Ashley Gorge Waterfall is roughly a 1 hour' drive away from Christchurch centre. The road surface is sealed.

From Christchurch head north on the SH1. In Kaiapoi slide left onto SH71, then in Rangiora turn left onto SH72 towards Oxford. In Oxford turn right onto Ashley Gorge Rd and follow it for the next 8.5km, then turn left onto well-signposted Ashley Gorge Holiday Park and Reserve. Follow the road down to the river which brings you to a large picnic area with lots of parking spaces. There are picnic tables, toilets, a playground, river access and swimming holes there.

From the parking follow “walks” signs which bring you to a bridge over the Ashley River. The tracks start on the other side of the river, but there is no parking there. There is a track sign and the map at the walks entrance. The waterfall track is NOT marked on the map yet, but the loop walk is there.
From here, follow the loop walk, which is a well-maintained and easy walk (we recommend to walk it in clockwise direction). The waterfall track branches off the mail loop roughly in its middle. It is signposted, saying it is 1.5 hours return track, hacking boots and jackets are must. Now the route becomes a true New Zealand track, which could be muddy and slippery. The main part of this track is an uphill walk which brings you to the top of the hill offering a stunning view of the valley. There is a bench there to enjoy the view and relax. From here it is another 10 minutes downhill walk to the waterfall.

The waterfall is amazing after rains, and could be almost dry otherwise. We highly recommend to visit it after a rain.

Return via the same route, total walking time is about 2 hours (or more like 1.5hrs if you’ve got a reasonable level of fitness). Bear in mind, the offical signs say 1.5hrs Waterfalls Track plus 45 minutes Loop Walk.