I spent the first celebration of the new Matariki holiday walking on the Port Hills. The circuit from Taylors Mistake to Godley Head and back to Taylors Mistake is approximately 8 kilometers and will take from 3-4 hours to complete.
On the way you will use the Pilgrims Way Walkway, Breeze Col MTB Track and Breeze Bay Track.
The route I followed is known as the Godley Head Loop Track...a high quality track from Taylors Mistake to Godley Heads on the Port Hills and back down to Taylors Mistake. It is a great wee track and I will be back to walk parts of it again in the future.
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| Start of the Pilgrims Way Coastal Track |
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| Map: Track network at Godley Heads |
The track starts from the carpark behind the Taylors Mistake surf club off Taylors Mistake Drive. There is plenty of parking here for several hundred cars. Even so it will be busy on fine weekends so try to get here early to secure a good spot.
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| Pilgrims Way Coastal Track is dog friendly |
Most of the land around Taylors Mistake belongs to DOC which is why there are few houses there. There are some houses near the start of the track and some of them are on freehold land so are likely to survive into the future. Most of the homes have a BoHo surfer feel to them as this has always been a more alternate residential area of Christchurch.
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| alternate pathway back to carpark at Taylors Mistake |
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| Heading across to the start of Pilgrims Way Coastal Track |
You start climbing immediately after leaving Taylors Mistake...the gradient is ok for walking on but you will be spending most of the next hour or so climbing steadily up towards Godley Heads or Breeze Col. The track is rated as intermediate but there are a couple of steep, rocky sections along the way...
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| Pilgrims Way Coastal Track starts off steep |
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| Taylors Mistake from the Pilgrims Way Coastal Track |
The track is really excellent...flat, wide and well maintained it is a very easy track to use. It was super busy on the day as this was the first time we are celebrating Matariki. There were crowds of people walking, running, strolling and walking with dogs.
It was lovely to see so many people out and about...I love a public holiday!!!
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| Taylors Mistake is a great surf beach |
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| The Pilgrims Way Coastal Track sidles the cliff sides |
Stay away from the track edge folks...there are some big drop offs along this coastal pathway and it is close to the edge in a number of spots. Stay to the right and common sense will see you through. Be especially careful near Taylor Battery and up near Godley Heads as the cliffs here are up to 100 meters high...
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| Looking out to Lyttleton Roadstead |
There are great views of the coast, ocean and the many bays you pass along the track...you can see the course of the track winding its way along the coast in a number of spots. The track is really obvious as the gravel used on the track is a light tan/grey color that really sticks out against the side of the hills
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| Clear path of the Pilgrims Way Coastal Track |
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| Pigs Ear is a type of succulent that grows on the Port Hills |
Ten minutes after leaving Taylors Mistake you arrive at the junction of the Pilgrims Way Track and Breeze Col Track. This loop can be walked either way but this time I decided to do all the uphill first and headed up Breeze Col Track to the Summit Road.
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| Junction of Pilgrims Way and Breeze Col Track |
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| Breeze Col Track heads up to the Summit Road |
The climb is steep to start with though it does even out a little up near the top of the track. It is an easy to follow gravel pathway and off to the side you can see the Anaconda MTB Track running down to the ocean.
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| Anaconda MTB track follows the ridge line |
You cross a stile and then find the track a lot flatter as it slowly climbs about 200 meters to the Summit Road out to Godley Head...
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| Stile over a fence on the Breeze Col Track |
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| The Breeze Col Track evens out near the top |
Halfway along the Godley Head Loop Track is a side track for the MTB riders...this is the Anaconda Track which drops much more steeply to Taylors Mistake. You can walk this way if you want but be super careful of bikes as you may not see them coming on this narrow winding trail...
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| Upper junction of Breeze Col Track and Anaconda Track |
From the Anaconda Track it is only another 500 meters to the end of the Breeze Col Track and the Summit Road. This part of the track is dual use (walkers and MTB) so keep an eye and ear out for approaching bikes.
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| Breeze Col is the low point on the ridge |
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| Boardwalk along the Breeze Col Track |
Breeze Col is a low point in the hills between Lyttleton Harbor and Taylors Mistake. If you keep on Breeze Col MTB Track it eventually leads back down to the Pilgrims Way Coastal Walkway and from there to Taylors Mistake. Continue on over Pt. 258 on your right and you will eventually arrive at Evans Pass between Lyttleton and Sumner
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| Sign at top of Breeze Col Track |
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| Breeze Col is the half way point of the Loop |
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| You head over the Summit Road to Breeze Bay Track |
You can walk along the Breeze Col MTB Track which runs just under the Summit road. this will eventually drop you at the carpark for Godley Heads. I have walked this way several times and it is a nice track with great views out to Pegasus Bay and the ocean.
