Halswell Quarry: A Gutted Rockface Turned Public Park

Halswell Quarry looks out on the city of Christchurch.
Photo by Erin Grigson

A couple weekends ago, we went and had a picnic with Josh's family.

When they said we were going to a quarry, I was kindof confused. But when we got there, I understood why.

When I think of a quarry, I think of loud noises and rocks. While there were still plenty of rocks, it was a very serene place.

The hiking trails have amazing views.
Photo by Erin Grigson

The quarry was actually used as a quarry in the 1860s. The stone from it is pretty special because of its blue-grey color. Many of the buildings made of the stone still stand, including the Canterbury Museum.

It was a working quarry from then until 1990 and is thought to be the longest-running, continually-operated quarry in Australasia.

The Christchurch City Council saw this space as an opportunity and turned it into a recreation reserve.

Now there are walking and mountain biking trails all throughout, with picnic areas and large fields to satisfy everyone's needs.

We found a great shaded picnic table for the 8 of us to use and enjoyed our lunch before taking on one of the trails.

As usual, the hike was steep, but worth it for the views.

You could see the whole city of Christchurch spread out in front of you with the mountains towering in the distance.

It was amazing.

You can still see the walls of the quarry, though most of it has been covered with vegetation at this point.
Photos by Erin Grigson

I should note that because it's mountain bike friendly, it's also more or less stroller/pram friendly. (We had a couple small boulders in our path, but that was easy enough to get around.)

My favorite thing about the quarry was that it was something ugly and useless and made into something beautiful and fun.

I can see why the quarry is a popular place on a warm, spring day. And I know we'll make another trip out there.