Climbing away from the harbour, the loop track leaves the township and enters a rolling rural landscape, soon blocking out views of the harbour altogether you can almost imagine it isn't there! En route, numerous local highlights are passed, including Tree Crop Farm Park, the Herb Farm, Nettle Creek Pottery, and Mount Vernon Lodge. Strictly speaking, Woodills Track is only the brief section that cuts across farmland, but that's neither here nor there.
This track is closed during lambing, August - September. Please leave all gates as you find them.
Leaving Rue Lavaud, either head directly up Rue Grehan or climb the hillside behind the Gallery on Rue Brittan and look for the Libeau Lane branch to the left onto Rue Grehan. As Rue Grehan winds gently up the hillside, the French cottages give way to mixed native and exotic trees and farm aromas. Past the Herb Farm, a view of the crater rim opens out over the bush road. Purple Peak overtops the regenerating manuka, the large old walnuts, pines, and apple trees.
Beyond a stile opposite Tree Crop Farm, a dirt farm track climbs through a retired grove of walnut trees then turns onto grass, directly up the incline. Intriguing panorama here of the gulf of the Akaroa crater, with the harbour waters entirely obscured. Onward, the trail meets a long, straight fenceline and follows it to the right. A stile marks the junction with the Purple Peak Track descending directly down the hillside.
Descending back to Akaroa village, a dirt road becomes sealed and steep, and passes Mount Vernon Lodge. Take a detour here through the Lodge with its extensive menagerie. Aside from the geese, ducks, chooks, guinea fowl, ponies, and donkeys, there are ferrets, kunekune pigs, deer, and most likely a goat of the office roof. There's also accommodation and horse trekking. The old road continues below the office and soon joins the sealed road near Balguerie Stream. Rue Balguerie leads from here promptly back to the village, terminating near the Information Centre.