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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: -44.62610, 170.96261. 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
- Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time
- 1 hr one way
- Track grade
- Expert
- 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
Enjoy expansive views out across the Canterbury Plain along an marked route up into The Hunters Hills.
This DOC directory entry covers Hook Bush Route 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: Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time: 1 hr one way
- 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
Dogs allowed. Keep dog under control at all times. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
An unmarked track leads from the end of Jacksons Bush Road to a stream which is followed for a while before the track ascends to a ridge. This pretty tributary of the Makikihi River is bordered by large kōwhai and lacebark/houhere.
Once you leave the stream the route ascends steeply up through thick gorse which in places closely embraces the track—long pants recommended! The wide views out to the coast and over Hook Bush Conservation Area make the climb worthwhile. The ridge can then be followed on up to The Hunters Hills and the trig point at 960 m.
Getting there
Access Access to Hook Bush is about 14 km northwest of Waimate. On the eastern outskirts of Waimate turn right off Timaru Road (SH 82) onto Maytown Road. Take the second right onto Waimate Hunter Road and follow this Hook Bush Conservation Area road for about 12.5 km. At Hunter turn left onto Jacksons Bush Road, which is followed to its end. The entrance is marked by the Hook Bush Conservation Area sign.
Nature and conservation
Hook Bush had extensive tracts of tōtara, mataī and miro. It escaped the fire of 1878 and was surveyed in 1880 and freeholded for logging in 1889. The bush has some of the best remaining areas of podocarp forest along the The Hunters Hills. It contains mataī which are now rare in Canterbury. The area also has some exceptionally large broadleaf, māhoe and coprosma which may have become established after pre-European fires.
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.
