New Zealand Walks: The Cobb Valley great for day and overnight walks
The Cobb Valley great for day and overnight walks
The Cobb Valley in Kahurangi National Park is one of my favourite walks.
The valley was originally formed by glacial action and contains very very old rocks - sandstones, schists, shales and quartzites. They are really lovely and I wanted to load them into my pack.
In some areas, trilobites and graptolites have been found. These are advanced life forms from ancient seas. The geology of this area is fascinating, and has so much variation within a short distance.
We left Takaka at 9.00am and after clearing several tree falls off the Cobb Valley Road, reached Trilobite Hut at the road end at 11.30am.
The track to Fenella hut started off over a mixture of beech forest and red tussocks, with buttercups, gentians, daisies and all sorts of herbs scattered amongst them. There were a lot of wekas poking amongst the grasses, not at all bothered by us, and fantails and bellbirds noisy in the trees.
In 90 minutes we reached Chaffeys Hut in a lovely clearing by the river. Originally built in 1952, it became derelect and was rebuilt in 2014. It now sleeps six, and is cozy and comfortable.
Past Chaffeys, the trail was prettier, with moss and lichen covering the ground and drooping from the trees. There were lots of side streams most of which were bridged.
In another hour we reached the ‘Tent Camp’.- a permanent tent of canvas and beech branches, with a fireplace, and a load of firewood stacked ready, so different from the usual bush huts.
From here the trail climbed a bit over rocky ground to Cobb Hut, a tiny four bunk hut, then continued up exposed rocky steps. By now the trees were much smaller and hebes bordered the track.
Beside us the river raced down a
series of waterfalls. It was a really pretty section of track and we reached Fenella Hut about 20 minutes later.
This is a perfect place for families because there are frequent picnic or camping spots, and huts to explore. Fenella is a lovely spacious hut, and a good base for several day walks to nearby lakes or peaks.
We arrived just in time. The weather deteriorated from soft drizzle to heavy rain. Later it was so heavy we couldn’t hear each other. It rained solidly all night, but by 9.00am the sun was out,
so we set off for the return journey.
The walk back was even more beautiful. The river was raging, with white caps all the way, the track a stream in places, and carpeted with deep red/brown leaves in others. Grassy areas were glowing in the sun, but with knee deep pools to wade through. The moss was greener, the sky blue and butterflies were sunning themselves on rocks.
This was a delightful walk, perfect for a weekend escape, or even just a day’s exploration. It is less than two hours drive from Nelson.
The Cobb Valley great for day and overnight walks