Waihora Walkway - Wendy Hoddinott

**View in Full Screen

Passing time at Te Waihora, Lake Ellesmere: A lake by the sea.

Separated from the sea by Kaitorete Spit, Te Waihora is one of New Zealand's most important wetland systems and has, over time, been through many dramatic changes due to both cultural and natural influences. Historic Maori occupation and subsequent Maori and European settlement and resource usage makes Te Waihora an important part of Canterbury's heritage. The lake's wetlands extend to the high ground of adjacent Banks Peninsula, and, in early days, were a barrier to land transport. During this time a significant number of trees on the Peninsula were felled for timber, while the lake was artificially opened at Kaitorete Spit to drain the rich wetland for farming. The Little River railway embankment now dissects these wetlands, and is a reminder of the changes that land reclamation and railway construction brought to the area.