What to Do in Pegasus & Woodend: Canterbury’s Cool Coastal Towns
Get your beach on at the fabulous seaside towns just north of Christchurch! One of the newest towns in Canterbury, Pegasus boasts a fantastic golf course and interesting wetland environments to explore. Woodend is more of your classic Kiwi town with welcoming and quirky cafes and a popular beach. Find out why you should definitely stop by these two towns with this list of things to do in Woodend and Pegasus.
While you’re here you might also be interested in the 8 Fun Things to Do in Kaiapoi and 7 Excellent Things to Do in Rangiora.
1. Visit the Te Kohanga Wetlands & Lake Pegasus
When visiting Pegasus you can’t ignore the expansive lake and wetlands that the town is built around. In the middle of town, you have Lake Pegasus with a well-formed walking and cycling trail going around its perimeter, taking 20-45 minutes to complete. On the east side of town, visit the Te Kohanga Wetlands with a number of boardwalks and pathways through this important habitat for native birds.
Location: Access via Lakeside Drive, The Esplanade and Te Kohanga Drive.
2. Walk the Pegasus Bay Track
The Pegasus Bay Track is a long flat trail stretching 15km between Kaiapoi and Waikuku Beach. Of course, Pegasus is a major highlight of the walk and another great starting point to walk or cycle to Woodend Beach in the south or Waikuku Beach in the north. The entire track takes approximately five hours to walk one way, featuring spectacular coastal views, pine plantations, sand dunes and beaches.
Location: From Pegasus, access is off Tiritiri Moana Drive. From Woodend, access is off Wooden Beach Road
3. Check out Woodend Beach & Tuhaitara Coast Park
More coastal delights await at Woodend Beach. The wide sandy beach is ideal for walks, swimming, fishing, surfing and building sandcastles with the little ones. The Tuhaitara Coast Park covers a 580ha area of coast between the Waimakariri River and the Ashley River offering a number of walks and cycle trails to enjoy these beautiful wetlands, sand dunes and beaches.
Location: Woodend Beach Road
4. Play on the Acclaimed Pegasus Golf Course
One of the top golf courses in New Zealand, the Pegasus Golf & Sports Club is a must for any keen golfer. Facilities include an all-weather driving range, putting and chipping greens, a pro shop, tennis courts, a gym, and the Bunker Cafe & Bar. Pop in for a day on the manicured greens with 18 holes to challenge you. See more courses like this in our 21 Best Golf Courses in New Zealand.
Location: Mapleham Drive
5. Indulge in Excellent Cuisine
Yes, there are plenty of places to enjoy a tipple or some good food in Woodend and Pegasus. Both towns boast reasons to stop for lunch. In Pegasus, try the Flat White Cafe & Bar for their sweet treats, local ice creams and its very own cafe library. In Woodend, we like the 79 Impresso Cafe for its epic fish and chips.
Location: All over Pegasus and Woodend
More Things to Do Near Woodend & Pegasus
- 7 Fun Things to Do in Cheviot
- 10 Wonderful Wineries in the Waipara Valley
- 10 Amazing Things to Do in Hanmer Springs
That’s it for the best things to do in Woodend and Pegasus. Find more activities for your travels in the 51 Best Things to Do in the South Island.
Sources:
The information in this guide has been compiled from our extensive research, travel and experiences across New Zealand and the South Pacific, accumulated over more than a decade of numerous visits to each destination. Additional sources for this guide include the following:
- Tourism New Zealand (General travel advice - Updated [2024])
- Department of Conservation (Tracks, hikes, campsites and more - Updated [2024])
- AdventureSmart (Know before you go - Update [2024])
- Tiaki Promise (Care for people place and culture - Updated [2024])
- NZ Māori Tourism (Official Māori Tourism platform - Updated [2024])
- Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (Road and transport tips - Updated [2024])
- DriveSafe (Road safety - Updated [2024])
- Council websites and freedom camping maps (Local travel advice region by region - Updated [2024])
- Safe Travel (NZ travel advisories - Updated [2024])
- Tourism Export Council New Zealand (Tourism trade association - Updated [2024])
- TIA (Independent tourism association - Updated [2024])
- Mid Canterbury (Regional tourism website)
- Ōtautahi Christchurch (Regional tourism website)
- Ashburton District Council (Local council website)
- Environment Canterbury (Local council website)
- Mackenzie Region (Regional tourism website)
- Mackenzie District Council (Local council website)
- Selwyn.nz (Regional tourism website)
- Selwyn District Council (Local council website)
- Venture Timaru Tourism (Regional tourism website)
- Timaru District Council (Local council website)
- Visit Waimakariri (Regional tourism website)
- Waimakariri District Council (Local council website)
- Waimate District Council (Local council website)
Our editorial standards: At NZ Pocket Guide, we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure accurate and quality content.
About The Author
Laura S.
This article has been reviewed and published by Laura, the editor-in-chief and co-founder of NZ Pocket Guide. Laura is a first-class honours journalism graduate and a travel journalist with expertise in New Zealand and South Pacific tourism for over 10 years. She also runs travel guides for five of the top destinations in the South Pacific and is the co-host of over 250 episodes of the NZ Travel Show on YouTube.