Overnighting on the Port Hills...
On Friday I visited the newest hut in Canterbury...it is the Lighthouse Cottage at Awaroa/Godley Heads. Godley Heads is on the Port Hills and has a DOC reserve taking in the old WWII coastal defenses built to protect Lyttleton Harbour during the war. It is a really fascinating place and has some magnificent views of the coastline to enjoy.
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| Lighthouse Cottage, Awaroa Godley Head |
After the war the defenses were mothballed and largely forgotten until a dedicated preservation society started to restore them from the mid 1980's to the present. There are now a couple of excellent tracks running around the site with a number of observation outposts, gun battery sites and out buildings able to be visited.
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| Map: Awaroa/Godley Head Historic Reserve |
The Department of Conservation have control of this reserve and they have developed a campsite and the new hut to enhance use of this area. Visitors can now stay for a night or two in the hut, a caravan/motor home or tent and explore the surrounds.
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| Sign for Lighthouse Cottage, Awaroa Godley Head |
Access to Godley Head is from Summer up Evans Pass Road, along the Summit Road to the defense works on a headland at the mouth of Lyttleton Harbour. The road is narrow, winding with steep drop offs along most of the route so exercise caution when driving along it. Watch for other cars, stock, cyclists and pedestrians who all use this road.
Lighthouse Cottage/Lighthouse Generator Hut:
I have seen conflicting names for this new hut...Lighthouse Cottage and Lighthouse Generator Hut. I believe the Cottage name is correct but even on the DOC website they call it by both names.
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| Side view of Lighthouse Cottage, Awaroa Godley Head |
This building was originally built in the early 1940's to house the Lighthouse Generator and its attendants. It was converted and renovated over the last year into a bookable four bunk hut with many of the amenities every backcountry hut has. It was only opened in December 2020 so it has only had a handful of visitors since then. It looks really well done.....
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| Lighthouse Cottage, Awaroa Godley Head |
The hut is located in its own fenced off area right next to the Godley Head campsite at the end of the old defense installation. It has three rooms...inside is a dining/kitchen area, a small sitting room and the main bunkroom. The bunks are organised as three mattresses on the lower level and one mattress on the top so in effect a queen and a single bunk. This would be great for a family of four or some close friends...
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| Rear of Lighthouse Cottage, Awaroa Godley Head |
Outside there is a nice grassed area and a small gravel patio to the side with an outdoor table and two benches. The patio is protected by a hedge and a trellis wall so it is warm and still even with the strong winds which are a feature of Godley Heads. I could see myself sitting here enjoying some antipasti and a cold beverage while taking in the vistas...
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| Lighthouse Cottage, Awaroa Godley Head |
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| Sheltered patio at Lighthouse Cottage, Awaroa Godley Head |
The hut has a great level of amenity...it has fresh water and electricity so there are taps and lights both inside and outside. The water is from the town supply so it does not need to be treated before use. There is a refrigerator, electric jug, electric hotplates and a full compliment of plates, pots, pans, glassware and cutlery inside the hut. There is electric heating and a table and chairs so you can sit down to eat your meals in a civilised manner.
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| Interior view of Lighthouse Cottage, Awaroa Godley Head |
The hut must be booked beforehand and is sole occupancy so for the cheap as price of $65 per night you can have a DOC hut all to yourself. DOC will give you a passcode for the gates on the access road to the campsite/hut and for the hut doorway itself. There are no other charges but they will want you to remove any rubbish and clean the hut before you leave...
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| Resplendent in white and orange...Lighthouse Cottage |
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| Outdoor table for el fresco dining |
There is a lockable gate at the hut with a large parking area so your car is well protected..it is located right next to the hut and has space for at least two cars. There are some mature trees and smaller shrubs around the hut so there is shade if the kids want to play outside or you want to sit outside while enjoying the views...
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| You can park next to the hut... |
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| Lighthouse Cottage, Awaroa Godley Head |
There are no showers at this hut which is usual for DOC structures but for an overnight stay this is not such a problem. The toilets are at the nearby campsite so you will need to share them with people staying at the campsite. That said the most number of people I have ever seen at the campsite was about 3-4 so you are probably going to have them to yourselves for most of the time. I think there is a longer term plan to build an ablution block for the hut.
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| Godley Head campsite toilet block... |
The views from Godley Head are spectacular...you can see all of Pegasus Bay as far north as Amberly, along the coast of Banks Peninsula and down to the entrance of Lyttleton Harbor. Sunrise and sunset from up here are awesome and well worth rising early to see. There are some great tracks around the headland and down to Taylors Mistake and there are some interesting buildings you can explore as well.
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| Views from Lighthouse Cottage: east to the gun batteries |
If you are coming up here with kids keep a tight leash on them...there are +100 meter sea cliffs down near the old battery site so young folk need to be monitored at all times. There are fences around the worst spots but even the tallest fence will not discourage adventurous souls...
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| Views from Lighthouse Cottage: down to the mouth of Lyttleton Harbour |
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| Views from Lighthouse Cottage: north towards Kaikoura |
If hutting isn't your thing then why not try out the DOC campsite located next to the hut. It is a large flat and shady area of grassy land with a shelter belt of trees and shrubs around it. There is space here for both motorized homes and tents with water and toilets but no dumping stations or power. The rate is $15 per site which is the standard rate for DOC campsites. I have yet to stay but it is on Karen and my list of things to do......
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| Awaroa/Godley Head campsite in December 2019 |
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| Awaroa/Godley Head campsite in December 2019 |
An interesting thing I saw when I visited recently were a couple of WWII artillery pieces next to one of the old vehicle garages. There was a US 105mm howitzer as used in WWII, Korea and Vietnam and a QF 25 pounder howitzer as used during World War II. They both belong to the historical society which maintains the old defense works and are sometimes put on display over summer weekends.
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| A US 105mm howitzer and 25 Pounder QF at Godley Heads |
There is also an old shell scarred turret from a American M5 Stuart tank located here...it is full of what look like anti tank penetrations. There used to be a couple of these old light tank hulks at both Waiouru and Tekapo Military Ranges that the armoured guys used as targets. I'm sure that is where this one came from...
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| An M5 Stuart Light Tank turret at Godley Heads |
The new Lighthouse Cottage looks like a quirky and interesting place to stay and I will be booking myself a visit soon. It would be a great first hut destination...close to town for a quick bug out if things didn't work out well. With electricity and cooking facilities all you would need to take is a sleeping bag, some food/drink and a sense of adventure. Have a look at the page on the DOC website and book yourself a stay.....
Access: From Summer take the Evans Pass road, then turn left onto Summit Road heading out to Godley Heads. The road is narrow, winding with drop offs on the downhill side. Exercise caution as it can be busy and some of the other drivers are not very courteous.
Track Times: From the hut/campsite it is 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete the Godley Heads Loop Track, 1.5-2 hours to Taylors Mistake via the Pilgrim Way coastal Track. All tracks are well marked and signposted.
Hut/Campsite Details: Lighthouse Cottage/Lighthouse Generator Hut: Bookable, sole occupancy, $65 per night. It has crockery/cutlery, cooking facilities, refrigerator, electric heating, tap water. DOC ranger on site over summer. There is water and toilets at the nearby campsite.
Miscellaneous: The Lighthouse Cottage & campsite are both on the DOC booking system, they must be booked for overnight visit. Public toilets at the camp site and at the main car-park.
