Walk to Taylors Mistake
Christchurch’s Port Hills offer an abundance of walks and adventures. From tussock-lined mountain-bike trails to sheep-ridden paddocks, our city’s hills boast unrivalled views of urban sprawl, ocean vista and the jagged expanse of Banks Peninsula.
Walking into Taylors Mistake is a guaranteed winner on a summer’s day, with ocean swims and icecreams beckoning from over the heads. For an adventurous route, try the Scarborough Bluffs Track from Rapanui Bush, at the top of Evans Pass above Sumner.
A new stopping area has been built above Rapanui Bush, making access to the track easier. Make your way onto Captain Thomas Track through the damp bush, itself a hidden gem, and swing a right along the bluffs track. It quickly breaks out of the canopy into steep farmland overlooking the roofs and backyards of Sumner.
Sure-footedness is necessary once the track begins to ascend, with succulents hanging from rocky outcrops and caves along the path’s edge. At times the height above Sumner is vertigo-inducing but the track soon flattens out and cuts east towards your destination.
Get your timing right and the bleating of sheep from pens alongside nearby farm sheds will indicate the shift from cliffside to farmland. The track crosses a farm road and the view down into Taylors opens up.
When the winds are right, this part of the Port Hills is popular with paragliders, paraponters and various parachute-related activities. Pause awhile in the long grass to gaze up, so close you can make eye contact with the thrillseekers above you.
From here, the track cuts down through farmland doused in sea air and beach views and quickly drops onto Taylors Mistake Rd.
For a direct and steep route to the beach, cut down the 193 steps to Taylors Mistake Track. From here you can head left, behind historic baches back to Scarborough and Nicholson Park, or right towards the beach.
A quieter place in the off season, Taylors Mistake booms on summer weekends. If you’re lucky, an ice cream truck will be parked up in the main car park, otherwise take your togs and cool off in the Pacific Ocean.
Bring on those long summer weekends for more adventures like this.