Last Updated: 2nd Apr 2024
O'Farrells For Shore
Governors Bay hills loop
Titoki Track, Ngaio Track, O'Farrells Track
Submitted by Tony Sharpe
Last Updated: 2nd Apr 2024
Open
Grunt Factor: 15 ?
Gnarl Factor: 32 ?
11.5km
420m
420m
252m
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Last Updated: 2nd Apr 2024
Titoki Track, Ngaio Track, O'Farrells Track
Submitted by Tony Sharpe
Last Updated: 2nd Apr 2024
Open
Grunt Factor: 15 ?
Gnarl Factor: 32 ?
11.5km
420m
420m
252m
Urban fringe
Loop
Undulating, some big hills
Native bush
Coastal
Open farmlands
Sealed Road
Farm Road / 4WD Track
Easy Single Track
Moderate Single Track
Technical Single Track
Average Uphill Gradient: +8.4%
Average Downhill Gradient: -8.7%
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2:00
Slow
1:30
Moderate
1:00
Fast
This is a nice loop option around the Governors Bay hills with a speedy return around the historic Coastal Walkway, which is part of the Lyttelton Head To Head walkway concept.
Park up at the Firestation Reserve and start trotting up the road a few hundred metres until you hit the Titoki Track. Take this steadily up and then veer left onto the Ngaio Track which will give you a solid uphill workout until you eventually reach a junction with O'Farrells Track. Take the left here and simply follow O'Farrells through a mix of open farmland and regenerating native bush all the way to Living Springs.
Trails here are pretty straightforward although sometimes a bit overgrown and you'll pass lots of other options for future hill reps as you trot around. You'll likely want some decent grippy footwear if it's been wet or winter, it can get boggy in here at times. The track gets slightly sketchy towards the end at Living Springs Camp, but just hold your altitude until you hit the road.
Another option for the downhill is to pick up the Living Springs Mountainbike trails From Living Springs its a fast tarmac descent down Bamfords Rd to the Main Road, which you cross at Allandale Reserve and link onto the fast, flat coastal walkway all the way around to Governors Bay Wharf.
Above the wharf pick up the boardwalked trail and stairs to the left, follow around the roads going left each time until you reach the private property. At this point, there is a short stretch of public walkway that ascends back up to the Main Road near the Fire Station Reserve where you started.
Nice varied loop involving regenerating forests and coastal terrain
If you know of any public toilets near the trail start or on the route, please login and then let us know so we can update this section.
Carparking for several at the Reserve
14 km
26 minutes
Unknown
No
Moderate.
Theres a myriad of other trails around here so take a map or download the GPX
Generally good.
Long-sleeved thermal top, Seam-sealed waterproof jacket, Windproof jacket, Gloves, Beanie/thermal headwear, Whistle, First aid kit, Cellphone, Map
BYO
Definitely more technical in winter and after rain
Please mind the farm animals at Living Springs and leave gates as you find them
Governors Bay Hotel
Governors Bay Road
http://www.governorsbayhotel.co.nz
Great feed and watering hole
She Chocolate
Governors Bay Road
https://sheuniverse.com/cafe-governors-bay/
Chocolate, coffee and a feed!
Trail Legend
Fastest Known Times (FKTs)
You and O'Farrells For Shore
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SD
This is a lovely loop, very pleasing indeed as there are lots of different types of terrain and the views are lovely. I did the loop mid January (well, one very similar to this but I freestyled down through Living Springs mountain bike trails) and the trail was dry as a bone but very overgrown, in places it was extremely slow going.
January 16, 2024
Great loop with a wide variety of trails to enjoy. An initial bit of uphill to get you started but then lots of undulating fun as you traverse along the hillside before dropping back down to the coast. I'd never been on the coastal trail before so that was a nice treat too.
November 20, 2021
Great trail with some awesome single trail contouring up the top. Thankfully the trail had not long been cut and was pretty good for hooning along past Blackberry bushes. A good chance to test the higher gears when pushing down the Living Springs road down to Allandale.
November 19, 2021
I find Ohinetahi a bit intimidating, to be honest… terrain is rugged as hell, navigation can be tricky due to spotty signage, and if you go in the wrong time of year the gorse and blackberry can be painful. However, the views are beautiful, there are some great bits of native bush, you usually have the place to yourself, and if you go in the autumn it’s an all-you-can-eat blackberry buffet. This run, for me, finally made all the navigation click into place. O’Farrells Track is the main thoroughfare that runs roughly constant altitude parallel to Summit Road and the shoreline; everything else mostly goes straight up or down. I’m beginning to see the light!
July 25, 2021
These overlap with this trail to some degree. You may wish to combine them but please note that to qualify for FKTs on these runs you should record a separate activity for each.
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