Rocky Creek Hut
(Rocky Creek Hut: Photo Andrew Buglass 2004)
Maintenance Status
Rocky Creek Hut is designated as minimal maintenance. The
access tracks to it from the Taipo valley and Griffin Creek are no longer officially
maintained, however volunteers have been keeping the track open and useable since 2004.
They have recently started deteriorating again along with a fair amount of
wind damage from the 2008 winter storms.
Frank King and Honora Renwick who were primary in the 2004 cut and
have started recutting the trail from the Taipo end
and have completed the first hour of track (half of the terrace section)
above the Taipo valley. Craig Benbow and his sons did some trimming in July, and
Frank and Honora are will continue on a more thorough upgrade of the trail as time and weather
permit.
Location
Taipo catchment: Grid Ref: E1469915/
N5261720. Map BV20. Altitude 615m. Rocky Creek
Hut, more an oversized biv than a hut, is located on the
TR of Rocky
Creek, which is a small tributary of the Taipo River. The surrounds are
predominantly rata-kamahi forest
with a pleasant deep-bush ambience. Rocky has always been fairly low-use and
numbers dwindled even further during the 80's and 90's with the deteriorating tracks and lack
of available information on routes.
Traffic has increased since the Hut was profiled on this website and hopefully the
improved tracks will result in continued higher use of the Rocky - Griffin circuit.
Access
The track from the Taipo valley to Rocky Creek starts on the
TL of the River around 1/2 an hour up from the Bridge on SH 73. The
entrance is just
past a small creek at E1469608/ N5264594. The track climbs up onto a terrace intially,
then sidles above the Taipo and around into the Rocky Creek catchment.
As mentioned, this section has now been recut to around half-way along the terrace.
The trail eventually sidles into Rocky Creek above a small gorge,
crosses an active slip, then drops into the creekbed.
The Creek is followed from here to just prior to the Hut, with a few sections of track
around small waterfalls and other obstacles. Cairns mark the entrance
of the route
up to the Hut, which goes up a small side creek intially. After around 50m a short
section of track exits the TL of the creek and sidles around to the Hut.
This bit was tidied up by volunteers in 2009.
Allow 4-5 hours currently from the Taipo
Bridge to Rocky Creek Hut.
The the other route to Rocky Creek Hut is from the Griffin Creek catchment
via a low bush saddle. From Griffin
Creek Hut head downriver to the side creek
that drains Scottys Saddle. Follow this up a short distance
up to where permolat markers on the TR mark the start
of a section of track leads over into the next side creek. This creek is followed
up to Rocky Creek saddle.
There is a fork in its mid-section. Follow the
TL fork a short distance to a track that exits on the TR and
takes you back over into
the TR branch, avoiding a small waterfall above the
fork. The entrance is getting harder to find, but the track itself is OK.
Once back in the TR fork continue upstream. Fresh
windthrow and slips on this section have slowed people's progress in recent times.
Nearer the Saddle the scrub closes in and the
creek becomes quite small. A track exits the creek on the TR near its headwaters
and climbs for 10 minutes up
to the Saddle. A steep drop takes you from here down into Rocky Creek.
Once in the Creek it is around one hour's boulderhopping down to where permolat and a cairn
mark the entrance of the short section track leading up to the Hut.
Allow
3-3.5 hours from Griffin Creek Hut
to Rocky Creek Hut.
There is an overgrowing clearing next to the Hut that
a helicopter could probably still get into, although tt may need a trim by now.
Type
Rocky Creek Hut is a small two-bunk structure built by the
NZFS in the mid-1970's. It was one of the last Huts built by them in Westland. It is lined and
has no fireplace, woodburner, or toilet. Water is from Rock Creek 50m away.
Condition
Rocky Creek is well constructed and remained in good
condition during a period of zero maintenance during the 80's and 90's. In 2004
DOC resealed and painted it, replaced the door, and made a few other
minor repairs. It should be in relatively good condition currently.
Routes
The saddle over to Griffin Creek is around an hour's boulderhopping
up from the Hut.
It is visible
from the Creek and has a large open slip
on its northern side. Don't go up the slip. The saddle track is 20 metres
further up Rocky Creek, its entrance marked by a plastic bag in
a tree.
There is a rough route to Scottys Biv
from Rocky Creek Hut.
Continue up Rocky Creek past the turnoff to the Saddle to the Griffin.
The Creek veers SE above this, climbing steeply up the faces of
Scottys Range. There are a number of small cataracts
that can be negotiated fairly easily. Further up the creek peters out on a
steep scree. Climb to the top of this and continue up through a narrow band of alpine scrub.
This is mainly hebe and spaniard and not too difficult push through.
There is a tussock face just below the crest of the Range with
a short steep climb at the top. From here it is a straightforward 20
minute descent in
a SE direction down to Scottys Biv (Allow 2-3 hours
from Rocky Creek Hut to Scottys Biv).
Repairs needed
None at last report.
Provisions on Site
The most recent gear list we have is from 2004. At the time there was some paint
(including roof paint and metal primer),
billies, a slasher, an old hand saw, a shovel, a
crowbar, a grubber, some flat files, a box of small nails, some red and white
permolat, a hammer head, two long pieces of tongue and groove, a broom, 2 aluminium buckets,
some No 8 wire, and methylated spirits. It is probable
that DOC removed some, or all of this stuff when they did their maintenance in 2004.