Travis Wetland Nature Heritage Park

Visitor information
About the park
Wildlife
Plant life
Community involvement
Travis Wetland Trust Newsletter
Contact us

Visitor information

The main car park and access is located at the end of Beach Road. There is also a car park on Mairehau Road.

Travis Wetland Nature Heritage Park Map

Travis Wetland fact sheet [PDF 921KB]

Beach Road gates open from 8am to 8pm.

Things to consider:

The loop track is wheelchair and pushchair accessible.
The distance around the Travis Wetland loop walk is approximately 3.5km, including visiting the bird-hide, which takes about 1.25hrs.
To protect birdlife, Travis Wetland is a dog-free zone.
A field guide to the Travis Wetland Walk is available from City Council service centres for $10. This includes information on the ecology and restoration of Travis Wetland.

For organised groups or picnic bookings contact the Customer Call Centre, phone (03) 941 8999 .

About the park

The view to the bird hide at Travis Wetland.

Travis Wetland Nature Heritage Park is a lowland freshwater wetland, located in the midst of an urban environment. It offers a number of easy walkways and viewing areas, with opportunities to see many bird species and plant communities. The walking tracks are suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs and there are a number of opportunities to take a rest on seats along the way.

There is an information kiosk and the nearby education centre provides a laboratory, educational facility and meeting space for groups. Travis Wetland is a site where education programmes are available for schools through the Learning Through Action programme to promote ecological values.

The Travis Wetland covers 116 hectares of recently retired land surrounded by urban subdivision, and was purchased by the Christchurch City Council in 1996 in response to public demand. Previously farmed and drained, the area is now being managed as a Nature Heritage Park.

[ Back to top ]

Wildlife

Fifty-five species of birds, including 35 natives, have been recorded at the wetland. Travis is the most important freshwater wetland for birds in Christchurch, supporting about half the total Christchurch pukeko population. An indigenous skink, the native short-fined eel and possibly the Canterbury mudfish are present in the wetland. Travis also supports healthy populations of a diverse variety of insects. As the diversity of habitat develops, additional species are expected to occur.

The presence of pests such as cats, rats, stoats, ferrets and hedgehogs have a negative effect on birds, lizards and invertebrates. Monitoring and control programmes are carried out to control these pests.

[ Back to top ]

Plant life

Nearly 80 per cent of pre-European native wetland plant species are present in the wetland, including a number of species now rare on the Canterbury Plains. These include the only substantial stand of manuka, a species of spider orchid and a native sundew, which are regionally vulnerable.

Invasive weeds reduce the native plant diversity. Volunteers and contractors are eliminating species such as female grey willow, blackberry, gorse and grass from botanically sensitive areas.

[ Back to top ]

Community involvement

The Travis Wetland trust was set up in 1992 to preserve and develop the swamp as a Nature Heritage Park for the education and enjoyment of all. They organise workdays and community plantings.

Other groups involved with the park include Christchurch Native Habitats Group, Manuka Group, Ngai Tahu, Ngai Tahuriri Trees for Canterbury and Kiwi Conservation Club.

Travis Wetland Trust
PO Box 2750
Christchurch
Website: Travis Wetland Trust

See get involved in your parks for more information.

[ Back to top ]