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Location & access
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route. Check the official route directions before travel.
Official location informationLocation source
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route.
Reference point: -44.66710, 170.95838. WGS84 coordinates retained at the official service's returned precision; decimal resolution is not survey accuracy. Source positional accuracy is not specified.
DOC Maps walking and tramping reference point (WGS84), exact official-page GUID / Department of Conservation. Checked 2026-10-12.
Key facts
- Distance
- 4.1 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 1 hr 40 min return
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Hunters Hills area
- Dog access
- Dogs allowed. Keep dog under control at all times. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
Walk along an enchanting moss carpet.
This DOC directory entry covers Gunns Bush Track in Canterbury, within Hunters Hills area. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 4.1 km return via same track
- Walking time: 1 hr 40 min return
- DOC grade: Easy
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
Dogs allowed. Keep dog under control at all times. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
Gunns Bush track is mostly well formed with some steep and sometimes muddy sections. It is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies.
Moss grows underfoot, making the first part of this walk a magic green carpet. The walk follows the stream and then does a small loop before coming back the same way. There are many large tree-fuchsia/ kōtukutuku which are commonly found in regenerating sites. The kōtukutuku is the largest fuchsia in the world and one of our few native deciduous trees.
Getting there
Gunns Bush is 10 km northwest of Waimate. From the eastern outskirts of Waimate turn off Timaru Road (SH 82) onto Maytown Road. Take the second right onto Waimate Hunter Road. At Gunns Corner go straight ahead on Upper Hook Road. After about 9 km turn left onto Gunns Bush Road and follow this road past the Christian Camp to the car park at the road end.
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 published in DOC's official route gallery with an explicit reuse licence. Its original caption and credit are retained; it does not establish current track conditions.
