Christchurch 360 Trail - Godley Cliffs SectionBeginner - Intermediate
Submitted by Tony Sharpe
Urban fringe
Point to Point (one way)
Undulating, some big hills
Open farmlandsOpen tussock/grasslandsOpen ridges/topsVolcanic
Beginner - Intermediate
3:00 (Slow)
2:30 (Moderate)
2:00 (Fast)
-11.4%
+9.2%
Fastest Known Times (FKTs)
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Description
The full 360 Trail is a 135km loop around ChCh on a mix of urban trails and tracks. If you are nuts you could try the whole lot in one go, but you'll need the best part of 24 hours for that. Instead the 360 Trail concept is an Urban "Great Walk" designed to be ticked off in several discrete stages. Godley Cliffs is the second section of the 360 Trail and if you want a longer full traverse of the Port Hills hook it together with the Sugarloaf Hills section which starts over in Halswell, or the Crater Rim Trail.
If you've come up via the Gondola drop down the zig zag track down to the saddle. From here kick off into the gradual climb up the shared use MTB/walking trail as it sidles and zigzags up to the top of Mt Pleasant. Alternately for a more direct route head straight up the hill cross country where you'll pick up sections of the pre-EQ Crater Rim route.
From Mt Pleasant it's more shared use track down and round to the historic bunkers, which are always a great spot for a photo or two. Hop onto the Crater Rim Trail here and get rid of those MTB's for a more direct descent down and round to Evans Pass. Cross the road and cattlestop and then follow the Crater Rim all the way out to the Godley Head Carpark.
There are some truly gobsmacking views of the Lyttleton Harbour entrance through here. From Godley Head the 360 Trail actually follows the old track down to Boulder Bay, bypassing the Gun Emplaceements on Godley Head. You may wish to take the new trail that tours these historic buildings instead. You can also camp at Godley head these days too, a great place for night sky and sunrise viewing. Nice easy undulations take you round the bays to Taylors Mistake where you need to zip across the sandy beach and pick up the trail up to Scarborough head as it ducks, dives and zigzags around some baches and then some truly palatial homes. Up over the daunting cliffs of Whitewash Head, then down through Nicholson park and you'll hit the end of this section of the 360 Trail at Sumner Beach.
Trail Community
Features of interest
Historic gun emplacements and bunkers. Spectacular views of Lyttelton Harbour and Pegasus Bay. Christchurch 360 Trail
Make Up of Run
Technical Single Track: 10%
Moderate Single Track: 60%
Easy Single Track: 30%
Route Data
Reviews:
Overlapping Runs
The following trails overlap with this run to some degree. You may wish to combine them but please note that to qualify for FKTs on these runs you should record a separate Strava activity for each
Godley Head loop
Length: 18.10km
Sumner Half Heads
Length: 21.60km
Gang of Four
Length: 15.70km
Trinity - Harbour Bruisin'
Length: 20.10km
Gates Of The East
Length: 14.00km
Photos:
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Access
Start at the Major Hornbrook Saddle, just under the Gondola Top Station. Finish at the Clock Tower, Sumner Beach
Catch the Gondola up to start, or get dropped off by your friendly support crew who can drive up via Mt Pleasant
14 km
26 minutes
Yes
No
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Staying Safe
Easy.
Follow the koru shaped 360 Trail markers
Perfect throughout.
Long-sleeved thermal top, Seam-sealed waterproof jacket, Windproof jacket, Beanie/thermal headwear, Whistle, First aid kit, Extra food for emergencies, Cellphone, Map.
There's water at the Godley Head Carpark, and at Taylors Mistake
Can get pretty greasy after rain and fogbound in inclement weather
Note the weather forecast, it can be pretty savage on the Port Hills in a storm
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Post run indulgence
Lots of options for R&R in Sumner.
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See other runs nearby:
Godley Head loop
Lyttelton to Diamond Harbour
Halswell and Kennedys
Summit Walkway
The Bowenvale Elevator
The Gorsetrack Strikes Back
Rapaki Sugarloaf Return
Sign Of The Takahe - Rapaki
Port Hills Nearly Half Marathon
Horse Longitudes
Horse Latitudes
Sumner Half Heads
Whigs' Flying Fifty (WFF)
VKV challenge
Banks Peninsula Ultra Beer Run
Bottle Lake Blue Loop
Gebbies to Packhorse Romp
Hagley Figure of 8
Bowenvale / Huntsbury Loop
Avon City Loops
Avon - Source to Surf
Okuti to Hilltop Amble
Gondola Gallop
Orton Bradley Loop
The ATH (Around The Harbour)
Lava - H.ELL Loop
Travis Wetland Loop
Punk Rock Assault On Windsor Castle
The Guv'nor & His Birds
The Crater Rim
Lava Lite
Takahe Half
North New Brighton Spit
Mt Pleasant Trig
God's Con - Rehab Road
Gang of Four
Dog Sniffing Rhythms - Harbour Crusin'
Trinity - Harbour Bruisin'
Gates Of The East
Hunting Out A Gorge-ous Loop
Lyttelton Dress Circle
A Diamond in the Rough
Port Hills Spur Challenge!
Up Hill Down Valley
The Coffee Run
Pour Some Sugarloaf On Me
Never Trust A Crocodile
Lyttelton Semi-Circle
Hagley Perimeter
Holliss Stairway to Heaven
Diamond, Herbert & Fitzgerald
Barnett Bunker Buster
The Pipeline of Pain
Mt Vernon Farm Track
Vicki Vale
Heathcote River Run - Opawa to Hoon Hay
Christchurch 360 Trail - Sugarloaf Hills Section
Little Learner Loop (Halswell Quarry)
Bird to Bird
Port Hills Protocol
Bodybag
O'Farrells For Shore
The Governator
Heathcote Meander
Spitting Distance
Montgomery Loop
Canterbury Agricultural Park Loop
2 Sugars, 2 Vernons & a Half Shot
Quail Island Looping
The Chairlift Choice
Tussock Hill Ridge
Mt Pleasant Elevator
McLeans Meander
Girdle the Groynes
Governator 2 - Judgement Day
Westmorland Wetland Time Trial
Loopy in Siberia
The North Faces
Westmorland Hill Reps
360 Trail - Dunes Wetlands Section
Rocking Gibraltar
Dune Bugging
Hey Sisters!
Living Springs Loop
Springing Around Longhurst
Lady Isaac Loop
The Missing Link
Beer Bum Bluffs
Brooklands for the Birds.
Surf's Up!!!
Styx Pick Me Up
Orton Odyssey
Shoeing the Horse
Tauhinu-Korokio TKO
Double Top
Beginner's Adventure Park Loop
Boulder Dash
Clan of the Cave Runner
Taiora Track
Landfill Lark
Morgans Baa Baa Loop
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Horsing Around
Port Hills 8-Attack
Pinecone Pirate - Waitākiri/Bottle Lake Forest Park
Frogger
Takahe to Taylors
