Awaroa/Godley Head is a Department of Conservation managed headland at the entrance to Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō, about a 50-minute drive from central Christchurch. Its WWII coastal defence battery, built in 1939, sits atop sheer 120 metre-high cliffs and is ranked in the top ten New Zealand coastal defence heritage sites. The area is also recognised as a Tohu Whenua heritage site, rich with stories from its days as a 24/7 military operation protecting the Port of Lyttelton.
The standard category Awaroa/Godley Head Campsite puts you right in the middle of the old defence battery, with great ocean views and a range of scenic walks on the doorstep. It is accessible by campervan, car or caravan, and for those wanting a roof overhead, the well-equipped Lighthouse Cottage offers sole-occupancy lodge accommodation inside the campsite. An easy three-hour loop track circles the dramatic cliffs, passing the gun emplacements, engine room, battery plotting room and miniature range, with a mural by Wongi Wilson brightening the concrete.
On a clear day the views stretch across the harbour to Banks Peninsula and far down the coastline. Easy graded tracks make the area suitable for small children and family groups, white-flippered penguins/korora are being returned to a bay beyond Boulder Bay, and dogs are welcome on leads (though not on Taylors Mistake beach in summer months). Toilets and parking are available at Godley Head and Taylors Mistake, and enquiries are handled through the Arthur's Pass National Park Visitor Centre.
At the entrance to Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō, where sheer 120 metre-high cliffs drop away to the sea, Awaroa/Godley Head packs an unusual combination into one exposed promontory: sweeping ocean views, a network of easy clifftop walkways, and one of New Zealand's most significant World War 2 coastal defence sites. The DOC campsite here lets you wake up right in the middle of it all.
Built in 1939, the Godley Head coastal defence battery is ranked in the top ten New Zealand coastal defence heritage sites and is recognised as a Tohu Whenua heritage destination. From September 1939 to September 1945 it operated as one of 44 coastal defence batteries established around the country during the war, its counter-bombardment guns charged with protecting the Port of Lyttelton from enemy warship attack. At the 1942 peak more than 400 personnel manned the battery, with over 1,000 people supporting the 24/7 operation in total — including 150 women of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps.
Remarkably, not one round was fired by any gun on Godley Head at a true enemy. Its finest hour may have come on a stormy night in June 1941, when the small German raider Adjutant slipped in under the lighthouse light to lay ten magnetic mines across the harbour approaches — hurried, historians believe, by the battery's searchlights and presence. The mines never exploded and have never been found.
Today you can explore the gun emplacements, engine room, battery plotting room and miniature range, with a mural by Wongi Wilson adding a contemporary flourish to the concrete. The old lighthouse, relocated to a rocky promontory down the cliff, was badly damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and is no longer operational or accessible, though its glass lamp was salvaged.
The Awaroa/Godley Head Campsite is a standard category campsite set in the middle of the old defence battery, accessible by campervan, car or caravan, with great ocean views and a range of scenic walks starting at the tent flap. If you would rather have four walls, the Lighthouse Cottage is a well-equipped, sole-occupancy lodge inside the campsite with views up the coastline. History buffs should also seek out Scott's Cabin, built for Captain Robert Scott's Antarctic expeditions.
The headline walk is the Awaroa/Godley Head Loop Track, an easy three-hour circuit around the dramatic cliffs with sweeping coastal views and WW2 heritage along the way. On a clear day the outlook stretches across the harbour to Banks Peninsula and far down the coastline. Just beyond the baches at Boulder Bay, white-flippered penguins/korora are being returned to a small bay. The easy graded tracks make the area suitable for small children and family groups, though the cliffs are steep and unfenced, so close supervision matters.
If you would rather not go it alone, several DOC concession operators — from Crater Rim Walks and Canterbury Guiding Co to Tuatara Tours and the Hike and Bike Company — run guided walks and rides in the area.
From central Christchurch, drive to the coastal suburb of Sumner and climb over the Port Hills via Evans Pass Road, then turn onto the Summit Road to reach the Godley Head car park — about 50 minutes from Cathedral Square. You can also come from Lyttelton via Tapuwaeharuru/Evans Pass. The road is sealed but narrow, with sharp corners, steep drops and plenty of cyclists, so take it slowly.
The headland is very exposed, so bring clothing for all weathers. Dogs are welcome on leads but cannot go onto Taylors Mistake beach in summer months. Livestock graze the area — give them space and shut gates behind you. Drones are strictly prohibited without a permit, and visitors must follow signage around the historic buildings, where contaminated soil was capped during remediation work completed in 2024 — no digging, and keep dogs on leads. Toilets and parking are available at Godley Head and Taylors Mistake.
Enquiries are handled through the Arthur's Pass National Park Visitor Centre, and anyone planning an event should check with DOC's Sockburn office at least two months ahead; wedding ceremonies and receptions are not currently supported.
Few places let you camp inside a WWII fortress, walk an easy clifftop loop and finish the day watching the light move across the sea towards Banks Peninsula. Awaroa/Godley Head does all three.