4K HDR - Virtual Walks by Aerial Drone #6 - Waimakariri Walkway and Spencer Park Beach - Canterbury

The Waimakariri Walkway is 4.5 km long and mainly sandy as it follows the back of sand dunes. There are ample views of Brooklands Lagoon and it's flora and fauna. Beach access tracks are available but I chose the harder route as the wild flowers looked nice. There are a variety of native and non-native flowering species, such as:

Key native flowering species
Pīngao (golden sand sedge): A golden-coloured native sedge with long, arching leaves that grow in clumps and are vital for stabilizing the foredunes.
New Zealand ice plant (horokaka): A succulent groundcover with fleshy leaves and bright pink to purple flowers. It forms protective mats over the sand.
New Zealand flax (harakeke): A large, fibrous-leaved plant that produces tall stalks of red flowers, attracting nectar-feeding birds. It is typically found in the damper hollows between dunes.
Tauhinu (Ozothamnus leptophyllus): This native shrub, also known as golden cottonwood, can be found in more sheltered parts of the dunes.

Common non-native species
Marram grass: An exotic grass that was planted to stabilize dunes but has spread aggressively and displaced native plants like pīngao.
Ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis): An invasive species with large, fleshy leaves and yellow or purple flowers, which is different from the native variety.
Tree lupin (Lupinus arboreus): This is an aggressive, nitrogen-fixing plant that was planted for dune stabilization but now invades and displaces native species.

Filmed 16 November 2025 with DJI Air 3S wide-angle (24mm) camera.

https://ccc.govt.nz/parks-and-gardens...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brookla...

https://ccc.govt.nz/parks-and-gardens...