Last updated November 2026
The Tāhunanui Hills rise between Tāhunanui Beach and Nelson South, and Nelson City Council’s Walk Nelson series has several routes over them, mixing bush tracks, steps, quiet streets and lookouts over Tasman Bay.
The Observatory Walk, about 1.5 hours from Victory Square, climbs to Princes Drive and the Atkinson Observatory site at Pipers Park. The Britannia Walk, 1.5 to 2 hours from the Tāhunanui Beach car park, takes in a plane-table lookout, the Songer Tree, the Haven Cemetery and views of The Cut.
The historic Days Track links Rocks Road and Toi Toi Street over the hills, but its section between Moana Avenue and Grenville Terrace has been closed since storm damage, and the council’s walk pages still send the Britannia and Tosswill Reserve walks along it. This guide sets out the parts you can walk, and you should check Nelson City Council before you go.
Track Facts
Tracks can close at short notice for slips, storm damage or maintenance. Check with Nelson City Council for updates on Tāhunanui Hills walks on the day you walk.
More from Nelson City Council
Practical Information
- Start
- Observatory Walk: Victory Square, corner of Toi Toi and St Vincent streets. Britannia Walk: Tāhunanui Beach car park. Tosswill Reserve Walk: Tosswill Reserve, beside the Tahuna Bowling Club on Tahunanui Drive
- Distance from the city
- About 2 km from Nelson
- Walking time
- Observatory Walk about 1.5 hours; Britannia Walk 1.5 to 2 hours; Tosswill Reserve Walk 45 to 70 minutes
- Terrain
- Bush tracks, steps, firebreaks and hillside streets; some steep climbs and descents
- Days Track
- The section between Moana Avenue and Grenville Terrace has been closed since the August 2022 storm
- Dogs
- The council’s walk pages don’t give a dog rule; check Nelson City Council’s dog rules
- Managed by
- Nelson City Council
- Status
- Check Nelson City Council’s walking track status page before you go.
About the Tāhunanui Hills Walks
The Observatory Walk is the most straightforward way onto the hills while part of Days Track is closed. From Victory Square, head along Toi Toi Street to the steps of Days Track, which climb from the end of the street through a patch of native bush. This Nelson South end of the track is not part of the closed section between Moana Avenue and Grenville Terrace.
Bob’s Track branches left to Princes Drive. Turn left and climb, with views over Tasman Bay opening up as you go.
At Pipers Park, steps on the right lead up to the observatory site. Carry on along Princes Drive for views over the city, the Haven and the Grampians, then turn left into Observation Terrace. Just before the turnaround, a firebreak drops downhill on your left.
The council warns that it is quite steep at the end, where it comes down into Emano Street. Follow Emano Street back to Victory Square. Along the way the council points out the mix of housing styles and gardens on the hill.
The Britannia Walk is the harbour-side loop. The council’s directions climb from the beach car park on Days Track, which is no longer possible in full, but the rest of the route follows streets, walkways and steps.
From the lookout at the top of Princes Drive, with its plane table and seats, it heads down Richardson Street and Fifeshire Crescent, up the Maryann Walkway to Albert Road, and down to Harbour Terrace. Steps up Stepney Lane and Queens Road lead to a reserve with views of The Cut, Haulashore Island and the Boulder Bank.
From there the route follows Victoria Heights and Britannia Heights past the Songer Tree, then Whitby Road and The Cliffs to Malcolm Place. Just past the first house on the right, a marble cupola on a concrete post marks the steps to the remains of the Haven Cemetery, and a staircase drops to the Basin Reserve.
The council’s loop finishes along the seaside footpath on Rocks Road back to the beach, so you can also walk it in reverse from the beach end as far as you like.
Days Track
Days Track is a historic pedestrian link between Rocks Road and Toi Toi Street, giving a direct route over the hills between Tāhunanui and Nelson South. The section between Moana Avenue and Grenville Terrace has been closed since the August 2022 storm.
The track is prone to damage because it lies on the Tāhunanui Slump, described as New Zealand’s largest active urban landslide. The same section was closed after severe weather in 2011 and did not reopen until 2017.
The council’s Walk Nelson pages don’t mention the closure, so where their directions use Days Track between Grenville Terrace and Moana Avenue, follow the signs on the ground and check the council’s walking track status page.
Tosswill Reserve and the Observatory Story
The Tosswill Reserve Walk starts beside the Tahuna Bowling Club and climbs the narrower of two concrete tracks, then follows Tosswill Road, Chamberlain Street and Rangiora Terrace for views over the Nelson Golf Course and Tāhunanui Beach Reserve, before Tamaki Street and Tosswill Road, which becomes Stansell Avenue, lead up to the Paddy’s Knob viewing platform.
The council’s main route then heads down Days Track from Moana Avenue, through the closed section. Its alternative avoids it: from the Paddy’s Knob lookout, take the walking track to Champion Terrace, go down to Tahunanui Drive and return to the reserve.
The observatory site recalls Arthur Atkinson, a keen astronomer, Nelson MP and the first owner of Fairfield House. The original Atkinson Observatory stood at the top of Princes Drive, close to the water tank, and first operated in 1883. A new observatory was built at Pipers Park in 1982.
The Songer Tree on the Britannia Walk is a giant sequoia planted on Arbor Day in 1900. The Cut, which you see from the Queens Road reserve, is a man-made channel completed in 1906 to give ships a better entrance to the harbour than the old channel past Fifeshire Rock.
Where to Learn More
Nelson City Council: Nelson South Walks: the Observatory Walk from Victory Square, with directions and a map.
Nelson City Council: Tahunanui and Tahuna Hills Walks: the Britannia and Tosswill Reserve walks and other Tāhunanui routes.
Nelson City Council: Walking Track Status: current closures on council walking tracks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Days Track open?
Not all of it. The section between Moana Avenue and Grenville Terrace has been closed since the August 2022 storm. Check Nelson City Council’s walking track status page before you go.
Which walk avoids the closed section?
The Observatory Walk from Victory Square uses the Toi Toi Street end of Days Track and Bob’s Track to reach Princes Drive. The Tosswill Reserve Walk’s alternative via Champion Terrace also avoids it.
How long is the Observatory Walk?
About 1.5 hours from Victory Square, on the corner of Toi Toi and St Vincent streets.
How long is the Britannia Walk?
The council gives 1.5 to 2 hours from the Tāhunanui Beach car park, but its directions use the closed section of Days Track.
What is the Songer Tree?
A giant sequoia planted on Arbor Day in 1900, passed on the Britannia Walk on Britannia Heights.
Is the walk steep?
In places. The firebreak at the end of the Observatory Walk is quite steep where it comes down into Emano Street.
Can I take my dog?
The council’s walk pages don’t give a dog rule for these routes, so check Nelson City Council’s dog rules before you go.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Sources and data notes 1
- Track Facts: Track line and facts: Herenga ā Nuku Aotearoa, Outdoor Access Commission, from LINZ and DOC data (CC BY 4.0). Elevation: LINZ (LiDAR), CC BY 4.0.