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 put in in by NZFS, not officially
maintained for many years, have been kept open and useable by volunteers.
Location
Taipo catchment. Grid Ref: E1469915/
N5261720. Map BV20. Altitude 615m. Rocky Creek,
more an oversized biv than a hut, is located on the
TR of Rocky
Creek, a small tributary of the Taipo River. The surrounds are
predominantly rata-kamahi forest
and there is pleasant deep-bush ambience here. Rocky has historically been low-use and
numbers dwindled to a trickle during the 80's and 90's due to deteriorating tracks and lack
of good route information.
Visits have increased since the tracks were fixed up and the Hut was profiled on this website.
The Rocky Creek - Griffin Creek circuit is a moderate difficulty overnighter of some merit.
Access
Frank King and Honora Renwick Christchurch have adopted, and are currently working on, the track to
Rocky Creek from the Taipo Bridge roadend. At last report they'd completed most the terrace section
above the Taipo valley. Craig Benbow and his sons also did some trimming work.
The route starts at the the Taipo River bridge on SH73 and follows the TL of the Taipo for 1/2 an hour.
The track starts at the top end of a grassy terrace, crosses a small stream and climbs a short distance up a ridge.
It leaves the ridge and sidles along the terraces
above the Taipo and then around into the Rocky Creek catchment.
The track drops into Rocky Creek above a small gorge, at an active slip.
Frank intends cutting a trail around the
top of the slip to create a flood route.
From the slip it is mostly creek travel up
to the Hut with a few short sections of track
around small waterfalls and other obstacles. Cairns at a small side creek mark the entrance
of the route up to the Hut. Follow the side creek for 50m to where
the track exits on the TL and sidles around to the Hut.
This last section of track was tidied up by volunteers in 2009.
Allow 4-5 hours from the Taipo
Bridge to Rocky Creek Hut.
The other main access route to Rocky Creek is from the Griffin Creek catchment
via a low bush saddle. From Griffin
Creek Hut head downriver to the side creek
draining Scottys Saddle and folow this up a short distance.
Permolat markers on the TR mark the entrance
of a track leads over into the next side creek catchment downriver.
Follow this creek up to where it forks in its mid-section and take the
TL fork. A track exits a short distance up this and
crosses back over into
the TR fork to avoid a small waterfall just above the
confluence. Its entrance on the TR is getting harder to locate, but the track itself is OK.
Continue up the TR fork of Rocky Saddle Creek (both saddle and creek are unnamed on the topo map). There
is windthrow and slips on this section that may slow progress.
Nearer the Saddle the scrub closes in and the
creek becomes quite small. A track exits here on the TR,
climbs for 10 minutes up
to the Saddle, from where it drops directly into Rocky Creek. It is
around an hour's boulderhopping down the Creek to the Hut. Permolat and a cairn
mark the entrance of a short section track that leads up onto the terrace and Hut.
Allow
around three hours from Griffin Creek Hut
to Rocky Creek Hut.
An overgrowing clearing next to the Hut
may still fit a helicopter, or not (it may need a trim by now).
Type
Rocky Creek is a miniature two-bunk hut, one of the last huts built by the
NZFS in Westland in the mid-1970's. It is lined, but has no fireplace, woodburner, or toilet.
Water is from the Creek 50m away.
Condition
Rocky Creek is well constructed and remained in good
condition during a zero maintenance period lasting through the 1980's and 90's.
In 2004 DOC resealed and painted it, replaced the door, and made a few other
minor repairs. It is 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. The track entrance is
20 metres further up Rock Creek, past the slip.
It is possible to access Scottys Biv
by continuing on up past the saddle turnoff.
Rocky Creek veers SE just above this and climbs steeply up the faces of
Scottys Range. A number of small cataracts
can be negotiated fairly easily. Further up the creek peters out on a
steep scree. Climb to the top of the scree and continue up through a narrow band of alpine scrub
towards the crest of the Range.
The scrub is mainly hebe and spaniard and not too difficult to get through.
After this a steep tussock face needs to be climbed to reach the top.
From here it is a straightforward 20
minute drop in
a SE direction to Scottys Biv, which is visible from near the top. Allow 2.5-3 hours
from Rocky Creek Hut to Scottys Biv.
Repairs needed
None at last report.
Provisions on Site
One billy, a slasher, a large bow saw, a shovel, a crowbar, a mattock, a jar of small nails, some red and white permolat,
a hammer head, two long pieces of tongue and groove, a coil of fine wire, a broom, a galvanised bucket, and
a brush and shovel.
