River-town ramble

Kaiapoi is one of Canterbury's best towns for wandering, whether on foot or biking - and there's always something new, writes STAN DARLING.

As you approach the Kaiapoi Visitor Centre - the beautifully restored old railway station now above the riverbank wharf - you see a row of bicycles. They are new rental ventures to help people get the most from the historic river town.

You can also hire fishing gear.

The town is most fun when you wander freely, coming across your own surprises, but it never hurts to get some directions. Kaiapoi never lets you down.

If you came across a town like this anywhere in New Zealand, you wouldn't hesitate to stick around.

There is always something new.

Wander at least partway round the six kilometre boundary walk. Shorter strolls are suggested, too, on the free Let's Walk Kaiapoi map at the visitor centre, which sits on the stopbank above the familiar MV Tuhoe.

Two walking stretches are beside the motorway - a peaceful place no matter how heavy the nearby traffic - and further east along Courtenay Stream off Kaikanui St, where you join the route to the long former rail bridge (walkers and cyclists only) and past the bird-filled Courtenay Lake.

The map says these walks can be "extended, shortened, reversed or reinvented. Be adventurous."

Try the new Kaiapoi 150 Walkway that loops along the stopbanks. If you enter town from the motorway at Smith St, you first see a new giant ship's rib of timber and steel - four metres high - marking the walkway's northern entrance.

At Raven Quay, a photo mural on the Kaiapoi Workingmen's Club's airbridge wall shows Williams St as it was in the old days.

A ship's crane will provide a seafaring theme, including fish in a metal basket; a ship's wheel is a memorial to adventurer Henri Trousselot; and a carved pou reflects the river's historic importance as a Maori food source.

As part of the walkway theme created by Kaiapoi's JBFX firm, the Williams St traffic bridge is lighted blue from beneath after dark. The 1874 Mandeville swingbridge is lighted green. And for the second time in three years a group of Kaiapoi workers have won Keep New Zealand Beautiful's top award for towns that have a population of 10,000 to 40,000. Some suggestions for getting started:

Kaiapoi Lakes: Straddling the main road north, this area is ideal for picnics and bird watching. See the old Maori cemetery near the Cam River.

Blackwell's: Wander through the department store established in 1871. Interesting sights and smells.

Obelisks: See the four new Kaiapoi River obelisks, a Waimakariri Community Arts Project. One on the river's south bank along Raven Quay is Working River, its four sides depicting the area's history - the pa, wharf, woollen mill and meat works.

Kaiapoi Island: This is part of the Waimakariri River Regional Park, including the Poynter Nature Walk. A lovely lookout has been built where the Kaiapoi River meets the Waimak.

The seaside: Visit Pines and Kairaki beach communities at the end of Beach Rd. Take walks from there, or reach them along the Pegasus Bay Walkway from the Kaiapoi Wharf in town.

Bike and fishing rod hire, Visitor Centre, Kaiapoi Wharf (Charles Street): Mountain bikes $19 an hour, or up to $45 a day; tandem bikes, $25 an hour or up to $60 a day; bike trailers (to seven years), $10 an hour; helmet hire included in cost; fishing rods for adults and children, from $5 a rod; fishing licences and bait available.

- © Fairfax NZ News