Cheviot is a small town on State Highway 1 in North Canterbury, about an hour and a half north of Christchurch. Most people drive straight through. Don’t. Stop and walk. The walks are short and easy to get to, and there’s a good mix of old estate trees, coastal cliffs and lookouts.
The reserve was once the Cheviot Hills estate, owned by William “Ready Money” Robinson. After he died in 1889, the government bought the estate in 1893 and broke it up into small farms. His mansion burned down in 1936, but you can still walk past the foundations and under the trees he planted.
Some walks are in town at Cheviot Hills Reserve, and the rest are out on the coast around Gore Bay.
Ready Money Trail
This is a 3km loop through the old Cheviot Hills estate. You’ll walk under huge oaks, cedars and gum trees, past the Sinclair cob cottage site, up to a lookout over the Cheviot basin and on to the mansion foundations. In spring there are bluebells and daffodils along the track. It’s easy walking, and there are toilets at the start. Mountain bikers use it too.
- Distance: 3km loop
- Time: About 1 hr 15 min
- Difficulty: Easy
- Dogs: Yes, under control
- Start: Cheviot Hills Reserve, off George Forbes Drive
Findlay’s Lookout Track
This is a short uphill walk to a sheltered seat at the top, looking north over Cheviot.
- Time: 30 min return
- Start: Caverhill Road, past the school
Tweedies Gully Track
This track climbs through a reserve at Gore Bay to an open lookout over Pegasus Bay.
- Distance: 3km
- Start: Gore Bay
Jed Vale Cemetery Walk
This is an easy walk north along Gore Bay beach, past the Jed River estuary and up a marked path to a historic cemetery. Keep above the high tide mark at the estuary. The graves belong to locals’ ancestors, so please be respectful.
- Time: 45 min return
- Start: Children’s playground at the north end of Gore Bay
Cathedral Cliffs
This is a roadside lookout rather than a walk. Erosion has carved the cliffs into tall pillars that look like organ pipes. The viewpoint is on Cathedral Road, south of Gore Bay. Park on the south side of the road and take care crossing. Don’t climb over the guard rail.
- Time: 5 min
Manuka Bay Lookout Track
This is a coastal track through regenerating bush, eroded badlands and coastal forest. It ends on a headland 60m above the sea, looking over the Hurunui River lagoon. It’s slippery in places and prone to slips after heavy rain, and there can be wasps in summer and autumn.
- Time: 1 hr 45 min return
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Start: Gate at the end of Manuka Bay Road, which is unsealed for 1km off Cathedral Road
- Closures: Slips have closed the southern (Hurunui River mouth) end. Local sources say the track is also closed for lambing from 15 August to 15 October, so check before you go.
Point Gibson Lighthouse
This is a short walk across a paddock to a small lighthouse with views up and down the coast. It looks like farmland, so check access before you go.
- Time: 10 min return
- Start: Manuka Bay Road, off Cathedral Road
Getting There
Cheviot is on State Highway 1, about 112km north of Christchurch. To get to Cheviot Hills Reserve, turn off at George Forbes Drive. For Gore Bay, take Gore Bay Road east from town. Cathedral Road runs south from Gore Bay to the Cathedral Cliffs and Manuka Bay Road.
Other Walks Nearby
Heading north? Stop at the Haumuri Bluff Walk on the way to Kaikoura, then check out the rest of the Kaikoura walks.