Just 10 minutes from the city, the 11.5 km Templars Island section runs from the Otukaikino Stream Coutts Island upstream to the Harewood Crossbank at McLeans Island. The section has extensive areas of regenerating native vegetation beneath the exotic river control plantings. It is also home to many water fowl and braided river bird species.
Access
The main entrance to Templars Island is off Coutts Island Road if you are coming from Christchurch. There is also access along the Templars Island Road from McLeans Island.
Gate opening hours
Winter: 7am - 7pm
Summer (daylight saving): 7am - 10pm
History
The Templars Island section of the Waimakariri River Regional Park is made up of sections of what were originally Kaiapoi Island (Te Rakai a Hewa), Coutts Island and Templars Island.
Prior to European settlement, the Waimakariri River was an unconstrained braided river which had split into two main channels in the lower reaches forming a number of islands about five miles from the coast.
The largest, Kaiapoi Island, was approximately 6 ½ miles long by 4 miles wide and covered some 7000 acres.
Donald Coutts, an early Kaiapoi Island settler, set up one of Canterbury’s earliest flour mills at the south end of Kaiapoi Island. Coutts dug a race to bring water from the north branch into the small stream. It was a dangerous thing to do, as the race was widened by the great flood of 1868 creating Coutts Island.
Coutts Island had its own post office and a public school which could accommodate up to 36 children. The 1872 school building has been preserved at Ferrymead Historic Park and now features as the historical parks schoolroom.
Upstream of Coutts Island was Templars Island, named after Edward Merson Templer.
Edward was born in Devon in 1819. He emmigrated to Australia with his older brother John Arthur Templer in 1839. They sold their Australian properties and arrived in Canterbury with sheep in 1851. Coringa lay on the south bank of the Waimakariri River and extended down to St Peter's Church, Upper Riccarton, and to the back of Fendalton.
Destinations within the Templars Island section of the park include ‘Pearce’s 
Spring’ which is named after the Pearce family who farmed at Coutts Island for a number of generations, ‘Whites Crossing Picnic Ground’ which is located near where the old Whites Bridge crossed the South Branch and ‘Bailes Island Picnic Ground’ named after a small island located adjacent to Templars Island.
Remember
- River levels can rise rapidly
- Never enter dirty floodwater
- Off road driving and trailbiking are not permitted at Templars Island
- Road rules apply within the park
- Check the notice board at the park entrance for up to date information
- You can contact the park rangers on 03 353 9725.