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Key facts
- Distance
- 43 km one way
- Walking time
- 14 hr 30 min
- Track grade
- Advanced
- Location
- Hakatere Conservation Park
- 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
Part of Te Araroa Trail, this track links Hakatere Heron Road to the Rakaia River.
This DOC directory entry covers Lake Emily to Glenrock Stream (Rakaia Valley) Track in Canterbury, within Hakatere Conservation 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: 43 km one way
- Walking time: 14 hr 30 min
- DOC grade: Advanced
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
This track is part of Te Araroa Trail.
Starting from the carpark just off Hakatere Heron Road, follow the track to Manuka Hut (1 hr 30 min).
You will then pass Manuka Lake and Seagull Lake, before a junction with the Double Hut Track to your right. Double Hut is 800 m down this track.
It is about 10 km from the carpark to the Double Hut junction.
Continue straight and the track will start to climb toward the Clent Hills Saddle. It is 8 km from the Double Hut Track junction to the top of the saddle.
It is a further 9 km down to Comyns Hut.
The track then follows Turtons Stream uphill toward Turton's Saddle, passing A Frame Hut on the way.
From the saddle, the track follows Glenrock Stream down to the Rakaia River plain and meets the Double Hill Run Road. It is 16 km from Comyns Hut to the road.
Getting there
Lake Emily is accessed from Hakatere Heron Road, about 31 km west of Mount Somers.
Leave Mount Somers on Ashburton Gorge Road, then turn right into Hakatere Heron Road (23 km). Turn right again just before crossing Jacobs Stream Bridge at Castleridge Station.
2WD vehicles can park on the verge of the farm track (be considerate of other users and farm vehicles). 4WD vehicles can travel a further 1.4 km to a car park on the public conversation land.
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.
