Last Updated: 22nd Sep 2023

Intermediate

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I've done it Done

Godley Head loop

Christchurch, Canterbury

Submitted by Daniel Redmond

Last Updated: 22nd Sep 2023

Intermediate

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I've done it Done

Notice More info

Grunt Factor: 23

Gnarl Factor: 32

18.1km

650m

650m

303m

  

  

  

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Trail Map

Type of Run

Urban fringe

Loop

Undulating, some big hills

Dog Friendly

Beach

Coastal

Open farmlands

Open ridges/tops

Run Makeup

10%
50%
35%
5%

Sealed Road

Easy Single Track

Moderate Single Track

Technical Single Track

Average Uphill Gradient: +11.5%

Average Downhill Gradient: -10.6%

Trailhead

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Estimated Times to Run

3:00

Slow

2:15

Moderate

1:40

Fast

Head up the main road up the hill to the first hairpin corner, where Flowers Track starts and climbs steeply to Nicholson park on the top of the hill. Cross the road and head east down a track to get behind the houses. Head right, and follow the track along the cliffs down to Taylors Mistake beach. On the south end of the beach, pick up the Boulder Bay walkway for a cruisey run (with a few small hills) around the coast to Godley Head. From the Godley Head carpark, pick up the poled Crater Rim track that roughly follows the main ridgeline heading west, all the way to Evans Pass (where the road comes up from Sumner). For a slightly longer but less hilly option for this section, you can follow the road. From Evans Pass head back down into Sumner on the Captain Thomas track which runs along the true left side of the valley. This track ends in a park on the edge of Sumner. Follow your nose back towards the beach through the streets.

Historic gun emplacements. Coastal cliffs. Post run swim at the beach

Plenty of parking along the esplanade. Purple line bus goes to Sumner from the central city.

13 km

22 minutes

Yes

No

Moderate.

At the Godley head gun emplacements, you can either run up the road to the carpark, or drop down the trail on the harbour side to get to the same carpark.

Generally good.

Long-sleeved thermal top, Seam-sealed waterproof jacket, Gloves, Beanie/thermal headwear, Whistle, First aid kit, Extra food for emergencies, Cellphone, Map.

A tap can possibly be found at the surf clubs in Taylors Mistake and Sumner, otherwise not much drinkable water on the route

Very exposed to wind for a large portion of the route

Watch out for mountain bikers on the Captain Thomas track

Trail Legend

Isaac Salek

Isaac Salek

has completed Godley Head loop once in the last year.

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Trail Video
Trail Reviews

Beautiful views. Only reason not to give 5 stars is that a small part of the track is closed (asbestos in the ground), and the way around could be more clearly marked. I ended up just following the fence, and that worked out, but following a track on that part would have been nicer I think.

Ben Demeyer

September 13, 2023

Very nice track, should have done it ages ago.

ewald kruger

September 20, 2022

Well, I'll say one thing - that was definitely more of an adventure than I was counting on! When doing a WT trail I like to follow the GPX file to run the route as intended by the author. I've run around this area fairly often and went out without paying much attention to the prescribed route. As others have mentioned above the route doesn't exactly follow the most well groomed trails and I think that may be the most I've stopped on a run to pull grass seed out of my socks! I enjoyed the alternative route thoroughly and was glad to experience the area in a different way, but on balance I think there are better ways to run this loop. I'd personally start in Taylor's, drop down to the lower battery (as opposed to through the gorse field), past the barracks and then as others have said, stay leftmost on the Lyttelton side until the top of Evans Pass Road. Now I love a Captain Thomas downhill, but I think the best way to complete the loop from here is to take Scarborough Bluffs track and then the steps back down to Taylors. This eliminates the road section in Sumner and gives a good 15km loop.

Brion Matthews

January 28, 2022

Great loop, not a fan of the thistle field though!

Aaron Campbell

December 25, 2021

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