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| Breeze Col MTB Track goes to Godley Head |
From here we head across the road to the Breeze Bay Track.
Breeze Col to Godley Head:
At Breeze Col you cross over the Summit Road and join up with the Godley Head Loop Track...it is well signposted so just look for the sign. Just stay on the main track and follow it as it starts to slowly wind its way back down towards Taylors Mistake.
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| Pt.246 is the highest peak on Godley Head |
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| On the Breeze Bay Track...Port Hills |
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| Breeze Bay Track goes to the south of Pt. 246 |
There is a stile at the start of the track around the Lyttleton side of Pt.246 or you can follow the MTB track up and over the hill.
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| Note: Christchurch 360 logo on fence...Breeze Bay Track |
I have actually finished all but one section of the Christchurch 360 Trail...the last is from Taylors Mistake to Sumner. I have walked, run or ridden a MTB along all of the other sections...roughly 125 of the 130 odd kilometers.
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| Looking across to Purau from the Breeze Bay Track |
The Breeze Bay Track goes along the southern side of Pt.246 from Breeze Col back to the carpark at Godley Head. It has magnificent views of Lyttleton Harbor and Banks Peninsula including Purau, Rippa Island, Camp Bay, Little Port Cooper, Port Levy and Adderley Heads.
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| Southern flank of Pt. 246 on the Breeze Bay Track |
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| Breeze Bay from the Breeze Bay Track |
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| ...the Breeze Bay Track climbs around Pt. 246... |
You can see right across to the small settlement at Little Port Cooper and Adderley Head on the far side of the harbor mouth. In the far distance and back into Lyttleton Harbor you can see Mt Herbert and Mt Bradley on the Te Ara Pataka Track.
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| Camp Bay and Mt Evans (703) |
I passed a small number of people along the track all going for a walk around Pt.246 but mostly I had the track to myself. You have to maintain a good pace along this section as there is a rock fall hazard since the Christchurch Earthquake. There is a 250 meter section where you are not allowed to stop and signs at both ends to warn you of the risk.
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| Breeze Bay Track...a rock fall zone!!! |
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| ...no stopping along the Breeze Bay Track... |
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| View back towards Breeze Col and Pt. 258 |
Lyttelton Harbor looked beautiful with the water a light turquoise color backed by the tan and brown hills in the distance. You can see how dry it is as the only green on land is the odd tree or along gullies where water is still running on occasion.
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| A distant Mt Fitzgerald on Te Ara Pataka |
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| Distant Mt Herbert and Mt Bradley on banks Peninsula |
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| Looking south towards Gebbies Pass |
The track gradually climbs to an apex looking down on Mechanic's Bay before descending down towards Godley Head. It is quite striking on this side of Pt.246 with a series of bluffs above and below the track making for a dramatic scene.
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| About to round a corner above Breeze Bay |
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| Adderley Head and Port Levy across the harbor mouth |
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| Last view of the area around Mt Evans |
You round a bend in the track and can look down into Mechanics Bay and out to the opening of Lyttleton Harbor. Looking back up the harbor you can see as far as Gebbies Pass at the far end and Lyttelton is visible on this side of the harbor.
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| Godley Head from the Breeze Bay Track |
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| The mouth of Lyttleton Harbor |
Once around the point above Mechanic's Bay you can see down to Godley Head which marks this side of the harbor entrance. Godley Head is festooned with defense installations from the Second World War now abandoned. It is a historic reserve administered by DOC and a private trust who maintain the area.
The fortifications were built to defend against the real threat of attacks by German commerce raiders and Japanese submarines. Both passed along this coast during the war and a Japanese submarine even laid some mines near the heads which were not detected until well after the war ended.
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| Godley Head from the Breeze Bay Track |
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| ...some of the defence works at Godley Head... |
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| Godley Head from eastern flank of Pt. 246 |
There are a number of defence posts you can explore around Pt. 264 which is the peak to your left. The first is Observation Post No. 1. These posts were occupied by spotters with high powered binoculars, range finders and sounding devices to monitor anyone approaching the harbor entrance. They phoned the details down to the battery control HQ down at the heads who controlled the 6" naval guns mounted there.
