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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: -44.37138, 169.86921. 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
- 3 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 1 hr one way
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Omarama area / Wairepo Kettleholes Conservation 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
Wairepo Kettleholes provide a feeding area for both native and introduced birds.
This DOC directory entry covers Wairepo Kettleholes Track in Canterbury, within Omarama area / Wairepo Kettleholes Conservation 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: 3 km return via same track
- Walking time: 1 hr one way
- 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 initial part of this track is a public access easement along a formed road. Climb over the stile to enter the conservation area.
Head east to find the kettleholes which are down in depressions. These kettleholes provide an important feeding area for a number of key bird species including the endangered kakī/black stilt. Fragmented patches of red tussock are throughout the conservation area, particularly alongside Wairepo Creek.
Mountain biking
It is an easy ride along the formed road to Wairepo Kettleholes Conservation Area. You need to lift your bike over the stile. There is an old farm track that can be ridden along inside the conservation area.
This is a shared-use track. Follow the mountain bikers code: respect others, respect the rules, respect the track.
Getting there
Turn off SH 8 onto Quailburn Road off, 4 km north of Omarama. After the Clay Cliffs turn-off the road changes to a gravel surface. Drive carefully as this road often has mountain bikers on it during summer months.
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.
