09 October 2026
Mainly fine but the chance of an inland afternoon or evening shower. Areas of low cloud or fog possible at night. Light winds but easterlies about the coast for a time this afternoon.
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1 / 1Southland District
Long Hilly Track
Te Araroa section: The Long Hilly Track is an extremely popular day walk, taking in a number of historic mine workings from what was once the largest Chinese mining settlement in New Zealand, dating back to 1874. There is a loop track available for day walkers which takes 2 hours and 15 minutes
Distance
6.7 km
Walking time
2 hours
Difficulty
Intermediate
Dogs
Not allowed
Wheelchair access
Not marked friendly
Current status
Alerts and track conditions
No active alerts found. Conditions can still change, so check again before leaving.
Weather outlook
Southland forecast
Issued 9 Oct 2026, 4:49 pm
10 October 2026
Areas of low cloud or fog in the morning and again at night, otherwise partly cloudy with isolated afternoon and evening showers. Easterlies about the coast for a time in the afternoon.
11 October 2026
Fine, but becoming mostly cloudy with isolated showers in the evening. Northerlies, turning westerly in the afternoon.
12 October 2026
Fine. Northwesterlies developing in the morning.
13 October 2026
Showers developing in the morning. Northwesterlies, dying out in the evening.
Regional guidance only; elevation and terrain can produce different conditions.
Explore the area
Long Hilly Track on the map
See the full route on the map
Explore the track route and surrounding area before you set out.
About Long Hilly Track
At the end of the Port’s Water Race, turn right. After 250m the track join Long Hilly Track (Round Hill Walking Track) Long Hilly Track (Round Hill Walking Track) and Round Hill Road - 1.9km Turn left here and follow the track past a number of sign-posted historic gold mining sites to the car park on Round Hill Road. Turn left out of the Long Hilly Walking Track car park and walk 900m down Round Hill Road to the SH99 junction. Orepuki Riverton Highway SH 99 - 4km Turn left onto the highway and then, after 4km, right onto Colac Bay Road. Adjacent to this intersection is the Colac Bay Tavern, where meals and camping facilities are available. Colec Bay Road - 0.7km Walk down Colac Bay Road to the beach front
Essential information for Long Hilly Track
Potential hazards Vehicles on road or track. Take extreme care on the road walk to Colac Bay Weather extremes Few water sources on the road walk
Getting there for Long Hilly Track
Northern Start: End of Ports Water Race Track Southern End: Junction of Colac Bay Road and SH99, Colac Bay
Helpful resources
Before starting Te Araroa either as a through-walker of the whole country or a section walker, please register on Te Araroa website . Please also visit the website or download the app for detailed maps, trail alerts and other relevant information. This track is part of the Herenga ā Nuku Aotearoa track database. Herenga ā Nuku has maps and advice about public access to the outdoors . We encourage you to continue gaining the skills and knowledge required for a safe trip. The NZ Mountain Safety Council has lots of free resources and information you can use. These can be accessed via www.mountainsafety.org.nz . We recommend trying these online learning tools: Trip Planning Tramping/field Skills Basic Navigation River Safety Additionally, check out the range of helpful videos available from the NZ Mountain Safety Council YouTube channel .
Before you walk Long Hilly Track
Track information, access and weather can change. Confirm current alerts and land-manager information close to departure, tell someone your plans, and carry equipment appropriate for the route and conditions.