Silverstream Reserve

"Heaps of new plantings going on. Nice relaxing walk. Suggest shoes that can handle moisture, though."

"Great place for a walk, I'm so glad to have finally stopped in there. There's plenty of space, beautiful wee spots and plenty of bench seats dotted around"

"A lot of history here from early days. Now there is a lot of activity to restore the natural environment and protect our waterways. A great place for a walk."

"It's a nice easy walk. 30.minutes if you keep moving, longer if you dawdle along the way. Mostly flat & mostly beside the river. Not especially scenic but it is pleasant. The carpark is straight off a sealed road so no having to wash the dust off your car after the walk!"

""Nothing endures but change" - Heraclitus It originated in the 6th century BC, when the philosopher Heraclitus observed that it is not possible to set twice in the same river. Prior to the great Canterbury flood of 1868, the Silverstream catchment lay within an active north branch of the braided Waimakariri River floodplain. Philosophy teaches you to think and in doing so, it also teaches you to doubt.The philosopher George Santayana also said “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Two-thirds of New Zealand’s population inhabits areas that are prone to river flooding, and 70 per cent of towns and cities with populations over 20,000 have a flood problem. The threat posed by the Waimakariri River to Christchurch is very real and the most dangerous. The Waimakariri river now flows to the sea just north of Christchurch, but 1000 years ago Lake Ellesmere to the south of Banks Peninsula was its estuary. Experts warn that it will happen again! Many Canterbury rivers are not entrenched. If the floods are substantial enough, these rivers can simply change course. Braided rivers, in particular, present a great worry and a danger. They can return to an old channel occupied hundreds of thousands of years ago. The Waimakariri river has changed course many times in its geological lifetime. Christchurch, for example, is situated mainly on a flood plain. It occupies part of the huge alluvial fan of the Waimakariri River, which has frequently changed course, sometimes shifting as far south as Lake Ellesmere. Man made stopbanks now keep the Waimakariri in one place along the northern edge of the fan. It is arrogant to think mankind can control nature. The great storm of 1868 was a violent storm that swept across much of New Zealand between 1–6 February 1868. Almost the whole east coast of the South Island was flooded. The river was 3 metres above its normal level. The Waimakariri River overflowed flooding the whole of  Christchurch and the surrounding countryside. The estimated damage was between £500,000 and £1 million ($60–120 million in 2020 values). The last major flood was in December 1957. Parts of Coutts Island in Belfast and Kainga were inundated when the river flow peaked at 3990 cubic metres per second (cumecs). If the Waimakariri river were to carve a new path south, up to 300,000 people could be affected, and an estimated $5 billion worth of damage wrought. The critical factor for Christchurch is that the bed of the river is at the same level as the surrounding land, and the river is contained only by man made stopbanks. Due to global warming, Christchurch will experience more intense rain. Rivers will flood more often . Christchurch can expect more flash flooding for communities and businesses. In particular, more frequent surface flooding. Flood water will damage bridges, roads and other infrastructure. The 2010 to 2011 Canterbury earthquakes also highlighted tectonic displacements , which caused floodplain subsidence in excess of 0.5 to 1 m along tidal stretches of the two main urban rivers, greatly enhancing the severity of inundation hazards posed by 100-year floods, storm surges, and sea-level rise."