Short Walks in Invercargill and Southland: 13 Walks of an Hour or Less

A walk made the list only when the whole walk, a loop or there and back, takes about an hour or less. Where a manager gives a one-way time, we say so. Conditions change, so check the manager’s page before you go.

ICC says it was logged before 1920 but is a good example of the bush that once cloaked much of the area. Enter off Mason Road, where there is roadside parking. ICC says a fully accessible toilet is at the reserve entrance, and lists a picnic table. Seaward Bush is a dog on-lead area.

Otatara Reserve

ICC gives 2284 m and 45 minutes return for this loop, which “starts and finishes at the picnic shelter and car park off Dunns Road”. The reserve holds a mosaic of forest, from mānuka shrubland to mature mixed podocarp forest, and ICC suggests listening for tūī and pīwakawaka in a canopy of tōtara, mataī, lemonwood, pōkākā and the occasional rimu.

ICC describes “an undulating track over a mixture of soil and boardwalk”. There is a fully accessible toilet at the Dunns Road car park, another toilet at the picnic area, and a picnic table. Dogs must be on a lead.

Bushy Point

The Otatara Landcare Group runs this 14 ha restoration site, leased from DOC, at the end of Bryson Road. The group says it is public land, open all year. Its self-guided walk brochure, in a dispenser at the Bryson Road entrance, times it at a leisurely pace: about 10 minutes each way to the viewpoint, and about 30 minutes each way to the pond and interpretation sign.

At the viewpoint, the brochure points out a white trig marking one of Invercargill’s high points, 20 m above sea level, on old sand dunes. The walk passes tōtara forest on sand dunes and estuary salt marsh. The group asks you to keep dogs on leads because of bait stations.

Omaui Reserve

ICC gives 1500 m and 30 minutes return for the loop track here, which runs through regenerating coastal bush past an elevated lookout platform. ICC promises panoramic views over the Invercargill Estuary and Sandy Point towards the Takitimu Range on the horizon.

Follow State Highway 1 south towards Bluff; the reserve is reached via Omaui Road, past the Omaui settlement, off Mokomoko Road. ICC lists a car park, toilet and sheltered picnic area. The reserve sits beside DOC’s Omaui Scenic Reserve, which ICC calls the largest tract of bush in Invercargill City. Dogs must be kept on a lead.

Head east from Invercargill on State Highway 1 for 16 km, turn right onto Flemington Road, then continue 1.8 km on Woodlands-Morton Mains Road. The reserve is on the right; park on the roadside next to it. A picnic table sits in the grassy reserve near the track entrance, and DOC names no toilet. Dogs on a leash only.

Seaward Downs Loop Track

DOC calls this “an easy well-formed loop track in native forest”, graded an Easy short walk: 1.3 km and 40 minutes. It is in Seaward Downs Scenic Reserve, a pocket of native forest, and shows off diverse birdlife and podocarp trees. The track starts in a large picnic area.

From Invercargill, DOC’s directions are east on State Highway 1 for 16 km, right onto Woodlands-Morton Mains Road, right onto Dacre-Morton Mains Road, then left onto Tramway Road West for 1.5 km. The reserve is on the right, with ample parking. Dogs on a leash only.

Waituna Lagoon Boardwalk

The first part of DOC’s Waituna Lagoon Loop Track is a boardwalk of 500 m and 10 minutes return, back the way you came. It winds through low mānuka and shrubs to a viewing shelter over the lagoon, a Ramsar site recognised for its birdlife, where DOC says the brackish water is important for wildfowl, native fish and trout.

The car park is at the end of Waghorns Road, reached off the Southern Scenic Route via Waituna Lagoon Road, with a toilet and picnic table. The full 5 km loop takes 1 to 1.5 hours, so it falls outside this list. No dogs.

Reach the picnic area from Otautau along Knutsford Road, following the forestry signs; DOC says there is no access via Pourakino Valley Road, though navigation apps may send you that way. The picnic area has fire boxes, picnic tables and a toilet. Dogs on a leash only.

Forks Flat Track

DOC calls this a “well formed, easy, one-hour loop”, 3.6 km through remnant native Hokonui Forest, though its grade is Easy to intermediate walking track. It winds through mataī and kahikatea beside the Dunsdale stream, past a small waterfall, and midway reaches a large grassy clearing often full of butterflies.

The walk begins in the council’s camping area at Dunsdale, reached by forestry roads from State Highway 96 east of Winton, with toilets and a water supply. Dogs on a leash only.

Southland District Council says: “The Dunsdale Recreation Reserve closes for a period each year from late April until Spring. The reopening is dependent on the weather and ground conditions.”

A 50 m side track leads to where the lighthouse keepers’ house once stood. Sea lions can be aggressive; keep at least 10 m away. No dogs. Parking is limited, and there are toilets, an information kiosk and seating.

McLean Falls Walk

DOC gives 2.1 km and 40 minutes return, back via the same track, to the 22 m McLean Falls on the Tautuku River in Catlins Conservation Park. The track passes through native bush that was once logged and goes slightly uphill, but DOC calls it a gentle walk.

The last part has had a large slip: don’t stop between the rock fall signs, and DOC warns of slips in heavy rain, wind or freeze-thaw. Turn off the Chaslands Highway onto Rewcastle Road 11.6 km south of Papatowai; the car park is a further 3 km along and isn’t suitable for large buses. Dogs on a leash only.

Matai Falls Walk

DOC gives 1.2 km return via the same track and 40 minutes for this Easy short walk to the 10 m Matai Falls. From the car park you cross a bridge into regenerating podocarp and broadleaf forest.

At an intersection, the left route follows the old rail line that once linked Owaka to Tahakopa; stay on the main track for the falls, surrounded by moss and trees.

The walk is signposted on the Papatowai Highway, 18 km south of Owaka, with plenty of parking on the bush side of the road at the track entrance, though not for large buses. Dogs on a leash only.

Purakaunui Falls Walk

DOC calls Purakaunui Falls one of Otago’s iconic, most-photographed sights. It gives 20 minutes but no distance, and doesn’t say whether the time is one way or return; even doubled, the outing is well under an hour.

Turn off the Papatowai Highway onto Purakaunui Falls Road 6.3 km south of Owaka, or onto Warnock Road 10.8 km south; both turn-offs are signposted.

The track runs through mature beech, then beech and podocarp, to a top viewing platform, then descends to the three-tiered falls often seen on calendars and postcards. There is a car park, toilets and a picnic area. Dogs on a leash only.