Kaniere Water Race Walkway
Hokitika · West Coast
This walk was suggested by the community and checked against the authority quoted above before it was published. The route line comes from official track data. DOC’s own wording: “Dogs with a DOC permit only. Contact closest DOC office to get a permit. Other pets on conservation land rules. (DOC, Kaniere Water Race Walkway page; the walkway runs along the edge of Lake Kaniere Scenic Reserve and through Kaniere Forest conservation land, and the closest office is DOC Hokitika.)”. Evidence: the rule-setter’s own published wording. How we check dog rules.
Good to know
A DOC dog permit is required before any dog walks here. Apply to the managing DOC office ahead of time; do not turn up with the dog first.
Opens your email app, addressed to [email protected]. You can also call DOC on 0800 275 362.
About Kaniere Water Race Walkway
Near Hokitika in West Coast, Kaniere Water Race Walkway runs 9.3 km.
A bush walk along a working piece of history: the Kaniere Water Race Walkway follows the water race that has fed the Kaniere Forks power station since 1911, twisting along the bush edge for 9.9 km (DOC's figure, 4 hours one way) between the Landing at the northern edge of Lake Kaniere and Kennedy Creek on Lake Kaniere Road. Dre, who sent this one in with Hazel, points out you can start from either side, and both ends are road-accessible, 19 km and about 12 km from Hokitika. The walkway has two characters. From the Landing to Wards Road it is a wide, well-surfaced track, mostly flat with every stream crossing bridged, and it doubles as a section of the West Coast Wilderness Trail, so expect riders and follow the shared-track courtesy. From Wards Road to Kennedy Creek it narrows to a rough tramping track, under 0.8 m wide with tree roots, steps and steep drops beside the track, which DOC grades an advanced tramping track; if that does not sound like your walk, turn around at Wards Road. The dog rule is DOC's permit rule: dogs with a DOC permit only, arranged with DOC Hokitika before you go. And DOC's one standing caution applies to dogs as much as children: it is a working water race with drop-offs in places, so keep everyone close to the bank side.
It sits at the moderate end and gains roughly 115 m, and takes about 2 hr 2 min to walk.
A DOC dog permit is required before any dog walks here. Arrange it with the managing DOC office ahead of your trip. This walk is on the map because Dre & Hazel suggested it, and we checked it against the source above.
