Ōhinetahi Reserve
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 Ōhinetahi walks and tracks page is plain: "Dogs must be leashed on all Ōhinetahi tracks." (Christchurch City Council, Parks and gardens, Port Hills, Ōhinetahi.) That covers every track in the 150 hectare reserve, so the lead goes on at the gate and stays on”. 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 Ōhinetahi Reserve
Ōhinetahi Reserve covers 5.8 km, near Lyttelton in Canterbury, walked as a loop.
The 150 hectare Ōhinetahi Bush Reserve is managed by the Summit Road Society, and you can get in from the Summit Road or from Governors Bay. Fifteen tracks thread through it, Faulkners, Cass Ridge, South Boundary and Trig V among them. The council warns that the terrain is steep and most tracks are narrow, so tramping boots are the sensible call. Around half the reserve was damaged in the 2017 Port Hills fires. Toilets are at the Sign of the Bellbird and at Governors Bay Hall.
Graded moderate, it climbs about 341 m overall, pitching up to 46 % at its steepest, and takes about 2–2.5 hr to walk.
The track takes in native forest, big views, and wildflowers. Dogs are allowed here, on the lead. Walkers rate it 4.3 / 5 across 138 reviews.