Date:  31 January 2024

DOC Senior Ranger Heritage and Visitors Mandy Black says work is due to begin on 7 February and all going to plan, the campsite area and historic gun emplacements will reopen to the public in June.

“While this work is being carried out, large trucks and trailers will be using the section of Summit Rd leading to Godley Head. For visitor safety, vehicle movements in the section of road from Evans Pass to the Godley Head carpark should be avoided during working hours of 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

“Walking and mountain biking tracks in the area which are currently open will generally remain open, but some short detours and brief temporary closures to some sections may be in place. Extra care will need to be taken if crossing the road.

“We know Godley Head is a popular site, hosting about 100,000 visitors per year before the closure, so we’re really looking forward to getting it open again as soon as possible.”

Mandy says in the meantime, the site will remain fenced off, with security cameras in place.

“Disappointingly, the site has suffered from some theft and vandalism while it was closed, such as the copper gutters and pipes being stolen.”

Godley Head is one of New Zealand’s best coastal defence heritage sites. Sitting on the headland at the entrance to Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō, the site offers outstanding panoramic views of the harbour and coastline.

The campsite area and Lighthouse Cottage was closed before Easter 2021 after unsafe levels of asbestos were found in the gravel roads on site. This prompted wider testing which discovered asbestos contamination at the gun emplacement.   

Mandy says it’s been a long journey to plan and secure funding for the remediation work.

“We know this closure has been disappointing for some people who have wanted to enjoy the site, but we put the health and safety of its visitors first. We want to thank everyone for their patience and for respecting the access restrictions.” godley-head-campsite

For more information visit www.doc.govt.nz/godley-head-campsite.

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