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| Observation Post No. 1 on Pt. 246 |
From Post No.1 they could see from Motunau Island right across to Beacon Rock at the entrance to Port Levy. The naval guns had a range of over 30 kilometers so they could actually have hit targets near Kaiapoi and out to the horizon.
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| View out to Pegasus Bay from Pt. 246 |
As you can see by this map there were two main batteries, Godley and Taylor as well as a series of observation posts so corrections could be made to the fall of the shot. Taylor Battery was temporary and the guns were removed once the main battery at Godley Head became operational.
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| Map: the defence installation on Godley heads |
These were complemented by machine gun pill boxes, observation posts and searchlight batteries. At the peak of its use in 1943 there were over 500 Army, Navy and Home Guard troops occupying the site.
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| Embrasure of Observation Post No. 1 |
All of the buildings had foot thick reinforced concrete walls and armored shutters and doors were fitted to limit blast damage and shell splinters if the site had ever been attacked.
It's worth noting that a German commerce raider Adjutant dropped 10 mines off Lyttelton Harbor in early 1940 (they were never recovered!!!). It is also suspected that various German U-Boats & Japanese ocean going submarines visited the area during the war so the threat to local shipping was real.
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| You can enter the Observation Post from the north side |
The views from the bunker are superb, from here the sentries would have been able to see any approach made to Lyttelton as well as into Port Levy to the South East. Observation is unobstructed right out to the horizon....obviously useful if you are trying to sink approaching enemy vessels.
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| Interior of Observation Post No. 1 at Pt. 246 |
The walls and armored doors are bit pathetic to tell the truth...they would have been fine for machine gun bullets and light shrapnel but a big naval gun like a 5.9 inch/150mm (carried by commerce cruisers) would have blasted these buildings to rubble. German U-Boats carried a 3.4inch/88mm gun and some of the big Japanese subs had up to 8 inch guns all of which would have been effective against visible buildings.
I can only imagine what a really big gun like those on a battleship would do to the installation.
BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!!
Nothing left....
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| Godley Head from roof of Observation Post No. 1 |
I walked further up the hill to the trig point up on the top of Point 246. There is another Observation post here with superb views out over Adderley Head and right back up Lyttleton Harbor. It is the highest point at the end of the Peninsula so you can see far out to sea and right along Pegasus Bay to Kaikoura.
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| Looking down on Observation Post No. 3 on Pt. 246 |
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| Observation Post No. 3 is almost complete outside |
Some of the original armour plates that covered the windows are still in place here...they are about 10mm thick.
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| View to Beacon Rocks from Observation Post No. 3 |
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| View to Gebbies Pass from Observation Post No. 3 |
There are a couple of interpretive panels inside the Observation Post which describe why it is here and how it was used. This was the main control point for all of the gun batteries on Godley Head. It was connected to the rest of the complex thru buried phone lines and radios.
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| Interior of Observation Post No. 3 on Pt. 246 |
After spending some time in the Observation Post No. 3 I walked a short distance down the side of Pt. 246 and had some lunch. I had a balcony view down to Godley Head from my position with a wide arc of vision of the whole of this end of the Port Hills.
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| Cracker, cheese and salami pack for lunch |
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| View of Lyttleton Harbor mouth at lunch |
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| ...my other food supplies... |
Normally i would have sat at the picnic tables down by the car park but the area was busy with a lot of people visiting the site on this fine sunny day. It was nice sitting up on the hillside in the sun and I tucked myself into the tussock on a rock and enjoyed my lunch break.
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| Heading down to the carpark on Godley Heads |
After lunch I set off once again by walking down to the carpark for Godley Heads to see if the track was open. I was not holding out much hope as I had not seen any people walking along the track to the headland.
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| DOC information panel on Godley Head |
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| MTB track which goes up and over Pt. 246 |
As I mentioned earlier the defense installation at Godley Head is currently closed as DOC found blue asbestos when digging some trenches for power lines up near the campsite. Asbestos is super dangerous so they have closed the area indefinitely until they can decide what to do. It is possible it might be fenced off for good as it costs a lot of money to remove Asbestos safely.
So far the area has been closed for nearly two years.
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| Heading for the Godley Heads Loop Track... |
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| ...but its closed due to Asbestos contamination.. |
Have a look at my 2019
post about Godley Head Battery if you want to see what the defence installation looks like there. This was before the asbestos was found when people could still walk down there.
