Avoca Valley Track: Walking Guide, Time & Access

Route overview

This track leads from the Haper Valley up Avoca Valley to Avoca Hut.

This DOC directory entry covers Avoca Valley Track in Canterbury, within Craigieburn Forest Park. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.

Distance, time and grade

• Distance: 23.4 km one way
• Walking time: 8 hr
• DOC grade: Expert

Access and alerts

Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.

Dog access

No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.

Description

Walking times from the start of the track:

Lake Lilian – 1 hour [no dogs, no camping, no hunting, no fires, no mountain biking]

Basins Hut and Old Basins Hut – 4 hour

Avoca Hut – 8 hour

Turn off Harper Valley Track, following the sign for Avoca River Valley. The route turns up Avoca Valley and crosses Lilian Creek several times. You then reach a turnoff for a side track to Lake Lilian.

Side Track: Lake Lilian, 30 min to lake. No dogs, no camping, no hunting, no fires, no mountain biking allowed on this track.

From the Lake Lilian turnoff, the Avoca Valley track continues up the valley. The track is an unmarked public access track in the riverbed and margin. You will need to find your way up the valley, including identifying suitable crossing points for the river.

Roughly halfway up the valley on the true right, Basin Creek flows into Avoca River. Basins Hut is on the true right of Basin Creek, not far upstream from the confluence with Avoca River. Old Basins Hut is situated on the other side of Basin Creek.

From Basin Creek, continue up Avoca Valley in the riverbed and margins, with multiple river and stream crossings. Around 4 hours from Basin Creek, you will reach Avoca Hut.

As Avoca Valley Track is in the riverbed and margins, with many river crossings, you need good weather and favourable river conditions. It is best suited to people with excellent river crossing skills, including being able to judge when a river is safe to cross, being able to select a crossing point, and knowing how to cross safely.

Getting there

Avoca Valley Track begins at the turnoff from Harper Valley Track, 2 hours walk up Harper Valley Track from Harper Road.

Know before you go

Stay safe when crossing rivers and streams

If you plan to cross unbridged rivers or side streams, know how to cross safely and be prepared for if you cannot cross.

Do not cross if the river or stream is flooded, you cannot find safe entry and exit points or are unsure it’s safe. Turn back or wait for the river to drop. If in doubt, stay out.

How to cross rivers safely

NIWA river flow forecasts: View a video of national followed by regional river flows

Check the weather forecast and pack for all weather

Check the forecast before you go (Lake Coleridge forecast). Always carry a raincoat and warm layers. This area gets hot in summer, so bring plenty of water and sun protection.

This is a remote area and it is easy to get cut off by flooded rivers, so carry an emergency shelter, spare food and a distress beacon.

Find a tramping packing list here

Expect wasps, especially in summer and early autumn

Wasp populations reach high numbers from January to March – wear light coloured clothing and carry antihistamine cream/tablets as a precaution.

Sources and reuse

Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.

The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.