Crater Rim — Sign of the Kiwi to Sign of the Bellbird

Elevation profile

How long it takes

Easy pace (7:00/km)

1 h 13 min

Steady pace (6:00/km)

1 h 5 min

Quick pace (5:00/km)

56 min

An estimate: the pace on flat ground, plus a little extra time for every metre you climb. Work out your own pace with the pace calculator.

The run

An 8.5 km out-and-back on the Crater Rim Walkway, from the Sign of the Kiwi at the top of Dyers Pass Road west along the Port Hills to the Sign of the Bellbird. The track rolls along the rim of the old volcano with the city and the Canterbury Plains on one side and Lyttelton Harbour on the other, passing rock outcrops and patches of native bush. About 280 m of climbing, spread over many short rises.

Good to know

Park at the Sign of the Kiwi, where there are toilets. Dogs must be on a lead. The tops are exposed to wind and sun with no water on the route. The council can close Port Hills tracks on days of extreme fire danger, so check its track closures page in summer.

• Parking: Free
• Toilets
• Dogs: On-leash
• Best time: Early AM