Major Hornbrook Track: Walking Guide, Time & Access

Route overview

Enjoy sweeping views back down into Lyttelton Harbour and across to Banks Peninsula and a good day you can see Canterbury Plains to the Kaikoura ranges to the north.

This DOC directory entry covers Major Hornbrook Track in Canterbury, within Christchurch 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: 1 km return via same track
• Walking time: 1 hr
• DOC grade: Easiest

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 on a leash only. Other pets on conservation land rules.

Description

Start: Ross Terrace, LytteltonFinish: Mt Pleasant Saddle

This track is a one-hour return walk. For a longer walk it can be combined with the Bridle Path to create an interesting two-hour loop return with great views over Lyttelton Harbour and the Canterbury Plains. It's suitable for people of moderate fitness but should not be attempted in bad weather as it is quite exposed.

From Lyttelton, the track starts high up on Ross Terrace, where there is a small parking and turning bay. Heading up through the regenerating bush of the Major Hornbrook Reserve, featuring some original vegetation of the Lyttelton basin, the track soon enters the more open Lyttelton Scenic Reserve.

Winding up through a boulder field and climbing up under rocky bluffs, there are spectacular views across the valley to the Mount Pleasant Scenic Reserve. The track tops out at the tussock covered Mt Pleasant Saddle, at a height of 396 metres, with easy access to the Summit Road. From here there are sweeping views back down into Lyttelton Harbour and across to Banks Peninsula. On the other side, on a clear day, you can look out over the Canterbury Plains to the Kaikoura ranges to the north and down to the Heathcote Valley below.

From the saddle, walkers can retrace their steps back to Lyttelton or continue exploring the City Council's network of tracks, including the Crater Rim Walkway.

The nearby gondola station offers toilets, refreshments and a quick ride down the hill to Heathcote.

If followed west, the walkway links with the Bridle Path, which offers an alternative route back to Lyttelton, or on the other side down to the Heathcote Valley and the base of the gondola.

Getting there

From Christchurch, you can drive or take a city bus to Lyttelton. There is also a bus stop near the base station of the gondola.

Walk or drive up Canterbury Street in Lyttelton to the end, then turn left. Follow Somes Road as it crosses Cornwall Road to the parking bay on Ross Terrace and the start of the track.

The parking bay is small, you may want to park on a street lower down

Know before you go

• The Major Hornbrook Track is relatively steep in places and can be slippery when wet, especially in the winter.

• The track passes through a clearly marked rockfall zone. Do not stop in this zone.

History and culture

This is the original track used by Major Alfred Hornbrook. They were a local landowner in the latter part of the 19th century who used this route to transport supplies from the Lyttelton township to his home on Mt Pleasant.

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.