| Distance | 3.9 km loop |
| Time | 45 minutes to 1 hour |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Route | Loop |
| Elevation gain | 116 m |
| Dogs | Yes, on a leash |
| Bikes | No |
| Toilets | No |
| Parking | Yes, Burma Road trailhead |
| Wet feet | Possible at creek crossing after rain |
Ross Creek Reservoir is one of Dunedin’s best bush walks and it’s right on the edge of the city. I loved that you can be in proper native bush with tui and kereru in under 15 minutes from the centre of town. The track loops around a working water supply reservoir that’s been in use since 1867, the oldest still-operating water supply reservoir in New Zealand, and there’s more to see along the way than you’d expect for a 45-minute walk.
The main entry is the Burma Road trailhead in Glenleith, about 15 minutes drive from central Dunedin. There’s a small car park on the left, well signposted. From the city, head out on Taieri Road, turn right onto Wakari Road after 1.7 km, continue 2.2 km then turn right onto Burma Road. The car park is 170 m along on the left.
A second entry is on Rockside Road off Malvern Street, though there’s no dedicated car park there so you’ll need to find street parking.
By bus, route 50 gets you closest to the Burma Road entry and route 3 to Rockside Road. Both are about a 20-minute walk from the stop.
It’s a loop so you can go either direction. I started from the Burma Road car park and headed into the bush, which closes in pretty quickly. The lower section follows Ross Creek through a narrow valley with steep bush walls on both sides, it’s the most dramatic part of the track.
About 15 minutes in, look out for the School Creek waterfall on your left. It drops around 20 metres and felt like a genuine discovery, most people walk straight past it. It looks completely natural but was actually created when Ross Creek was diverted during construction of the reservoir in the 1860s.
The track climbs up to the dam, which is where you get the best view across the reservoir to the Valve Tower, a Victorian stone tower rising straight out of the water connected to the dam by a long floating catwalk. It’s closed to the public but makes for a great photo. The dam face itself is worth a close look too, 77 steel-coated stars representing Southern Hemisphere constellations were installed across it in 2020 after major strengthening work.
Around the far side of the reservoir the track passes the Craigieburn site, the stone remains of a Scottish subsistence farm from the late 1880s with dry stone walls and cobbled floors still visible in the bush. Easy to miss if you’re not looking for it.
The track surface is a mix of flat paths, steps, tree roots, and some uneven sections, nothing difficult. After rain the creek crossing can mean wet feet so shoes you don’t mind getting damp are handy.
Tui and kereru are regulars here, I heard both on my walk. Ducks hang around the reservoir edge. The bush is predominantly native and fenced in places to protect regeneration, which is why it feels so intact this close to the city.
The track connects at the bottom end to the Water of Leith walkway, which runs through Woodhaugh Gardens about 0.9 km to the southeast. If you have time, extending down to the gardens makes a nice half-day.
Open year-round. Some sections have been closed periodically for track restoration, so worth checking after heavy rain. Mobile coverage is generally good. No toilets or water at the trailhead.
This is a popular track, up to 4,000 walkers per month according to the track counters, so weekday mornings are quieter if you want it more to yourself.
The Ross Creek network connects to the Pineapple Track, McGouns Track, and the Upper Leith Walkway if you want to extend the day. See the Dunedin walks page for more options in the area.
These photos were taken with Garry’s GoPro Hero 4. I lighten them up a bit before uploading. Please don’t copy them they are our copyright, thanks.
2 Responses
Taieri Road is spelt incorrectly, it is not Taheri Road.
Thanks so much for letting us know Leonie.