Ashley River at Gorge Bridge

Starvation Hill, Canterbury

Not far from Christchurch, at the base of the Mount Thomas woods, lies the Gorge Bridge crossing the Ashley River. The stretch of Ashley river underneath the bridge boasts clear waters and a number of deep, cool swimming holes, and the Ashley Gorge Holiday Park is within walking distance. The area is thick with hiking tracks that traverse spectacular scenery and waterfalls, and the nearby holiday park can provide pay camping and the usual amenities.

The Ashley Gorge is situated a short distance from Christchurch, in the Oxford district. Access to the site is through the Ashley Gorge Camp ground on the south side of the bridge. A track leds down to a gravel riverbed and numerous pools for swimmining and fishing and shallow areas surrounded by native bush. The river can be deep and swift in places and is very popular with all recreational users.

This site is monitored weekly between November-March by Environment Canterbury.

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Water Quality

Passed water quality tests 60-95% of the time
Historical Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on March 7th, 2023. The Swim Guide - New Zealand updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on March 7th, 2023 at 5:54 PM.

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Monitoring Frequency

Source Information

Environment Canterbury Regional Council monitors water quality at popular swimming spots throughout the Canterbury region.

Water quality data on Swim Guide is sourced from the LAWA Can I Swim Here? website. www.lawa.org.nz/swim

At this site, water is regularly tested for levels of E. coli and potentially toxic algae during the summer months. E. coli is a faecal indicator bacteria is used to indicate the level of harmful pathogens in the water, and the presence of toxic algae blooms can be harmful to people and animals.

See information on recreational water quality monitoring in New Zealand in the LAWA factsheet: https://www.lawa.org.nz/learn/factsheets/coastal-and-freshwater-recreation-monitoring/

Beach sites are shown as a GREEN swim icon if the latest E. coli test result was in the range of 0 - 550 E. coli / 100 mL or the toxic algae level is below 20% coverage on rocks.

Beach sites are shown as a RED swim icon if the latest E. coli test result exceeded 550 E. coli / 100 mL or the toxic algae level exceeds 20% coverage or mats are forming on the river's edge.

A RED swim icon status is also assigned if this site frequently exceeds the standards or there is a temporary water quality issue outside the routine testing programme (e.g. sewage overflow).

See information on the standards for recreational water quality monitoring in New Zealand in the 'What do the swim icons mean?' LAWA factsheet.

LAWA recommends for all sites, to avoid swimming for 2 - 3 days after significant rain, even for sites that normally have good water quality.

A good rule of thumb is to check that you can see your toes in knee deep water.

Toxic algae blooms can form rapidly, and even small amounts can be harmful - stay safe and get to know what to look for here so you can avoid it: https://www.lawa.org.nz/learn/factsheets/potentially-toxic-algae/

See www.lawa.org.nz/swim for up to date information on current warnings and alerts, weather conditions, real-time water temperature and flow rates, and what facilities are available, the monitoring history at this site and helpful factsheets.

Water Quality Graph