Horseshoe Lake Reserve Christchurch

Horseshoe Lake Reserve or Waikākāriki as it was once called is a beautiful and peaceful wetland reserve, with a small wooden jetty on the lake located at the carpark off Lake Terrace Road.
Feeding the Ducks, Geese and Swans is a favourite for a lot of families "just don't feed them up close to the road".

Some seats are available around the reserve along with a three dog park area two of which are fully enclosed, including one for smaller dogs. One of the dog parks has fences along the road however is open at both ends as part of a walkway. 

In pre-European times Waikākāriki "Horseshoe Lake" was the site of a significant Māori settlement called Te Oranga.

The lake was called Waikākāriki (wai means water and kākāriki has various meanings including green, a type of green lizard or a green parakeet or parrot).

The lake is believed to be an arm of the Avon River (Ōtākaro River) and became cut off when the main flow found another more direct route to the sea; it has also received Heritage Site status.

Horseshoe Lake receives waters from a number of streams, drains, and storm water pipes it is then pumped into the River Avon by way of the largest pump house in Christchurch. The pump house was built in 1979; Pump Station 205 provides land drainage and flood protection to the nearby area.

In 2017 it was agreed that close to $2 million will be spent on the pump station to restore the station’s capacity to pump water in a major storm event, improve its operational reliability, extend its life, provide resilience against future sea level rise and provide flood protection to the most properties.

Part of the work planned for the pump station includes replacing the old wooden flood gates with a fish-friendly passage for inanga (whitebait) so that is easier for them to travel between the Avon and Horseshoe Lake, an important ecological area.