Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ted, and has ladders bolted in the rock face in some sections to assist you. The views from
the summit are among the best in the area; you can see the entire Coromandel Peninsula,
from Mt Moehau to Mt Te Aroha.
SIDE TRIP: KAUAERANGA GORGE
1½-2 HOURS, 3KM RETURN
Another interesting side trip from Pinnacles Hut is to view Kauaeranga Gorge and Dam. To
get there, head back to the Pinnacles Hut track junction on the main ridge track and head
north. Within about 45 minutes you descend steeply into the Kauaeranga Valley and reach
the river. When the river is low it's possible to hike down to Kauaeranga Gorge by depart-
ing from the track and heading past Kauaeranga Dam , 10 to 15 minutes downstream.
Built in 1912, the Kauaeranga was the largest dam constructed in the valley, but all that
remains today is the floor and a few supporting beams. There are good swimming pools
near the dam. Travel in the gorge should never be attempted when the river is swollen, and
even at normal water levels it will involve tramping through waist-deep pools.
Day 2: Pinnacles Hut to Kauaeranga Valley Road via Billygoat Track
4 HOURS, 7KM, 380M DESCENT
Backtrack to Hydrocamp, an hour's tramp from Pinnacles Hut. At the signposted junction
take the left fork to follow Billygoat Track , beginning with a 30-minute climb to a saddle,
where there are excellent views down the Kauaeranga Valley to the Hauraki Plains.
A little further on, a knoll overlooks the Billygoat Basin. The first attempt to log this
basin was made in the 1880s but was abandoned within a few years, as driving logs down
the Billygoat Falls proved too destructive. The basin was successfully logged in the 1920s
after the construction of the Billygoat incline to bypass the falls, and the use of a steam
hauler.
Drop down into Billygoat Basin and cross Billygoat Stream before passing through a
clearing with basic camping facilities. A few minutes further on, a 50m sidetrack overlooks
the collapsed remains of the Long Trestle bridge , which at one time was 160m long and
11m high.
The main track swings northwest and follows the route of the Billygoat tramway down
past the Tarawaere Track junction and the remains of Short Trestle , a bridge built for the
tramway. Near here you'll enjoy some spectacular views of Billygoat (Atuatumoe) Falls
below you. Billygoat Track ends with a steep descent to the Kauaeranga River, which is
Search WWH ::




Custom Search