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| Godley Battery at the end of the Godley Heads in 2019 |
There are 3-4 picnic tables next to the Godley Head car park and it is a good lunch spot. There were lots of people parked here and heading off in all directions to follow the various tracks. There is shade, toilets and water available at this picnic area so it is a great spot to rest before continuing on your journey.
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| Looking up to Pt.246 from Godley Head car park |
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| The carpark at Godley Head...toilets, water and picnic tables |
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| DOC sign at the Godley Heads carpark |
With the track out to Godley Head closed you have to go back through the carpark, cross Summit Road and head down the 4 W/D track towards Scott Hut. You cross over a cattle stop (a New Zealand invention) onto the Breeze Col MTB Track.
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| Cattle stop at the Godley Heads carpark |
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| Heading onto the link track to Pilgrims Way |
Once over the cattle stops take the track straight ahead and start heading down hill.
Onto the Pilgrims Way Coastal Track:
About 50 meters down the track take the right hand track at the junction and sidle around the side of the hill to the top of the Pilgrims Way Coastal Track out at the edge of Godley Heads. The left hand track also goes to the Pilgrims Way Track but via Scotts Hut and misses a big part of the main track.
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| Jon on the link track between Godley Heads and the Pilgrims Way Track |
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| ...left for Scotts Hut and right for the Pilgrim Way... |
An old sheep track follows the line of the fence around a gully and out to the main Pilgrims Way Walkway. It is slowly becoming a more defined track with the passing of many people since the defence installation was closed. DOC should probably just bite the bullet and construct a proper track...
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| Link track between carpark and the Pilgrims Way Track |
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| Old defence buildings at Godley Head Historic Reserve |
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| View down to Taylor Battery from Godley Heads |
From the top of the Pilgrims Way Walkway you head downhill towards the location of the Taylor Battery from WWII. You can see the concrete gun bays down below you on the edge of some high cliffs...
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| Top end of the Pilgrims Way Track at Godley Heads |
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| ...heading down the Pilgrims Way Coastal Track... |
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| View all the way to Motunau from Godley Heads |
Another interesting item on Godley Head is one of Captain Falcon Scott's huts which was originally meant to serve as a weather survey hut in Antarctica. It never made it toff the ship and was returned to New Zealand where it was used for many years as a residential garden hut up on Clifton Rise.
After the Christchurch earthquakes the historic hut had to move as the house it was at was destroyed. It was donated to the Department of Conservation restored and moved to this site in 2012. It is just off the main track and can be visited by following a short side track or from a sign posted farm track which descends to the hut from near Godley Heads Campsite.
BTW: All you avid hut baggers...this beastie is on the
Hut Bagger site and can be bagged as a DOC hut.!!
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| The historic Scott's Hut at Godley Heads |
Back in 1939 and the start of World War II the New Zealand government struggled to provide defenses for the various large ports along our coastline. Lyttleton was the third largest port at that time so it was decided it urgently needed defensive works. As a stop gap a couple of heavy artillery pieces from the Great War (60 Pounder howitzers) were installed on purpose built pads on the heads.
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| At the Taylor Battery site on the Port Hills |
This was only a stop gap measure and over the next two years more extensive defense works were developed with mounted 6 inch naval guns, search lights, listening posts and barracks. At its height there were over 500 defense personnel stationed here...mostly Home Guard, Navy and Women's Auxiliary.
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| There were howitzers and naval guns here in WWII |
The guns were never fired in anger but they were needed as Japanese submarines probed the defenses of Lyttleton harbor and there were several German commerce raiders early in the War who sank a number of ships around the New Zealand coast.
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| Site of the naval 6" guns at Taylor Battery...Post B |
We may think we are immune to conflict way down here in the South Pacific but that is a fallacy as modern warfare is truly global. Even in WWII subs had a range of 12-15 000 kilometers....
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| Site of the naval 6" guns at Taylor Battery...Post A |
The track sidle's along the side of the hills about 100 meters above the waterline for most of the way to Boulder Bay. You have awesome views along the coast and down to the rugged & rocky shoreline in between the various bays.
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| First view of Taylors Mistake from Taylor Battery |
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| Looking out to Pegasus Bay from the Pilgrims Way Coastal Track |
Boulder Bay is a small grouping of houses in one of the small bays along this coastline...there are only half a dozen homes most of which would have been in the same family for decades. This is all DOC land now so no more houses can be built and those that remain will eventually disappear as the leases on the land run out. Eventually all these buildings will be removed.
