Rocky Creek / Griffin Creek

After crossing the Taipo road bridge look for a pathetic attempt of a gate formed by baling twine and rope strung across a 4WD track. Take this track to a clearing 50m distant which is sometimes used as an apiary. Park here or a further 20m down the  track if you're not keen on getting stung on a hot day! The 4WD track heads 10m down a bouldery shady cutting to a tiny pristine watercressed stream. Cross the stream and head via grassy clearings threatened with blackberry and gorse encroachments to the banks of the Taipo where cutty grass abounds. The route is marked with pink cruise tape to this point and takes about 10 minutes to walk.

Until recently you then travelled via a short track in the gloomy forest to a small side creek. Cross this to come on to the start of the track leading to the edge of a massive slip. However there was a massive flood of this tiny side creek so just go down to the river bank and keep an eye out for the start of the track on the true left of this small creek which now flows in a massive debris flow.

This track has now been completely recut and should satisfy all but the Great Walks fans. The track initially follows the edge of the terrace, then follows it downhill briefly but suddenly changes tack and sidles across to Rocky Creek, initially following the creek uphill for 4 minutes on the edge of a terrace on the true left of Rocky Creek then dropping down to a lower terrace and eventually to the bank of Rocky Creek, itself. Here the track ends as it was taken out by a massive slip so enter the water for the first of two crossings. But be attentive for signs to pick up the track again downstream of a second larger waterfall on the true left.

The track starts here in a greasy narrow section where it crosses a little level prominence, drops down to the river briefly (50m) then heads up a tiny waterfall to verdant bush, an open scarred slumped section and enters the bush again for 200m. Finally it emerges in the open riverbed just upstream of a gorged section. You can travel via the rocky riverbed on the true left until the river closes up again. However if you are attentive, you can also travel via several bypass tracks. Some are better marked than others with white tin lids and other marker paraphenalia such as blue cruise tape. These tracks are quicker than the river bed travel. There are also some cool flood channel sections.

Then basically you can travel up the river itself to a track just upstream of Rocky Hut just beyond a massive logjam of toppled trees. But the track to the hut leading from downstream of the hut is no longer overgrown and a nice change from the river travel. The hut is in an small clearing surrounded by mountain cabbage trees. From the hut travel upstream, taking care to choose the right tributaries as per the map. A cairn is marking one decision point. This was replaced in January 2014, with permolat markers and cruise tape replaced at the junction. If you choose the wrong (true left, climber's right) tributary, you'll eventually come to an impassible waterfall according to the previous hutbook. The creek narrows and has been cut open of overhanging hebe etc. most of the way up to the first waterfall where a short bypass track has been cut. It is quite clambery in places on black and white shist bedrock but suddenly opens to a silvery fine slip on the true left. Just past this slip, you enter the forest again and will find indications of a steep short 50m track in forest, leading to the saddle via a boggy little trickle which badly needs remarking as it only has orange cruise tape. It is followable if you pay attention. Just be sure to follow the lowest point of this induration. If you arrive on the slip, you've got too far to the right (true left). The track on the saddle is closer to the south end of the saddle, not near the slip as shown on the map.

From the saddle the track used to be well defined in places and steep, descending via little streams to attractive forested spurs with good markings bypassing waterfalls.  Matthew has described the route more thoroughly although I don't recall windfalls: just the reality of an unmarked track which requires quite a bit of stream travel. Last time we did this it was in complete darkness so it can't be too difficult to suss. If you miss the second  bypass 500m upstream from the tributary's junction with Griffin Creek, the stream is quite navigable down to the main Griffin Creek. It just takes longer due to the extra distance. The gradient eases as you approach Griffin Creek. The main track from Mt Griffin crosses a side stream. Be careful not to then continue travelling up a side stream leading to Scotty's Saddle!  You want to be travelling in a south-west to south direction, not south-east! There is actually a junction of 2 tracks so choose attentively to pick up the track which leads to the hut on the true right of Griffin Creek via a terrace. The hut is in an open clearing on a lower terrace 20m above Griffin Creek. It is a magical place and includes a bath down by the river.

From the hut, retrace the track to the second side stream downstream and cross this stream to travel on the true right for some distance before crossing Griffin Creek several times. A track starts about 45 minutes downstream of the hut. It climbs to point 974 and is quite steep, initially through boggy cutty grass, alongside a slip to magnificent rata forest, a lookout and then the mossy grassed tops where the plastic slimy water barrel deteriorates even further. I have actually camped nearby and drunk the stuff.

The track is a bit overgrown and needs TLC. Lots of people have made effective efforts to mark it in various ways and done occasional track maintenance. It is quite steep but must be followed with attentiveness as it has a few doglegs. It eventually flattens out and sidles down to Harrington Creek. Cross the creek to the true left and pick up a track that takes you to the old moss covered section of highway 73 that can be used as a parking zone.

It would be a marvelous thing if anyone going in carried secateurs, loppers, and pruning or bowsaws and some form of track marking as following the track is getting to be a bit of a challenge for some folks especially the saddle section. The CTC did the trip in March 2010 and with attentiveness were able to find the track after losing it a few times!