This 20 ha of land is bordered by Linwood Ave and Humphries Drive, Ferrymead. It was drained and from the 1920’s to be used as pasture-land. From 1991 the Christchurch City Council cleared the paddocks, scraped tidal pools and in 2005 the reserve was officially opened. Since 2005 just over 100,000 trees, shrubs and saltmarsh plants have been planted.

This reserve is located alongside between McCormack’s Bay Rd and the estuary at the base of Mt Pleasant and Redcliffs.

The Avon-Heathcote Estuary Trust is a non-profit organisation formed in 2002 by the general public and supported by Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Community Trust and  Environment Canterbury.

Our vision is communities working together for clean water – open space – safe recreation and healthy ecosystems that we can all enjoy and respect.

We are responsible for several Reserves including:
Charlesworth Wetland Reserve (Meet every Sunday between 2 and 4pm April – September   and between 3 and 5pm October – March);

McCormack’s Bay Reserve(Meet every 3rd Sunday of the month from 2 – 4 pm);

Thistledown Wetland Reserve (Working bees are the last Saturday of each month between 10 – 12 noon. Meet at the end of Thistledown Place, off Hargood Street); and

South New Brighton Reserve II (see website for working bee dates)

This is a small yet original and unique wetland remnant near Thistledown Place, off Hargood St. Fresh water from springs in this reserve flow into Streamwharf Creek, which is a tributary of the Heathcote River.

This restoration project is based at South New Brighton park (Christchurch City Council land) between Ebbtide Street and Bridge Street.