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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: -46.04141, 170.17303. 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
- 8 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 4 hr return
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Dunedin area / Waihola - Taieri Mouth area
- Dog access
- No dogs. 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
An interesting walk in the Taieri Gorge that travels alongside the Taieri River and passes through several different types of vegetation.
This DOC directory entry covers Taieri River Track in Otago, within Dunedin area / Waihola - Taieri Mouth 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: 8 km return via same track
- Walking time: 4 hr 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
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
The 8 km Taieri River Gorge reaches inland from the river mouth. The Taieri River Track is a 4km undulating walk one way to reach the John Bull Gully picnic area.
The track passes through several different types of vegetation and terrain. Because of the river's tidal nature in its lower reaches, the track's early stages passes both freshwater and saline plant life.
As it climbs a little it enters a lush podocarp forest with superb specimens of Halls totara, tree fern/kātote and miro. There are also good stands of healthy, regenerating kahikatea, New Zealand’s tallest native tree. As kahikatea thrives in fertile soil, that has usually become farmland, regenerating stands like this are very rare.
After the forest the track passes through open shrubland to then cut downhill and finish at John Bull Gully picnic area. There’s a choice of returning the same way for great views of Taieri Mouth and Moturata/Taieri Island or carrying on in the same direction for approximately 4 km on the Clutha District Council’s Millennium track, which links with Taieri Ferry Road that, in turn, comes out on SH1.
Getting there
To reach Taieri Mouth take the coastal road, south of Dunedin, via Green Island and Brighton to Taieri Mouth. Cross the bridge and turn right to reach the track start.
Know before you go
The track is steep and can be muddy and slippery in some parts – good footwear is essential.
Flooding
This track can be subject to flooding during heavy or prolonged rain and includes two unbridged creek crossings.
Check weather forecasts and weather warnings before visiting.
Flash flooding can occur during periods of high rainfall. Avoid the area during or immediately after periods of heavy rain.
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.
