Due to severe earthquake damage, flooding and poor water quality all Bexley Wetland tracks are closed until further notice.
Visitor information
Main access and car park from Wairoa Street.
Metroinfo has up to date bus information.
Things to consider:
About the wetland
Bexley Wetland offers expansive views and abundant bird life, incorporating salt marsh, salt meadow, coastal bush and freshwater wetland areas. The wetland is located near where the Avon River meets the Avon Heathcote Estuary.
Extensive wetlands once clothed Christchurch and were a source of mahinga kai (food and other resources) for Maori. The area retains its cultural importance. Community groups have lobbied the Christchurch City Council to protect the wetland since 1984. In 1992, 12.5 hectares of the site was designated as an Ecological Heritage Site and protected from future development.
Wildlife
Bexley Wetland has the space and the potential to be an excellent bird habitat for roosting, feeding and nesting once natural gradients are restored, islands are created, and the area is protected from predators by a moat.
The existing natural areas of saltmarsh, saltmeadow, coastal bush and freshwater wetlands already provide habitat for a diverse range of bird life and insects. A range of fish live in the nearby Avon River and estuary. The mudflats in the estuary support an abundance of invertebrates and crustaceans.
Plant life
The restoration of lost or damaged plant communities requires the reintroduction of tidal waters into the site, the isolation of freshwater wetlands, and appropriate planting. This will also restore wetland bird feeding, nesting and roosting habitat.
Plant pests such as grasses and willows are being controlled.
Restoring Bexley Wetlands
An enthusiastic group including the Bexley Wetland Trust, staff from the Christchurch City Council, and the community, is restoring Bexley Wetland. This development plan highlights the natural and cultural heritage features of the site and identifies management priorities and timeframes. It is a guide to the integrated development of one of the potentially more important wetland ecosystems in Christchurch.
The restoration goal is to protect existing plant communities, and to restore lost or damaged plant communities and wetland bird feeding, nesting and roosting habitat, while providing public access for recreation and education.
Contact us
Bexley Wetland Park Ranger
Email: bexleywetlandparkranger@ccc.govt.nz
