Long Hilly (Round Hill) Walking Track

This short track follows 2.0 km as a loop, near Riverton in Southland.

A loop track through historic goldfields in the native bush of Longwood Forest Conservation Area near Riverton, Southland. It passes 1800s goldmining relics including an old logging tramline, hand-dug waterways and earth dams, with interpretation panels along the way. Inge and Pip asked us to look at this one, and it turned out we had been sitting on the track all along with no dog rule attached to it, which is why you could not find it here until now. DOC's page settles it: "Dogs on a leash only. Other pets on conservation land rules." Longwood Forest is an open dog area rather than permit country, so there is nothing to arrange beforehand, just keep the lead on. DOC's hunting block page for Longwood adds the bit that matters at the start: when you are crossing private land, dogs stay on a leash until you are well into the forest, and dogs do not go in huts. DOC calls it 2.7 km and allows 2 hours 15 minutes, which is generous for the distance and tells you something about the surface. Our line measures 1.98 km, so we are reading a slightly tighter loop than DOC is, and the sign at the carpark wins if the two disagree. It is graded easy to intermediate: mostly well formed, with some sections steep, rough or muddy underfoot. From Riverton head west on SH99 for 15 km, turn right onto Round Hill Road for 1 km, then right into the carpark. There is a toilet 10 m along the track, and the walk runs through 1800s goldmining country with interpretation panels, an old logging tramline and hand dug water races to look at on the way round.

Graded easy, it climbs about 70 m overall, pitching up to 20 % at its steepest, and takes about 30m to walk.

Dogs are allowed here, on the lead.