This area was used as a base camp for power companies to helicopter huge power lines across the valley. The walking is a little better but the views make up for the heavy rain. Twenty minutes from the Pinnacles hut you can get a better idea for the walk up to the top of the Pinnacles plus you get a good view of the hut. It took me 30 mins to jump over the giant mud holes, crawl and climb to the top. On a sunny day the views would have been out of this world. Looking to the East you can just make out Pauanui beach and the township of Tairua.
If you go to the Whangaiterena campsite, there is a notice board there with walks on it from 1 hour to 4 hour walks. The campsite is up the Kauaeranga Valley Rd the same road on the way to the Pinnacles. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Pinnacles Hut Walk. Medium 2. Quick Facts about this walk.
Summary points about this walk. Walk Highlights. Track Quality. But there were so many orange markers hanging on the trees we decided it must be the right way. So we crossed the river and a landslide that seems to have come down a while ago as the Department of Conservation even built some stairs in it.
The stairs were built about years ago when people logged the area of its giant Kauri trees. The trees were extremely popular for building ships and houses. So popular the loggers build stone steps for their pack horses to get to the logging camps with supplies. Very long ago, this area was a volcano. The pinnacle rocks solidified and stood upright as the volcano around them slowly eroded. Up was up and I had two walking poles helping me climb. I even quite enjoyed the unusual stairs.
Usually, the DOC puts wooden stairs everywhere. Which is great for both walkers and nature but often makes the walk feel less natural. It was then I first realised that my legs are getting a little tired.
On a path that was only meters long. Which means that most of the way up would be close to vertical! Then, after those were behind us, the actual adventure started. Next, we had to climb two metal ladders and later on metal hooks that are attached in the rocks and we had to hold on to roots along the way to pull ourselves up.
It all sounds very adventurous. The legs were a bit wobbly at times, but no problem in the end. The view at the top and also all along the way up is breathtaking! We felt like the king of the castle with the whole Kauaeranga Valley beneath us, Coromandel Forest Park and even the ocean in the distance to our feet. It felt amazing and was incredibly hard to get the feeling on a picture. What a fabulous view from the pinnacles summit! We had planned to eat our lunch on the platform at the top, but luck had it that we were surrounded by rain clouds closing in on us, probably the first rain in weeks.
What a timing. The rocks on the way back down to the hut were slippery when dry, so we decided to climb down and eat lunch later.
We did get a little rained on in the end, but the rain literally only lasted for the short time we were on the Pinnacles summit itself and once we got to the hut it stopped again for the rest of the day. But at least we got to enjoy the view before we got rained on. Back at the hut we ate our lunch, rested for a little longer and made our way back down to the starting point. My legs were very tired by now, so we decided to descend the same way we came up.
By the time we reached the valley my legs were dead. As soon as we stopped walking for a while, my feet felt like they were going to explode and I was extremely happy when we reached the car park and I could take my shoes off.
The rest of the evening I felt quite good, surprisingly. We had a really nice and relaxing evening and went to bed early. It felt so well earned! And the Kauaeranga Valley has a lot to offer, too. Many more walks, swimming holes and swing bridges make it a bit of an adventure playground off the beaten track. From Auckland, it takes about two hours to reach the end of the valley, where the car park is located and the walk starts.
The Pinnacles walk is a year-round walk. As a result, plans for a leisurely coffee were shelved in favour of a speedy departure, and we were back on the trail before 8am. Without the need to stop for photos or recovery breaks, we made good time back down the mountain, and found ourselves back at the river crossing almost exactly two hours after leaving the hut. A quick skip across the rocks, a ten minute stroll back to the carpark, and that was the Pinnacles Walk done and dusted. The owners, Stu and Barbara, had cooked up a hearty breakfast to fuel our hike, and were more than happy to look after our bags rather than leaving them in the car overnight.
Overall I really enjoyed this walk. The views were spectacular, the terrain provided some challenge without being too long or difficult, and there was even a bit of history thrown in for good measure.
Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. I'm Dave Dean. In I quit my job, sold everything I owned, and set off to live, work and wander round the world, armed with a backpack, a good pair of boots, and no return ticket.
December 5, Dave 0 Comment. Hiking , New Zealand.
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