page_title: Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora
section_title: Recreation
hierarchical_section_title: Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora / Cultural significance / Recreation
caption_attribution_description: English: Little River Rail Trail at Lake Ellesmere, with the Southern Alps in the background.
context_page_description: Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora is located in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is actually a broad, shallow lagoon located directly to the west of Banks Peninsula, separated from the Pacific Ocean by a long narrow sandy spit called Kaitorete Spit, or more correctly Kaitorete Barrier. It lies partially in extreme southeastern Selwyn District and partially in the southwestern extension of the former Banks Peninsula District, which now is a ward in the city of Christchurch. The lake holds high historical and cultural significance to the indigenous Māori population and the traditional Māori name Te Waihora, means spreading waters. It has officially had a dual English/Māori name since at least 1938.
context_section_description: As well as holding high cultural significance to the indigenous population Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora is also rated as a nationally significant site for recreation. The lake is currently used for a wide range of water and land based activities. It has been identified as nationally significant for waterfowl hunting, and regionally significant for fishing and cycling on the rail trail.
  A wide range of both water and land based activities are currently undertaken in  the area including fishing, waterfowl hunting, bird-watching, picnicking, camping, cycling, trail biking, scenic driving  and water sports such as kayaking and water-skiing. Many of these activities are reliant on a healthy natural ecosystem, especially fish and wildlife habitat, and a decrease in the number of people participating in trout fishing and other activities has been recorded since 1996.
caption: Little River Rail Trail near Lake Ellesmere / Te Waihora
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