A section of the Link Pathway is following a historic bridle path, constructed in 1862 to connect Havelock with Picton. It was used for about 40 years by early European settlers traversing the area, and by miners accessing the local gold fields at Cullensville near Linkwater, and the Wakamarina near Canvastown. The track was of a sufficient width and standard for a pack horse to be led by it’s bridle, hence the name.

In the early 1900’s a new track was formed, initially known as The Grove Track, this eventually became the road today known as the Queen Charlotte Drive. In many places The Grove Track followed the older bridle path, but in some places, a different route was followed.

On this section of hillside, the bridle path ran from Cullen Point Ridge, north of here, to cross the Kaituna Estuary, which in those days stretched further inland to the south than it does today. When The Grove Track was constructed 40 years later, a causeway was constructed across the Kaituna Estuary (where the road and bridge runs today) and thus a lower route was constructed between Cullen Point Ridge and the point where the Kaituna River was crossed.

The older bridle path, following a higher traverse line, became disused, and eventually overgrown and forgotten, until rediscovered in 2012 and utilised as part of the Link Pathway.