A new naturally inspired playground was installed on the western side of the reserve near the boatshed in 2016. Check out the rope swing made from coconut fibre!

Boating

During the weekend you can hire a boat(external link) and go out on the recreation lake. There are pedal boats, aqua bikes, single and double canoes to choose from.

Open 10.30am to 4pm, located next to the play and picnic area.

Orienteering

There are two permanent courses; white (1.9 km) yellow (2.6 km).

Purchase a map for $4 from the Rosebank Cafe(external link) (near the entrance to the Groynes Park) or download from the local orienteering club(external link).

Fishing 

The small lakes and waterways provide great trout fishing opportunities for children. Anglers can fish in the fishing and recreation lakes all year. 

The streams in the park are closed to fishing during spawning (April to October). 

All anglers need to have a fishing licence available online from Fish and Game New Zealand(external link). Licenses for children under 12 years old are free.

Enjoy one of three dedicated walking tracks:

• The Otukaikino Track – a long walk running from Belfast to Roto Kohatu lakes via the Groynes and Clearwater Resort.
• Island River Loop – a shorter loop through patches of dense, attractive bush.
• Waimairi Walkway – runs from the Groynes into farmland and alongside the new motorway.

Or wander around the lakes at leisure.

Picnics and BBQs

Picnic areas and free barbeques are dotted throughout the park. 

To help with making your booking you can:

• Find out about booking fees
• Read the terms and conditions [PDF, 44 KB]
• Take a look at the map below to choose your preferred spot or download a pdf map [PDF, 727 KB].

When you are ready to check availability and make a booking, contact us.

Please note: If you are arranging a publicly advertised event and are intending to bring in infrastructure such as staging, marquees over 150m^2, or large numbers of attendees, you may need to complete an event permit.

Please contact us for more information.

Please remember to take your rubbish home with you.

The Groynes takes its name from the large concrete filled wool sack blocks that were placed in the Otukaikino Creek during the 1930s.

These groynes were to separate the creek from the main branch of the Waimakariri river for flood protection. An area prone to flooding, native vegetation was already limited due to repeat natural events but farming and urban development caused indigenous flora to all but disappear from the area and the water quality to decrease significantly.

Since the early 2000s, efforts have been made to restore the Otukaikino River that runs through the Groynes, remove pest plants from the lakes and increase native plantings.