Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Day 1: Kauaeranga Valley Road to Pinnacles Hut via Webb Creek Track
3 HOURS, 7KM, 380M ASCENT
The tramp begins at the far end of
Kauaeranga Valley Road
(9km beyond the visitor
centre), where you will see a large display sign offering directions. Follow the main track
north, as it almost immediately crosses a swing bridge over the
Kauaeranga River
.
The main track then skirts the true left (east) bank of the river for 20 minutes, going
through an impressive forest of rata, ferns and nikau palms. Just before
Webb Creek
is a
signposted junction, with the fork leading to Moss Creek. Take the right fork (the main
track), heading east towards Hydrocamp. This historic packhorse route was used by kauri
bushmen in the 1920s to reach logging sites further up the valley.
After crossing Webb Creek you will climb a staircase cut into rock to make the journey
easier for the packhorses. Care is required in places as the rocks can be slippery.
At the top of the climb up Webb Creek, the remains of a skidded road are visible beside
the track. Skidded roads were made from small logs laid lengthwise with cross pieces form-
ing the 'skids'. Logs were pulled along the skids by teams of bullocks or steam haulers.
The
Hydrocamp
, reached 1½ to two hours from the trailhead, is a clearing built in the
late 1940s by workers erecting power lines from Thames to Whitianga. It is also the major
junction for those walking back to Kauaeranga Valley Rd via Billygoat Track.
Take the left fork towards Pinnacles Hut, a continuation of the old packhorse track. It
climbs onto an open ridge, where there are superb views of the Coromandel Peninsula's east
coast and the rugged
Kauaeranga Valley
. The track remains on the ridge for 45 minutes and
eventually you're rewarded with a view of the Pinnacles forming a skyline straight ahead.
One hour beyond Hydrocamp you reach a signposted junction. Take the right fork east to-
wards the Pinnacles to arrive at the huge
Pinnacles Hut
(80 bunks) in 10 minutes. Nearby,
but out of view, are the warden's quarters and campsite.
From the hut it's a five-minute walk down a side trail to
Dancing Camp Dam
. This was
the second-largest kauri dam in the valley when it was built in 1921. It's also one of the best
preserved after it was partially restored in 1994 with kauri timber that had washed down-
river in a flash flood the previous year.
SIDE TRIP: THE PINNACLES
1½-2 HOURS, 3KM RETURN
From the hut a track swings southeast, becomes a marked route and in 45 minutes reaches
the jagged summit of the
Pinnacles
(759m). The route to the top is steep but well signpos-