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| Boulder Bay from the Pilgrims Way Coastal Track |
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| ...information panel at Boulder Bay... |
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| ...alternate view of Boulder Bay... |
As you get closer to Taylors Mistake the huge sea cliffs of Scarborough come into view. They are 100-150 meters tall and are exposed to vicious weather for most of the time. There are small rocky beaches in some places but mostly the cliffs fall right into the sea far below.
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| The massive Scarborough Cliffs from Pilgrims Way Coastal Track |
There was a particular type of coastal plant along most of the track from Boulder Bay to Harris Bay. Cotyledon Orbiculata or Crassulaceace is an endemic plant on the Port Hills/Banks Peninsula and is particularly nice between November and March when the stems hold bright orange flowers. I have also seen these plants on the Te Ara Pataka Track, Mt Herbert, Mt Bradley and at Birdlings Flats.
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| Pigs Ear above Harris Bay on the Port Hills |
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| The hillside is covered in Pigs Ear |
There is plenty of evidence of the volcanic past of the Port Hills on display with ochre and red colored rock formations, lava tubes and layers of ash all visible......
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| View along Pilgrims Way Coastal Track to Harris Bay |
The last two kilometers of the track are relatively flat except where they climb up and over a ridge between Harris Bay and Taylors Mistake. It is very exposed along here so you are going to feel every zephyr of a wind gust and the sun beating down...
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| The Pilgrims Way Coastal Track sidling the cliffsides |
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| ...some areas have barriers near drops.... |
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| The last ridge before Taylors Mistake |
Harris Bay is the last indentation along this coastline and marks the last real climb of this route. There is no safe access down to Harris Bay with cliffs right around it and no track down to the small rocky beach at its head.
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| Big sea cliffs around Harris Bay on the Port Hills |
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| Climbing over the last ridgeline at Harris Bay |
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| Steps on the Pilgrims Way Coastal Track at Harris Bay |
Once past the junction with the Breeze Col Track you are on the last kilometer of your trip and from here it is all downhill to the end...
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| View back along the Pilgrims Way Coastal Track |
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| Taylors Mistake comes back into view |
There are interesting views of Taylors Mistake as you drop down to the beach....the tidal range on the Banks Peninsula beaches is quite high so a wide expanse of the beach was now exposed as it was low tide.
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| ...sun comes out as I near the end of the walk... |
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| Black Rock Point at Taylors Mistake |
There is a nice bench seat on a small promenade above Taylors Mistake and I sat there for about 10 minutes looking at the surf rolling into the bay. I must have been passed by over 40 people in that time which gives you an idea of how busy it was.
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| Seat up above Taylors Bay |
You drop down through a small grove of trees to the beach at Taylors Mistake and then walk over the sand to the carpark in behind the surf club.
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| Pilgrims Way Coastal Track down to beach |
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| Steps down to the beach at Taylors Mistake |
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| Back at a sunny Taylors Mistake |
I walked down to the beach and across the sand to the access track next to the Taylors Mistake surf club.
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| Looking out to sea from the beach at Taylors Mistake |
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| Some of the hoses at Taylors Mistake |
I ended the trip at the carpark just behind the Taylors Mistake Surf Club. This is the actual start/finish of the track and there are toilets and water fountains next to the car park. It was very busy even this late in the afternoon as it was Matariki and everyone was out enjoying the public holiday.
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| Christchurch 360 logo near Taylors Mistake car park |
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| Toilets at Taylors Mistake car park |
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| Back at the car park at Taylors Mistake |
Make sure you are fully equipped for exposed to the elements as there is zero cover for all of this route. Carry gear for both sunny/warm and cold/windy conditions as you will probably experience both. This is a really awesome track and really deserves more promotion...it has great ocean views, a lovely easy to walk track, historical interest and ease of access.
What else do you need...come on out and try it for yourself!
Access: From Summer take the Scarborough Road and then Taylors Mistake Road to the Taylors Mistake surf club carpark The road is narrow & winding so watch for other vehicles. The track starts right behind the surf club toilet block.
Track Times: From the car-park it is 1 hour 45 minutes to Godley Heads, 3-4 hours return via Godley Heads Loop Track, all tracks are well marked and signposted.
Hut details: Lighthouse Cottage: Serviced/Sole occupancy, 4 bunks, water, power, electric heating...book on DOC website.
Campsite Details: Godley Head Campsite: DOC ranger on site over summer, water tank, toilets
Miscellaneous: This track is exposed to all weather so it can be blisteringly hot and cold, wet and windy. Come prepared for all eventualities. Public toilets at Taylors Mistake and at the Godley Head car-park.
