Kowhai-Hapuku Circuit other trails nearby (tap a dot to open it)
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NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0) · OpenStreetMap · Official page · Basemap: OpenFreeMap (OpenMapTiles, © OSM contributors).
7-day forecast
Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)Best time to hike
Best months: Oct–Apr · highs 10–17 °C (50–63 °F)
- J17°7°85
- F16°7°105
- M14°5°142
- A12°3°117
- M8°0°127
- J5°-3°139
- J3°-4°169
- A5°-3°147
- S8°-1°114
- O10°1°147
- N12°3°126
- D15°6°106
Average high °C · low °C · precipitation mm per month. Highlighted: best months.
How we pick months
Best months are those where the 1981–2010 average daily high is 10–27 °C (50–81 °F), the average overnight low is 0 °C (32 °F) or warmer, and average precipitation is 200 mm (7.9 in) or less. Values are long-term monthly averages for the ~1 km cell at the trail point on the map, from CHELSA V2.1 climatologies (Karger et al., CC0), not a forecast. Higher or more exposed parts of a route can be colder, wetter or snowier.
About this trail
This rugged 2–3 day trip over Kowhai Saddle is a challenging Kaikōura backcountry tramp.
NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0).
Trail facts
- Length
- 16 km · 10 mi (DOC route geometry)
- Source
- NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0)
- Difficulty
- Very hard (9/10) (Expert · NZ Department of Conservation difficulty (CC BY 4.0))
- Typical time (DOC)
- 2 - 3 days
- Official page
- doc.govt.nz/link/ca7c29ee98cd494fbd95e436ce6
- Mountain range
- Seaward Kaikoura Range (Kaikoura Ranges; GMBA)
- Nearest town
- 16 km N of Kaikoura (Kaikoura District, Canterbury) · GeoNames
- Park or forest
- Ka Whata Tu o Rakihouia Conservation Park
- Best months
- Oct–Apr
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Canterbury
- Continent
- Oceania
- Route centre
- -42.2791, 173.6234
How it’s scored
Very hard (9/10). Official rating: Expert · NZ Department of Conservation difficulty (CC BY 4.0).
A score is omitted when we do not have an official rating or enough measured length and elevation gain to compute one. Nothing is guessed. Read the NPS method: https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/how-to-determine-hiking-difficulty.htm
Hikers can rate difficulty from 1 to 10 (1 = flat, short, easy walk for anyone; 3 = gentle hills, a little effort; 5 = moderate climbs, some fitness needed; 7 = steep or long, solid fitness required; 10 = extremely strenuous or technical; long steep climbing; experienced hikers only). The community average is shown once at least 3 people have rated the trail; until then the official or computed score is used when we have one.
Nearest trails
distance from the trail centreMt Fyffe Hut/Kowhai Saddle Route
2.7 mi · 4.4 km · Ka Whata Tu o Rakihouia Conservation Park
Okiwi Bay Seaward Valley Track
10 mi · 16 km · Scenic Reserve - Seaward Valley Road Kaikōura
Kaikōura Peninsula Walkway
11 mi · 18 km · Canterbury
Patutu Route
13 mi · 20 km · Scenic Reserve - Waipapa Bay Mororimu
Trig Lookout Track / Mount Chisolm Track
25 mi · 41 km · Molesworth Recreation Reserve
Kaikoura Coast Track
28 mi · 45 km · Canterbury
All trails in Canterbury → · All 1,167 trails in New Zealand →