Kauaeranga Travel Guide

  Typical NZ bush.
by kiwi
 
  • Typical NZ bush.
      Typical NZ bush.
    by kiwi
  • Pinnacles Hut
      Pinnacles Hut
    by kiwi
  • The Pinnacles, Coromandel
      The Pinnacles, Coromandel
    by kiwi
  • River scene near the start of the walk.
      River scene near the start of the walk.
    by allikat
  • Ladder leading back down - gulp!
      Ladder leading back down - gulp!
    by allikat
 

Explore Kauaeranga

Things to Do  

Climb to the top....

Climb to the top...., Kauaeranga

 allikat Says:  ....or wuss out like I did.Yep, that's right, I wimped out and sent my camera on to the summit without me. I love hiking up big hills, but I'm not great with sheer drops. And the top bit of the Pinnacles is sheer.From the Pinnacles hut, our small group followed the steep... 

Dancing Camp Kauri Dam

Dancing Camp Kauri Dam, Kauaeranga

 allikat Says:  Just a couple of minutes walk from the Pinnacles hut is the Dancing Camp kauri dam. Dams like this one were used by logging crews to dam up valleys in steep, inaccessible areas, and the felled kauri trees were stacked up and then driven down the valleys, carried by the... 

Hotels  

The Pinnacles Hut.: Basic bunkhouse with stunning views.

The Pinnacles Hut.: Basic bunkhouse with stunning views., Kauaeranga

 allikat Says:  This was my first experience of staying in a Department of Conservation (DOC) hut. The Pinnacles hut is one of New Zealand's largest such huts, providing basic bunkhouse accommodation for eighty people in two large communal bunk rooms. There is no mains power or water... 

Pinnacles Hut: A welcome site at the end of a long hard climb.

Pinnacles Hut: A welcome site at the end of a long hard climb., Kauaeranga

 kiwi Says:  This is the Pinnacles Hut and it is administered by DOC - Department of Conservation. Provided for walkers and to avail them to some shelter, while visiting our forest parks.All bookings and info about the hut is done throught the Kaueranga Visitor Centre, on the road in.... 

Warnings Or Dangers  

Only One Person per Swing Bridge Please.

Only One Person per Swing Bridge Please., Kauaeranga

 kiwi Says:  Please heed the warning signs to only have One person on the swing bridge at a time. A few years ago some people abused these warning signs and resulted in a big group of them being killed when a platform collapsed from excessive overloading. Besides, it's far more enjoyable... 

The weather can change quickly!

The weather can change quickly!, Kauaeranga

 kiwi Says:  Never enter the hills or bush in New Zealand without a jacket. We are not a tropical country and it's likely the weather can change without notice and turn very cold. Sometimes the winds and rain seem to come directly from Antarctica and can turn a lovely hot day into a very... 

What to Pack  

You will need...

You will need..., Kauaeranga

 allikat Says:  A good backpack. Line it with a plastic bin liner, and if it doesn't have a showerproof cover, make one of your own with another bin liner. The New Zealand bush is dense and green for a reason - it rains! I wouldn't do this walk without decent walking boots. It covers a... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Variety of track terrain.

Variety of track terrain., Kauaeranga

 kiwi Says:  Mostly the track is easy for walking, albeit uphill all the way to the hut though! Being a volcanic area, there are a lot of rocks around, and as you see here, someplaces where the steps are carved. they are a nice size and not too large to trudge up with a pack on back.... 

Past life as a forest.

Past life as a forest., Kauaeranga

 kiwi Says:  New Zealand was covered in forest before mankind arrived, and we had some amazingly large hardwood trees. When the pioneers came they felled most of these for use in building sailing ships as they were hard and tall and straight. Perfect for their needs. Now the few... 

Track to the Pinnacles Hut

Track to the Pinnacles Hut, Kauaeranga

 kiwi Says:  Not all the steps are uniform and similar to a staircase. Here you see just some minor chiselling just to make foot placements to assist hikers. I guess this was formed for the ponies too, thanks very much. There is a lot of clays up in these hills, so can be very slippery... 

Unusual landscape formed by volcanic activity.

Unusual landscape formed by volcanic activity., Kauaeranga

 kiwi Says:  They say it's taken 20 million years for the landscape to end up looking like this. I can never understand how 'they' work that out, however I'm happy to believe it. Imagine a string of volcanoes erupting from time to time. 8 million years ago "they say"..... And as they... 

Favorites  

An hour past the hut...

An hour past the hut..., Kauaeranga

 kiwi Says:  From Thames, this is a 14km slow drive along a windy and sometimes skinny road, followed by a 3 hour uphill trek, which for me took 4 hours as I am not very fit. We were overnighting at the Hut, so had packs with gear on our backs.After settling in at the hut, you can then... 

The Place

Plan a Kauaeranga vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Kauaeranga locals

Experience Kauaeranga
  •   12 Tips and Reviews
  •  51 Photos
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The People

 
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 They say it's taken 20 million years for the landscape to end up looking like this. I can never understand how 'they' work that out, however I'm happy to... 

 

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Top 2 Kauaeranga Writers

1

Kauaeranga Valley

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 The Coromandel Peninsular has so much to offer the outdoors loving people. From boating, watersports, fishing, to climbing and trekking, camping and driving. You get to the Kauaeranga Valley from the... 

2

Through the Kauaeranga Valley to the Pinnacles.

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 A jagged summit reaching high above dense, green bush, the Pinnacles had been on my 'hit list' for a couple of years. We finally chose a wet holiday weekend to make the trip and gave our leg muscles a... 

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