Camp Road Track, Dunedin: Walking from Broad Bay to Larnach Castle

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The most common way to reach Larnach Castle is to drive, but if you’re in Broad Bay and fancy a short walk with beautiful Otago Harbour views then I highly recommend the Camp Road Track. Keep reading for all the details and lots of photos!

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Getting There

Camp Street runs off Portobello Road, the main road along the Otago Peninsula. It’s just before the Broad Bay Yacht Club — there is parking on Portobello Road at Broad Bay Park Reserve (don’t drive up Camp Street as there is nowhere to park). There is a Camp Street and Camp Road — pretty confusing! Camp Street goes up from Broad Bay and Camp Road goes down from Larnach Castle — I reckon it’s best to start from the Broad Bay end.

Road Walking

Once on Camp Street you’ll see the views pretty much straight away. There are a few houses on Camp Street and some sections for sale — you could do a lot worse than this if you’re looking for somewhere beautiful to live! The first part of the walk takes you all the way up Camp Street — it’s steep and there isn’t much shade.

Camp Road Track

You’ll soon reach the end of the road and from there it’s a steady uphill walk through long grass. There are some seats along the way and the views are excellent almost the whole way. You can see Broad Bay, Portobello, Quarantine Island and the settlements on the other side of the harbour.

Harbour Cone

You’ll also see the Harbour Cone, which you can walk to the top of. There’s detour at the top of the Camp Road Track which takes you across farmland to the Harbour Cone Track — you could combine the two for a very scenic half-day walk.

Camp Road and Larnach Castle

Once at the top of the track you’ll have to walk up another road to Larnach Castle. The views continue to impress,  but once you reach the wooden seat (pictured below) there isn’t much to see — you can stop there if you’re not keen on visiting the castle.

READ MORE: Check out our post about Larnach Castle!

You can’t see Larnach Castle from the track or the road. The road winds around and meets up with the main entrance — you can’t see anything from there without paying. It’s worth visiting for fans of history (there isn’t much else like it in New Zealand) and the gardens / harbour views are lovely.

Did You Know? You Can Stay Near Larnach Castle

Larnach Castle manages Larnach Lodge & Stable Stay, located within the castle complex and the luxurious  Camp Estate by Larnach Castle located within close proximity. Both of these accommodation options include free entry to Larnach Castle and its gardens. 

The Details

It took us around 90-minutes to do the Camp Road Track to Larnach Castle. We’d already been to the castle so didn’t go in this time — leave another hour or so if you’re going to visit. The track / road is steep in parts and it can get hot because of the lack of shade. This certainly isn’t the most popular track in Dunedin — we had it all to ourselves despite it being a perfect summer day!

Are you planning a trip to Dunedin? Check out our post about the best walks in Dunedin!

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Jon Algie

I'm a South Island local -- born in Timaru and raised in Dunedin. I left the island in 2006 and returned 10 years later. Having seen a good chunk of the world I realised how special this place is -- the most beautiful island in the world! Seven years (and almost 400 posts) later I'm still helping locals and tourists alike plan their trips around the South Island.