Faulkners Track
Lyttelton · Canterbury · Loop
This walk comes from licensed public walk data and is being progressively confirmed against the authorities. Signs on the day always win. The rule-setter’s own wording: “Christchurch City Council's own page for Faulkners Track lists the rule under Dogs: "Dogs must be on a short leash". The council's Ōhinetahi page says the same for the whole reserve, "Dogs must be leashed on all Ōhinetahi tracks." (Christchurch City Council, Parks and gardens, Port Hills, Ōhinetahi.) So the lead stays on for the full climb, not just near the road”. Evidence: a hand-checked correction against the authority. How we check dog rules.
Good to know
Dogs are allowed here. Keep them on the lead, watch for ground-nesting birds and stock, and read the signs at the gate.
About Faulkners Track
Faulkners Track is a loop of 5.5 km, near Lyttelton in Canterbury.
The council's page for this track carries the detail. It starts at Lighthouse Lane in Governors Bay and finishes at Trig V near the Summit Road, about 2 km and an hour of steady uphill one way, with a short detour to a lookout near the top. Our route here is the loop back to Lighthouse Lane, which is why the distance on this page is longer than the council's. The Ōhinetahi tracks are managed by the Summit Road Society, and there are toilets at the Sign of the Bellbird and at Governors Bay Hall. Around half of the 150 hectare reserve was damaged in the 2017 Port Hills fires, so take care in those parts.
Expect hard going, with around 431 m of climb, pitching up to 41 % at its steepest, and takes about 2.5–3 hr to walk.
Walkers come for native forest and big views. Dogs are allowed here, on the lead. Walkers rate it 4.3 / 5 across 81 reviews.