Mt Vernon Farm Track Intermediate
Submitted by Conor Keena
Front country - easily accessible
Loop
Very hilly
Native bushOpen farmlandsOpen tussock/grasslands
Intermediate
1:45 (Slow)
1:10 (Moderate)
0:45 (Fast)
-13.3%
+13.2%
Fastest Known Times (FKTs)
Can be run in either direction to qualify for FKTs
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Description
Start up the hill straight away, you'll pass some houses and at the end of the street it will look like you're going onto somebody's property - but keep going up the drive and climb over the gate. You're now on the Mt Vernon farm track, a nicely rutted and washed out 4WD track, that becomes smoother as you climb.
Go up up up for a couple of km's, and you'll get to a fence just before the Summit Road. Follow the fence along to the right until you get to a people-sized gate, go through, and cross the road. Here you'll cross the bike track, and continue straight up the face of the hill for a reasonably steep 30m-40m climb. The track then flattens out for a quick run to the summit.
From here, you can turn around and go back the way you came, or drop down the east side of Mt Vernon to the top of the Rapaki track. Start down the Rapaki track, but break off to the left and aim for the valley. The track here isn't formed very well, but for the first km I think it's best true right (east), then it will switch over to true left when you're alongside the Rapaki saddle. This single track continues all the way down to the Mt Vernon Reserve car park. You can take a nice little detour on the Marette Taylor track along the way (this is what the GPS shows).
Trail Community
Make Up of Run
Untracked / Route only: 2%
Technical Single Track: 20%
Moderate Single Track: 20%
Easy Single Track: 16%
Farm Road / 4WD Track: 40%
Sealed Road: 2%
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

Rapaki Sugarloaf Return
Length: 15.00km

Port Hills Nearly Half Marathon
Length: 18.00km

Port Hills Spur Challenge!
Length: 18.50km

Up Hill Down Valley
Length: 10.80km

The North Faces
Length: 24.80km
Photos:
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Access
Intersection of Hillsborough Tce and Heybridge Lane
Plenty of on-street parking.
Bus 145 goes along Centaurus Rd at the top of Hillsborough Terrace.5 km
13 minutes
Yes
No
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Staying Safe
Moderate.
Make navigation of this route super-easy by using the Capra app on your phone. View on Capra .
Navigation going up is easy, just aim for the top. Coming down the valley track might be tricky, if in doubt just follow the valley, most of the track is on the west side. If you get lost here, climb up the east side to the Rapaki track. You can drop off the Rapaki via the Rodgers track to get to the Mt Vernon carpark.
Generally good.
Short-sleeved thermal top, Windproof jacket, Whistle, First aid kit, Cellphone, Map.
None
The tracks can be quite slippy when wet, typical of the Port Hills.
There are small sink holes in the soil all over the Port Hills. Watch out for these, particularly on the valley track.
-
Post run indulgence
Fava Cafe
236 Centaurus Rd
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Sponsor this trail
See other runs nearby:
Godley Head loop
Lyttelton to Diamond Harbour
Halswell and Kennedys
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The Bowenvale Elevator
The Gorsetrack Strikes Back
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